FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03/16/2026
BOSTON – A new poll commissioned by Pioneer Institute finds that state government, and the Legislature in particular, are falling far short when it comes to government transparency, and that satisfaction with the Legislature is in free fall.
Only twenty-eight percent of respondents in the poll of Massachusetts residents have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the state Legislature, compared to 51 percent who have a very or somewhat unfavorable opinion of the legislature. In a November 2025 Suffolk poll 49 percent approved of the job the Legislature was doing.
“The Legislature’s paltry favorability is an indication that residents believe they deserve more transparency and accountability from their government,” said Pioneer Institute Director of Government Transparency Mary Connaughton.
Just over 87 percent of respondents said government transparency is “extremely important” to achieving the ideals of democracy.
Over 82 percent of respondents said legislators should allow the State Auditor to audit the Legislature and 79 percent believe the Legislature should submit to the audit voluntarily even if Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled that requiring an audit is unconstitutional. Both these majorities are larger than the 72 percent to 28 percent margin by which voters originally approved the audit via a 2024 statewide ballot initiative.
Massachusetts is one of 49 states that require candidates and public officials to provide basic transparency about their personal finances by filing Statements of Financial Interest (SFIs). But unlike most other states, the Commonwealth requires that those seeking the form submit a photo ID and it notifies the official of the identity of anyone who requests the filing. Two thirds of respondents believe the forms should be made available without submitting a photo ID and 54.2 percent said the requestor should remain anonymous.
The Legislature has also failed to update the SFI forms since they were established in 1978, which renders them almost meaningless. For example, for a question about the value of real estate owned, the top category is “Over $100,000.” Just over three quarters of respondents favor shifting control of the forms and the process for requesting them from the Legislature to the State Ethics Commission.
The Massachusetts Legislature has long exempted itself from state public records laws, but more than 86 percent of respondents believe they should be subject to the laws.
Similarly, governors and members of the state judiciary interpret a 1997 SJC ruling as exempting the Governor’s Office and management of the judicial branch from the requirement that they respond to public records requests. Over 83 percent of respondents believe both should make their records public.
“This poll demonstrates that the Legislature’s unwillingness to submit to the will of the voters when it comes to agreeing to an audit by the State Auditor, its failure to streamline the process citizens have to go through to access officials’ financial information, and its penchant for exempting itself from state laws are not sitting well with Massachusetts residents,” Connaughton added.
Seventy-six percent also support creating an entity similar to the Congressional Budget Office in Massachusetts that would estimate the cost of or revenue generated by any bill expected to have a budgetary impact of more than $5 million.
The poll is being released during Sunshine Week, a nonpartisan collaboration of journalism, civic, education, government and private sector groups that shines a light on the importance of open government.
The survey of 642 Massachusetts residents was conducted from March 2-5, 2026 by Opinion Diagnostics. It has a plus or minus 3.9 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence.
###
About Pioneer Institute
Pioneer empowers Americans with choices and opportunities to live freely and thrive. Working with state policymakers, we use expert research, educational initiatives, legal action, and coalition-building to advance opportunity in four critical areas: K–12 Education, Health, Economic Opportunity, and American Civic Values.
Media Contact:
Amie O’Hearn
aohearn@pioneerinstitute.org
|