People’s Hearing

What: The Coalition to Reform our Legislature (CROL) will hold a People’s Hearing to address two bills, filed by CROL’s members and allies, that would improve the way that our legislature operates. The bills were filed consistent with House and Senate rules, yet both chambers bypassed the typical process of holding formal hearings on them, leaving the public in the dark on their benefits.

When: Tuesday, June 17 1:30-3 PM

Where: Church on the Hill, 140 Bowdoin St., Boston

Who: The hearing will feature testimony from advocates, former legislators, and members of the public.

Why: CROL is a politically diverse coalition of groups and individuals committed to making the Massachusetts legislature more accountable, effective, and transparent. CROL proposed two bills to accomplish those objectives.

One bill would establish independent legislative research and fiscal analysis bureaus to provide legislators with the tools necessary to craft legislation based on objective data, rather than reliance on special interests. The second bill would reform the stipend system which presently gives leadership extraordinary control over legislators’ salaries, replacing it with a less costly and less leadership-controlled stipend system that rewards performance, rather than loyalty.

CROL is holding this hearing to advance public debate on our dysfunctional legislature.