Massachusetts

A widely popular ballot law that authorizes the state auditor to probe the Legislature still has not taken effect, and the latest response from representatives set off another political fracas about transparency on Beacon Hill.

Auditor Diana DiZoglio said Thursday that the state’s House of Representatives was “slapping voters in the face” with its vote to amend the process by which it seeks an independent financial audit of its practices.

Under the House’s rule change, DiZoglio would be responsible for picking an audit firm, rather than having the authority to audit the Legislature herself, as voters overwhelmingly approved last week with the passage of Question 1.

DiZoglio argued that the move would effectively sidestep the more incisive work she’s hoping to do.

To the House members currently caucusing. If you strip away the ability for our office to conduct the audit, you give yourselves the ability to control the scope of the audit, by an outside firm, since you’ll still control how much you pay for the audit, what you will allow their…

— Diana DiZoglio (@DianaDiZoglio) November 14, 2024

Furthermore, legislators would still possess the sole authority to block the taxpayer’s access to what ANY audit uncovers and show us ONLY what they want to show us like they do now, from whatever LIMITED review they happen to allow. They will still deny access to ANY info found… https://t.co/SFZeYK9v4r

— Diana DiZoglio (@DianaDiZoglio) November 14, 2024

The action so far is limited just to one chamber: although Senate Democrats have also been vocal opponents of DiZoglio’s successful campaign, they have no intention to take a similar vote before the 2024-2025 term comes to an end Dec. 31.

The rule change does not affect the auditor’s powers under the voter law, but it represents an early signal of how legislative leaders will try to counter the power that voters gave DiZoglio.

The House’s existing Rule 85A instructs the House business manager, with approval from the chamber’s legal counsel, to select an outside, independent auditor to examine financial accounts each year.

Under the change, the business manager would instead need to adopt the state auditor’s recommendation for a private, independent firm “pursuant to a statewide procurement contract established by the operational services division.”

Rep. Danielle Gregoire, the first division chair in House Speaker Ron Mariano’s leadership team, said the change would ensure “any audit pursuant to the passage of Question 1 will be a professional audit, not a political one,” an apparent reference to DiZoglio’s well-known clashes with legislative leaders during and after her tenure in the House and Senate.

Gregoire was the only representative who spoke about the measure on the House floor.

The House approved the rule change (H 5105) 135-10. Among House Republicans, 11 voted for the change, three did not vote, and 10 voted against it — Reps. Donald Berthiaume of Spencer, Nicolas Boldyga of Southwick, David DeCoste of Norwell, John Marsi of Dudley, Joseph McKenna of Sutton, Kelly Pease of Westfield, Michael Soter of Bellingham, Alyson Sullivan-Almeida of Abington, Marcus Vaughn of Wrentham, and Steven Xiarhos of Barnstable.

Speaking with reporters before the vote, Mariano pitched it as “an opportunity to acknowledge the 70-30 vote of the electorate.”

“Obviously, they weren’t happy with the way we were doing things, and we took a look at the way we were doing things,” he said. “We found we could make a few changes that we think maintains a strong financial audit while still backboning our argument about the separation of powers.”

Asked if he planned to repeal the ballot law, Mariano replied, “This has got nothing to do with repealing anything. This is a rules change.”

Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka said earlier this week they were weighing potential changes to the law.

“This is the first presentation we made to the members. We want to see how it’s received. We want to see what the auditor’s reaction to this is,” Mariano said Thursday. “We’re willing to work with the auditor. She wanted some input on the audit; she now has it. She can pick the firm that does it.”

“We haven’t touched the law. Let’s make that clear: we have not touched the law. I have no intent to do anything right now, except maybe take a few days off,” he added.

Mariano declared plans to adopt the rule change around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, while House Democrats were meeting behind closed doors to discuss upcoming votes. DiZoglio took to social media within minutes to voice her incandescent displeasure — and to ask other constitutional officers to get involved.

