Poll Shows Low Trust as Massachusetts Legislature Blocks Audit

More than a year after Commonwealth residents voted overwhelmingly to authorize State Auditor Diana DiZoglio to audit the Massachusetts Legislature, the audit still has not occurred.

Audit Approved by Voters Still Has Not Happened

The reason there has been no audit is that the leadership, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka, have stood firmly against it. They don't want an audit, nor does Attorney General Andrea Campbell or apparently Governor Maura Healey.

Come to think of it, only a handful of state legislators have expressed concern about the lack of an audit. Could this be the reason Massachusetts residents hold the Legislature in such low regard these days?

Poll Shows Declining Trust in Massachusetts Legislature

Boston.com reported that "Massachusetts residents view the state Legislature in a very negative light and are overwhelmingly concerned with the transparency of state government," according to the results of a new poll from the Pioneer Institute.

The Pioneer Institute stated, "Only 28 percent of respondents in the poll of Massachusetts residents have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the state Legislature, compared to 51 percent who have a very or somewhat unfavorable opinion of the Legislature."

"Over 82 percent of respondents said legislators should allow the State Auditor to audit the Legislature, and 79 percent believe the Legislature should submit to the audit voluntarily, even if Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled that requiring an audit is unconstitutional," according to the Pioneer Institute's findings.

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Eighty-seven percent consider transparency very important, indicating that failure to comply with the audit may be impacting how voters view state lawmakers.

Recently, the Town of Reading's Select Board voted to write to Mariano and Spilka, urging them to support the audit. The board also challenged other select boards and councils in Massachusetts to send their own letters in support of the audit.

Local Support for Audit Remains Strong

Nearly 70 percent of New Bedford residents voted in favor of the audit in November 2024.