Lynn Nadeau, “LETTER: What is wrong with our Legislature?,” Marblehead Current, September 8, 2024.

To the editor:

What is wrong with our Massachusetts Legislature? The basic function of a legislature — passing laws — seems too difficult for them. The most recent two-year session has left important bills unpassed. This impacts every issue area that people care about: housing, criminal justice, economic development and climate.

The Legislature has egregiously failed to agree on a climate bill that would combine the omnibus bills passed in each chamber.

Over the last two years, we citizens have learned about proposed bills, attended briefings and hearings, weighed in with our state representatives and senators, and yet still, after two years, we are left right back where we started. The Legislature has failed to come to an agreement on siting and permitting of clean energy projects, on addressing plastic pollution, on plans to accelerate our transition away from gas, and on gas company profiteering by rebuilding remain stuck in limbo or outright dead.

It’s been frustrating for citizens and environmental groups to keep informed and to communicate with Representative Armini and Senator Crighton and then have the bosses in the Legislature fail to bring bills up for a vote. What is wrong with the Massachusetts Legislature? It’s well-paid, well-staffed and full-time. But its productivity and functionality are among the worst in the nation. The Senate president and House speaker control their respective chambers and dole out chairships and other sinecures. In exchange, they insist on vote secrecy, fealty and unanimous votes. The industrial lobbyists must be chortling all the way to the bank. We get to vote on a question on the November ballot to require the auditing of the Legislature by State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office. Let’s vote for the Auditor’s Office to find the bloat and dysfunction!

Lynn Nadeau