“To the House members currently caucusing. If you strip away the ability for our office to conduct the audit, you give yourselves the ability to control the scope of the audit, by an outside firm, since you’ll still control how much you pay for the audit, what you will allow their scope to be, and what you will allow them to examine or not examine — you’ll be giving yourself control over every aspect of the process which will be overseen by you, and not our office, exempting yourself from oversight — yet again — slapping voters in the face,” she posted.

She argued that under the change, lawmakers “would still possess the sole authority to block the taxpayer’s access to what ANY audit uncovers and show us ONLY what they want to show us.” DiZoglio suggested the maneuver would block any insight into state spending on non-disclosure agreements — long a priority issue for her — and whether legislators are “breaking the law and giving out state contracts to their friends.”

A Mariano spokesperson said Thursday that the House “has not executed an NDA with an employee or former employee, nor has it paid any money to settle any workplace complaints since Speaker Mariano became House Speaker” at the end of 2020.

.@MassGovernor it’s time. We, the people, need you to
stand up for us. Veto this. #mapoli https://t.co/wMTi9699QC

— Diana DiZoglio (@DianaDiZoglio) November 14, 2024

DiZoglio appealed directly to Gov. Maura Healey, who has declined to take a position on the audit-the-Legislature measure. “.@MassGovernor it’s time. We, the people, need you to stand up for us. Veto this,” she posted.

The governor does not have veto authority over legislative rules.

DiZoglio then broadened her appeal to both Healey and to Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

I am asking for help from both @MassAGO & @MassGovernor because we legitimately can’t stop legislators from messing with Question 1, without their FULL support. @MassAGO pls represent the people in court to enforce the law, old and new. @MassGovernor pls take a public position &…

— Diana DiZoglio (@DianaDiZoglio) November 14, 2024

“I am asking for help from both @MassAGO & @MassGovernor because we legitimately can’t stop legislators from messing with Question 1, without their FULL support,” she wrote. “@MassAGO pls represent the people in court to enforce the law, old and new. @MassGovernor pls take a public position & call on them to follow the law that they’re planning to outright ignore.”

The rule change will be limited to the House, at least for the next six weeks or so.

“With the ballot measure not yet in effect, and with this General Court and the rules that govern it set to expire at the end of December, we will not be taking similar action at this time,” a spokesperson for Spilka said Thursday. “The Senate has worked consistently to increase transparency in recent years, and is exploring ways to continue to do so for the coming session.”

The spokesperson added that Senate rules already require annual independent audits and financials to be available online. DiZoglio’s office previously said the Senate only posted its fiscal 2021 audit online after her team flagged that it was missing.

DiZoglio, herself a former representative and senator, has been aggressively pushing to audit the Legislature over objections from top Democrats, who argue that doing so would represent a constitutional overreach.

Her taxpayer-funded office released results from its first attempt to audit the Legislature with a report published 15 days before Election Day, which said House and Senate Democrats refused to participate and criticized missing information.

The Methuen Democrat wrote to Mariano and Spilka last week renewing her push for information and outlining plans to conduct a “performance audit,” which could be broader than the “financial audit” envisioned by the House rules change.

She said at the time the analysis would begin with “a review of high-risk areas” like state contracting and procurement procedures, taxpayer-funded NDAs, and the “balance forward line item” in the Legislature.

Mariano said he wants any audit to remain focused on finances “because we feel there’s a real separation of what you can do and what you can’t do.”

“I’m not going to allow her to come in here and make the pronouncement that she can do this,” he said. “We believe that the separations [of power] in Section 30 of the Constitution are real.”

Campbell’s office certified the ballot question as constitutionally viable to go before voters, but the AG herself has not sided with DiZoglio. Last year, she ruled that the auditor did not have legal authority to audit the Legislature under the laws at that time, and she’s cautioned about “constitutional limits” affecting a voter law.

On Thursday, Campbell declined to shed more light on what those factors could be and said she first wants to get a better understanding of “what the auditor is looking to actually audit.”

Government watchdog groups from across the political spectrum supported the ballot question campaign.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones of North Reading voted in favor of the rule change Thursday, and said he views it as “a modest first step.”

