Massachusetts
Massachusetts town demands audit of state Legislature be enforced: ‘Just unbelievable’
A local Massachusetts town board is stepping up for Bay Staters who approved the audit of the state Legislature, demanding House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka open their books.
The Reading Select Board has voted to send a letter to the top Beacon Hill lawmakers, expressing its “strong support” for the will of the voters to be respected and the legislative audit to be conducted, over 15 months after approval.
In November 2024, Reading voters overwhelmingly approved Question 1, with 66% of the 16,650 ballots cast, or 10,987 residents, in favor of the audit. That closely matched the 72% of Bay Staters who signed off on the measure.
Select Board Vice Chairwoman Melissa Murphy, who requested her colleagues to approve sending the letter to Mariano and Spilka, said in a Facebook post Monday that she hopes other local boards and councils across the Bay State join Reading in “urging the Legislature to honor the will of the voters.”
Murphy added that she finds it interesting that the Massachusetts Legislature is one of only four states that don’t follow public records law.
“You can’t do a (public records request) on a legislator, but they can do one on us,” she told colleagues at a meeting last week. “We don’t see their financials ever; they do their own private audit. It is clear that not only did Reading residents support this audit, but the residents of Massachusetts did.”
This comes as the fight over the audit remains red-hot on Beacon Hill.
Auditor Diana DiZoglio and Attorney General Andrea Campbell have been locked in a legal tug-of-war since voters approved the audit.
Siding with legislative leadership, Campbell has claimed that DiZoglio has not answered basic questions on the scope of the legislative audit. The AG argues that the auditor’s review may also violate the state Constitution.
The state Supreme Judicial Court earlier this month denied DiZoglio’s request for a special assistant attorney general to represent her in court – another setback in her legal battle to carry out the Legislative audit.
Campbell is representing Spilka and Mariano in the case.
The state Senate Republican Caucus has also called on Spilka to formally request the SJC to issue an advisory opinion “to effectively resolve any remaining issues” regarding the voter-approved Legislative audit.
Spilka and Mariano did not immediately respond to the Herald’s requests for comment on Tuesday about the missive from Reading.
“Reading officials understand that taxpayers deserve access to the government they pay for,” DiZoglio said in a statement shared with the Herald. “I commend them for stepping up to call out the outlandish lawbreaking by our Legislative leaders.”
Voicing his frustration over the lack of audit enforcement, Reading Select Board Chairman Christopher Haley highlighted how residents last year approved projects to build a new elementary school and a center for active living for residents 60 and older.
“If the five of us decided, ‘You know what? We’re not going to do it,’ that’s what’s happening with the audit,” Haley said last week. “The state approved something, and people are just making their own decisions, determinations, interpretations of how things should work.”
“This is just unbelievable that the will of the voters isn’t being endorsed on this,” he added. “It’s unacceptable. If any of us did that up here, we’d get called out.”
Life Care Center of Raynham has received a deficiency‑free inspection result from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a distinction awarded to a small share of the state’s licensed nursing homes, according to a community announcement.
The inspection was conducted as part of the state’s routine, unannounced nursing home survey process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These comprehensive, multi‑day inspections evaluate multiple aspects of facility operations, including staffing levels, quality of care, medication management, cleanliness, food service and resident rights.
State survey records show that Life Care Center of Raynham met required standards during its most recent standard survey, with no deficiencies cited, based on publicly available state data.
The announcement states that fewer than 8% of Massachusetts nursing homes achieve deficiency‑free survey results. That figure could not be independently verified through state or federal data and is attributed to the announcement.
In addition to the state survey outcome, the facility is listed as a five‑star provider for quality measures on the federal Medicare Care Compare website. The five‑star quality measure rating reflects above‑average performance compared with other nursing homes nationwide, according to federal rating methodology.
Officials said the inspection results reflect ongoing compliance with state and federal standards designed to protect resident health and safety. According to the announcement, the outcome is attributed to staff performance and internal quality practices.
This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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Massachusetts residents love their beach towns.
And Condé Nast Magazine loves two particular beach towns in the Bay State, but surprisingly didn’t pick a beach on Cape Cod.
That’s why the towns were included on the magazine’s 2025 list of the 17 best beach towns on the East Coast.
“Whether you’re looking to lay out on the sand in summer or prefer walking along the water spotting wildlife and collecting rocks, the shores of the East Coast have a little something for everyone,” Condé Nast stated on its website.
Here’s more about the magazine’s favorite beach towns in Massachusetts.
Oak Bluffs ranked No. 5 on the list
Coming in at number 5 is one of the most popular spots on Martha’s Vineyard – Oak Bluffs.
What they said: “The colorful gingerbread houses for which Oak Bluffs is known are straight out of a storybook. Visitors walk straight off their boats into Ocean Park, a circular green overlooking the sea, encircled by said houses, with a frothy, delicate gazebo sitting in the center. Oak Bluffs has a long history of welcoming Black visitors, and today it is home to the annual African-American Film Festival.”
Rockport ranked No. 4 on the list
Rockport is a town on the North Shore of the Bay State.
What they said: “The coastal region is known for its excellent seafood, beautiful beaches, and historic landmarks. Many a good film has been filmed here as well, such as Martin Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’ and Kenneth Lonergan’s ‘Manchester-by-the-Sea.’
“Forty miles north of Boston, (Rockport) has a can’t-miss natural gem in Halibut Point State Park, from which visitors can spot Maine in the distance 80 miles away. Rockport is also beloved by art history buffs: it is home to Motif Number 1, a fishing shack with the superlative ‘the most-often painted building in America.’ It was built in 1840, and was a popular subject because it represented New England’s nautical character.”
What other regions of New England are on the list?
According to Condé Nast, they include:
- Bar Harbor, Maine
- Kennebunkport, Maine
- Newport, Rhode Island
- Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
- Madison, Connecticut
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