State Rep. Thomas Stanley is among a group of lawmakers who have launched a Facebook page so people can offer suggestions for reforming government.
The page called ``Representatives for Reform'' will allow users to share experiences, opinions and suggestions about overhauling state government. It can be found by searching for ``Representatives for Reform'' on Facebook.
``I think it could be a useful tool to open up the House and make government more open and transparent,'' Stanley said on Tuesday.
Stanley, D-Waltham, was one of four representatives who recently challenged House leadership in calling for an audit of its spending over the corruption investigation of former speaker Sal DiMasi.
Stanley and colleagues Lida Harkins, D-Needham, Matt Patrick, D-Falmouth, and Bill Greene, D-Billerica, halted House business in December to request members authorize the governor to appoint an outside firm to produce an itemized report of the House budget.
The request followed a report that the House paid $378,000 to represent the speaker's office in the corruption case.
In a press release announcing the launch of the Facebook page, Patrick said he hopes to see reforms in the House made soon.
``We hope to create an open and honest discourse to make real reforms within the House and improve the governance of our state,'' Patrick said.
That group of lawmakers was joined by four other House legislators, Will Brownsberger, D-Belmont, Steven D'Amico, D-Seekonk, Joseph Driscoll, D-Braintree, and John Quinn, D-Dartmouth late last month in writing a letter to fellow House members asking that reform begin in five areas:
- °Ensuring that home rule petitions can be discharged from the Rules Committee in a timely fashion
- °Making the state budget process in the House more transparent and making budget specifics accessible to all members
- °Providing a leadership election and committee appointment process that distributes more power to the members and less power to the speaker
- °Giving legislators greater control of the operating budgets for their offices
- °Eliminating or narrowing legislative exemptions to the open meeting law and public records law.
Richard Conn can be contacted at 781-398-8004 or rconn@cnc.com.