“Instead of the Democratic leadership pick[ing] the auditor to audit ourselves, I take it and I would support it as a first step to say [to the auditor], ‘Okay, you go pick who does it,’” he told the News Service before the vote. “I think it’s fine if she wants to say, That’s great, but it doesn’t satisfy everything she’s looking for. I think it’s just a good, sound step even outside of the question.”

He did, however, voice some concerns about a broader performance audit, saying it “sounds more personal than anything.”

Sam Drysdale contributed reporting.

After voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots to eliminate the requirement that Massachusetts high school students pass the MCAS exam in order to receive a diploma, the question of whether the state will pursue a new statewide standard in the exams’ place — and what, exactly, that would look like — looms over the upcoming legislative session.

Education insiders said this week that conversations about implementing new education standards in wake of Question 2’s passage are already happening, and those who had campaigned against the initiative are pushing for an urgent solution.

Gov. Maura Healey, who opposed the MCAS question, told reporters on Wednesday that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will further update regulations.

“It’s time for us to continue what, frankly, was started before the election, which was to figure out the new path forward, and what is the new model for a really uniform standard,” Healey said. “Because, again, my position is we shouldn’t have different expectations for students depending on which ZIP code they’re in. There should be a uniformity to our expectations.”

She continued, “We’re going to do that in discussion with, and in collaboration with a range of stakeholders. So more to come on that.”

Last week, the governor said that the voters had spoken on the issue — though she left the door open to legislative changes.

“The voters have spoken on this and I think what’s important now is that [the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education] move forward in getting the appropriate guidance out,” she said.

With most votes counted, Question 2 to decouple the MCAS from graduation was approved by a margin of 59% to 41%. It takes effect on Dec. 5.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued a three-page question-and-answer sheet to districts on the new law on Nov. 6, which advises school leaders that in order to graduate, students now need to “satisfactorily [complete] coursework that has been certified by the student’s district as written in the ballot question.” It adds that additional guidance on certification is forthcoming.

Healey, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano said before the election that they were concerned about leaving Massachusetts without any statewide standard for receiving a high school diploma, and left the door ajar on potential legislative action to respond to Question 2 passing.

“What we’re asking for is for the administration and the Legislature to urgently collaborate on a different state graduation standard, something that is uniform so we can protect equity for students,” said Ed Lambert, executive director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education. “It’s a process that should include a range of voices, including parents, teachers, business leaders, policymakers and others, to think about what the next iteration of a state graduation standard should look like.”

Lambert said he believes the state should consider extending the current MCAS exam requirement for the next few years until a new standard can be developed.

“I think that would be reasonable, but it’s not likely to happen,” said Jim Peyser, the former secretary of education under former Gov. Charlie Baker, who is now an advisor at education nonprofit Bellwether.

Peyser, who opposed the ballot question, said the state will have to quickly come up with an alternative way to assess whether every high school graduate in Massachusetts is getting an equal education. But he was skeptical of whether the Legislature would be able to come up with an intervention before the end of the school year, or whether they’d be willing to continue the system that voters cast their ballots against for a few more years in the meantime.

“In a perfect world we would have more time. I don’t think we have that luxury,” Peyser said.

Sources say that when lawmakers, the administration, business groups and the teachers unions that backed the “yes” campaign were negotiating a compromise last spring to try to prevent the initiative from going to the ballot, there was traction around an idea that would have phased the MCAS requirement out over several years and allowed state education officials some time to draft a new regulatory framework to replace it with a new statewide standard. A compromise never emerged and the question went to the ballot instead.

Max Page, the president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association who led the effort to topple the MCAS graduation requirement, said he expects the law to be implemented immediately.

“It was 59% to 41%, I would put that close to a landslide. Either way, it’s law, it’s the will of the voters. Certainly, there is no doubt about the strength of support for this question,” Page said. “So obviously, we just expect the law to be implemented as passed.”

He added that there are state standards, “perhaps the highest in the country.”

