ACLU of Massachusetts

A legal dispute in Massachusetts centers on whether a city can install statues of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian outside its public safety building, with the case potentially reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. The Becket Fund represents Quincy, while the ACLU and other groups argue the statues violate religious neutrality principles under the Massachusetts Constitution.

Transparency groups ACLU of Massachusetts, Common Cause, and Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association supported a bill addressing public records requirements for lawmakers but avoided commenting on its controversial provision limiting the state auditor's power to audit the Legislature. The bill, criticized by Auditor Diana DiZoglio, combined both issues, leading to confusion among observers and criticism from transparency advocates not consulted during its drafting.

The Massachusetts House passed legislation establishing a constitutionally viable financial audit of the Legislature and subjecting it and the governor’s office to public records law. Critics argue the campaign for the audit is driven by misinformation and political ambition, despite the bill being praised by transparency advocates and constitutional scholars.