Beacon Hill has a transparency problem. Too often, major decisions are made behind closed doors, legislation moves without enough public scrutiny, and residents are left with little insight into how decisions are made or how their tax dollars are being spent. That is not how democracy should work, and it should not be accepted as normal.

I support real legislative transparency reform. Committee votes should be public, major legislation should be subject to a mandatory waiting period before a final vote, and public records laws should be strengthened and consistently enforced. Government spending should be easy to access, easy to search, and easy for taxpayers to understand.

Massachusetts also needs stronger ethics protections. Legislators should never vote on matters where they have a direct financial interest, and the revolving door between elected office and the lobbying industry must be addressed. Independent redistricting is also long overdue so that politicians are no longer able to draw the very maps that help keep themselves in power.

Transparency and accountability should not just be campaign talking points. On the Billerica Select Board, I have made open government, accessibility, and accountability a core part of how I serve. That is the standard I will bring to Beacon Hill, and I will continue fighting for a government that earns the public’s trust.