“They are encapsulated in what’s called the curriculum frameworks, published for everyone to see, every grade, every subject area, every school,” he said. “If you go to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website, it says this is the way we guarantee there is a commonality across districts and across subjects and across teachers. And our educators and our members of the MTA take those standards very seriously. It’s built into the teacher licensure. Is built into the textbooks. It’s built into the report cards. So we have very high standards.”

But the advocates who were on the “no” campaign say that’s still not enough — that the value of a Massachusetts diploma is depleted without a statewide measure for all students to meet in order to graduate.

Since Question 2’s passage, and news out of New York that their State Education Department will phase out the requirement of their statewide high school exam, only six states maintain mandatory exit tests for a diploma, according to FairTest, an advocacy center opposed to testing requirements. The six states are Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

“I think the fact that we now have among the lowest standards in the nation for graduation creates a sense of urgency about which the executive branch really needs to act on,” said Paul Reville, secretary of education under former Gov. Deval Patrick and founder of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy and the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education.

At least one powerful voice from the “yes” side also wants to see a new statewide standard.

Sen. Jason Lewis, who co-chairs the legislative Committee on Education, endorsed Question 2, with the caveat that he planned to file a bill next session to require all students to complete MassCore, a recommended set of courses for high school students.

“MassCore was adopted by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2007 and is currently recommended for all students, but not required. Requiring completion of MassCore in order to receive a high school diploma would strengthen course offerings across all high schools, ensure that all students are receiving a rigorous education, and provide a consistent statewide graduation standard. My legislation will also consider other ways to encourage high-quality student learning experiences, like capstone projects, service learning, vocational/technical education, advanced coursework, and work-based learning. In drafting this legislation, I will be consulting with a wide variety of stakeholders and listening to the voices of students, parents, teachers, and school administrators,” says a statement from the senator when he endorsed Question 2 in September.

Lewis held a virtual town hall prior to the election where he took questions from constituents about each of the ballot questions.

One participant asked, “How can we trust that the teachers union would be okay with your alternative?”

“Ah, very fair question,” Lewis said. “I mentioned that we had a lot of discussions back in the spring. And that included with the leadership of the teacher unions, and so we certainly spent a lot of time discussing this alternative of MassCore being required as an alternative to graduation. So I know there’s a lot of support for this among legislators, among a whole variety of stakeholders, including teacher unions.”

He said implementing MassCore statewide would ensure that all students have access to a “rigorous set of courses in math, in science, in English, in the arts, in foreign language.”

Asked about Lewis’s bill, Page said that the MTA believes that every student should have access to MassCore, but that it would be expensive.

“We certainly think that having a strong course of study is far better than some kind of high-stakes test. But I think there’s many details to be looked at,” Page said.

About 83% of Massachusetts high school students follow the recommended MassCore course of study, Page said. But for some districts that would like to use the course framework, they don’t have the funds to offer two years of world language instruction, which is part of the curriculum, he said.

Page said the state has newly available money to direct towards education initiatives through the voter-approved surtax on high earners, and could use some of that money to fund MassCore statewide.

“With MassCore, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to pursue that line of discussion,” Peyser said. “But it’s basically just a listing of courses. It doesn’t say specifically what those courses teach. Also, to the extent that the courses that are a part of MassCore are supposed to cover all of the standards in the curriculum frameworks, if you took that really seriously, that would be a very high bar and one that would require a great deal of oversight.”

Massachusetts is also a state with a deep tradition of local control in education. The state sets standards and frameworks for what should be taught in schools, but leaves it up to individual districts and teachers to decide what is actually taught in their classrooms.

Efforts to implement certain changes to the state’s education system have run up against that local control imperative on many occasions over the years — a recent example of which were bills filed this session targeting early literacy instruction that would have required schools to use state-approved reading curriculum (S 2653 / H 4423). Both House and Senate bills received favorable recommendations from their respective Ways and Means Committees, and went no farther.

They received pushback from local school districts who do not want state-mandated curriculum in their classrooms.

“That’s why we used the MCAS exam — we weren’t telling schools and teachers how to teach. We were just going to assess if students learned what we believed was vital for college and career success,” Peyser said. “It does raise potential local control issues.”

