Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro)
HYANNIS – Cape Cod lawmakers have filed what they say is a bill that will establish transparency and accountability for spending at town meetings.
State campaign finance laws have disclosure requirements for any group opposing or promoting ballot questions or influencing elections, but they do not currently apply to warrant articles at Town Meeting.
The legislation filed by Barnstable/Dukes/Nantucket State Representative Dylan Fernandes and Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr would require the same accountability rules for warrant article lobbying as what exists now for candidate campaigns or ballot questions.
“Political spending on issues before Town Meetings should be required to follow the same rules of the road as candidates, ballot questions, and other political campaigns,” said Cyr in a statement.
“It’s bewildering and distressing that people with deep pockets and financial interests think they can buy their way into our local governance. We’re done with monied interests trying to sway town politics on the Cape and Islands; voters deserve to know who is behind campaigns seeking to influence local policies that will impact those of us who live here year-round. Our robust laws on political spending have served the Commonwealth’s representative democracy well for a half century — those should apply to lobbying at Town Meeting.”
About Grady Culhane
