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The following was submitted by Carey McDonald:
Twin votes this past week suggest a growing divide in the 5th Middlesex state Senate race between candidates on transparency and an audit of the state Legislature.
Kate Lipper-Garabedian, a state representative running for a seat in the state Senate, voted to limit the scope of the audit to records chosen by the Legislature and again exempt the Legislature from public records.
A week later her opponent, Carey McDonald, a city councilor-at-large from Malden, voted for a resolution calling for the audit to move forward.
“With Trump bent on undermining our democracy, building trust in our government locally is critical,” said McDonald, who is a nonprofit leader with nearly a decade of experience on their organization’s Audit Committee, as well as a member of the Malden City Council. “Transparency and following the will of the voters should be bedrock commitments for our leaders. The Legislature has spent more time trying to block the audit than addressing the climate crisis, the housing crisis, and the financial crisis facing cities and towns."
Massachusetts voters approved a ballot question in November 2024 by more than 71% that authorized the state auditor to audit the Legislature. The Legislature has since blocked the auditor, Diana DiZoglio, from implementing the voter-approved law, with the issue now tied up in court.
The House’s bill earlier this month would limit the scope of that audit to records specified by the legislature. The same bill also maintained the Legislature’s carveout exemption to the state’s public records act, while eliminating that exemption from the governor’s office.
To date, both the Malden City Council and the Reading Select Board have called on the Legislature to implement the ballot initiative, and the Melrose City Council is set to consider a similar resolution.
Lipper-Garabedian and McDonald are running in the Democratic primary for state Senate in the 5th Middlesex District, which includes Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winchester.
Ryan O’Malley, another Malden city councilor and candidate for state Senate, also voted for the Malden City Council resolution in support of the ballot initiative. The council resolution was adopted unanimously.
The audit isn’t the only hot-button issue in the race. McDonald has criticized the Legislature for voting to slash local aid to cities and towns, gut the cost-saving energy efficiency program for residents, and refuse changes that make it easier to build affordable housing.
The primary election is Tuesday, Sept. 1.