Lambert said it wouldn’t go far enough to just mandate that all districts implement MassCore.

“Because under the current system, they might self-report, but state officials will tell you they have no idea whether or not districts are actually delivering the content, the rigorous content. So it’s certainly an element that should be part of the conversation. But I don’t think it’s enough,” Lambert said.

Reville said he was glad lawmakers were working on a replacement standard, and again urged expediency in that process.

“The Massachusetts high school diploma has lost meaning as a result of this ballot measure, and I think it’s incumbent upon leaders in the Commonwealth education leaders to restore a meaningful diploma to high school graduates in Massachusetts,” he said.

Marblehead’s varsity football team is in the Elite 8, but the ongoing teachers’ strike left Friday’s game in jeopardy.

“It’s been scary for a lot of seniors. Norwood could’ve been our last game last week and we’re not done, whatsoever.”

It was unclear if extracurricular activities, including sports, could go on amid the strike. But Thursday afternoon came with good news as student-athletes gathered outside the superintendent’s office to thank him for granting them permission to compete.

“Last year we made it to this point and we’re going up against the same team and they beat us last year. The circumstances are everything. We’ve got something special this year on the line & we have to go out there tomorrow night and show it. If we didn’t have the chance to tomorrow night, that would’ve been just the most devastating heartbreak for us,” one student told NBC10 Boston.

“After taking time to do my due diligence and meet with the athletic director and our administrative team, I have determined that we can equitably and safely allow for high school athletic and extracurricular activities to take place as scheduled this weekend,” interim Supt. John Robidoux said.

The cheer team has qualified for regionals and will also be able to compete. And the cross-country team can compete in the Division 2 all-state championship.

“I was in my house I was in my kitchen & my mom yelled you guys are running! And I was like thank god. And I texted the team. It was definitely a big sigh of relief,” another student athlete said.

The number of overdose-related deaths in one Massachusetts town has more than doubled in the last year, officials said Thursday, sharing readily available resources to prevent any further deaths.

There were five overdose deaths in Winthrop last year, and already in 2024 there have been 12 linked to drug overdoses, with a month-and-a-half left to a go in the year, including the holidays, when drug misuse typically increases, town health and police officials said.

“This news is tragic, and we are now concerned because the holiday season is approaching, and we have historically seen rates of substance misuse increase overall during this time of year,” said Winthrop Health Director Meredith Hurley said in a statement. “We want everyone in our community to know that we have many resources available to help those struggling with substance use disorder. We want to help save lives.”

The city offers free, confidential peer recovery coaching for anyone thinking about recovering from substance misuse, as well as free Narcan and fentanyl test strips at the Winthrop Department of Public Health. Narcan and fentanyl test strips can also be mailed locally, without any questions, officials said. Anyone with questions can contact the Winthrop Community and Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery Team at: clearteam@winthropma.gov.

“We want to spread the word that the drugs in our community are claiming lives at a record rate this year,” Police Chief John Goodwin said in a statement. “The Winthrop CLEAR Team has multiple ways to help those struggling with substance use disorder, and we are pleading with users to make use of those services before it’s too late.”

Anyone planning to use drugs alone can reach the 24/7 Never Use Alone Hotline by calling 877-696-1996.

Officials didn’t share what factors, if any, are suspected to be behind the jump in overdose deaths.

Deadlines, rules and ballot questions differ in every state. Here’s what you need to know to plan your vote if you live in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont.

Massachusetts election deadlines

Timeline of important election deadlines:

How can I register to vote in Massachusetts?

How to register to vote in Massachusetts

How to vote by mail in Massachusetts

How does early voting work in Massachusetts?

You may also consider voting early in person. The early voting period offers voters the ability to vote before Election Day and usually in a less crowded location. Currently, 47 states, including Massachusetts, allow early in-person voting. 

The early voting period in Massachusetts begins on Oct. 19 and ends on Nov. 1. There is no appointment or application required to vote early in person, you can just visit your local early voting location.

Lines may be longer on the first and last days of early voting, so Galvin’s office recommends going on off hours.

Each city and town in the state must offer at least one early voting location. The locations will be posted on the website of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at least one week before the early voting period begins.

Massachusetts ballot questions

Connecticut

Timeline of important election deadlines:

How can I register to vote in Connecticut?

You can register to vote through the Office of the Secretary of State’s website. The online registration and by-mail registration deadlines are Oct. 18, while the in-person registration deadline is Nov. 5.

How can I vote by mail in Connecticut?

How does early voting work in Connecticut?

Maine

Timeline of important election deadlines:

How can I register to vote in Maine?

To vote by mail in Maine, you must request an absentee ballot which can be done online via this request form. Absentee ballots may be requested as early as three months before Election Day and must be submitted before Oct. 31.

How does early voting work in Maine?

In Maine, dates and times to vote early in person vary by where you live.

Maine ballot questions

Timeline of important election deadlines:

How can I register to vote in New Hampshire?

You may register to vote in New Hampshire in person, by mail under certain conditions, or on Election Day at your polling place. You can also register at your town hall before Nov. 5. Deadlines vary by town, generally six to 13 days before the election.

You can find a full list of clerks and polling places on the New Hampshire Secretary of State website.

How can I vote by mail in New Hampshire?

How does early voting work in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire does not offer early in-person voting before Election Day.

What is the proposed change to the New Hampshire constitution?

Voters in New Hampshire will be asked to weigh in on raising the mandatory retirement age for judges:

• “Are you in favor of amending article 78 of the second part of the constitution to read as follows: [Art.] 78. [Judges and Sheriffs, when Disqualified by Age.] No person shall hold the office of sheriff of any county, after the person has attained the age of seventy years. No person shall hold the office of judge of any court after the person has attained the age of seventy-five years.” (Passed by the N.H. House 321 Yes 27 No; Passed by the Senate 22 Yes 1 No) CACR 6

What is the key race to look out for in New Hampshire?

Voters in New Hampshire will elect a new governor on Nov. 5. The seat is open for the first time since 2016 as incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, did not seek reelection.

The three candidates are former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R), Joyce Craig (D) and Stephen Villee (L).

Ayotte previously served as New Hampshire’s first female attorney general and is backed by Sununu. She wants to follow in the previous governor’s footsteps.

Craig has served as Manchester’s first female mayor. She said serving the state’s third-largest city for three terms has prepared her to be governor.

Libertarian candidate Villee runs on a platform for smaller government and greater individual freedom, according to his website.

Rhode Island

Timeline of important election deadlines:

How can I register to vote in Rhode Island?

You can register to vote in Rhode Island online through the Secretary of State’s website, in person, or by mail. You need a driver’s license or state identification number, your name and date of birth to register. You can register online through the Secretary of State’s website.  

How can I vote by mail in Rhode Island?

How does early voting work in Rhode Island?

In Rhode Island, you can vote early in person between Oct. 16 and Nov. 4. Schedules and locations vary by city or town.

What are the key ballot questions in Rhode Island?

Vermont

Timeline of important election deadlines:

How can I register to vote in Vermont?

You can register to vote online, in person, or by mail in Vermont. If you are registering for the first time, you must include an acceptable form of photo identification. 

How can I vote by mail in Vermont?

Iconic band Linkin Park has announced dates for its “From Zero World Tour 2025,” which includes a stop at Boston’s TD Garden.

The show, set for Friday, August 1, 2025, will be a big day for fans who have been awaiting a Linkin Park comeback.

Last September, and seven years after the death of frontman Chester Bennington, the band announced Emily Armstrong as a co-vocalist with band veteran Mike Shinoda.

They also announced an upcoming tour and released their first single since 2017, a song called “The Emptiness Machine” that features vocals by Armstrong. The single is part of their album “From Zero”.

“From Zero,” which is the band’s eighth studio album, will be released on Friday, November 15, although the band has already released several singles as a prelude.

Pre-sale for the tour begins on Thursday, November 21 at noon.