Lawmakers, advocates push for remote public meetings
BOSTON (WWLP) – Since the onset of the pandemic, the public has been able to access town and state meetings via Zoom and other remote options.
Late last week, lawmakers voted to extend the expiration date for these remote meetings. A COVID-era bill allowing public bodies to hold hybrid and remote meetings was supposed to expire at the end of this month, but lawmakers decided last Thursday to keep that option in place until late June 2027.
Mass. Commission on the Status of Women gathers for State House Advocacy Day
The bill also lowers the number of people required for a quorum for a town meeting and allows remote participation in representative town meetings. State and town leaders say remote options remove barriers like childcare and scheduling, and it's now the norm to offer Zoom or Teams meetings in addition to in-person access.
Governor Healey offered an option to make remote access permanent in a municipal tax bill she filed in January, and a group of advocates released a statement saying they believe remote access should be mandatory.
According to the advocacy groups, 'without the ability to participate remotely, people across the Commonwealth would be shut out from important public conversations about government decisions that directly impact their lives.'
Groups include ACLU of Massachusetts, Boston Center for Independent Living, Common Cause Massachusetts, Disability Law Center, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association.
These groups support a bill filed by a New Bedford Representative mandating remote access, but critics of the bills say that may not be a realistic expectation for the 10,000 board, committees, and commissions that this law would apply to.
A similar bill has been filed by Ludlow Senator Jake Oliveira, although this bill supports a non-mandatory remote access option.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump proposes axing all climate rules for power plants
The Trump administration is moving to ax all climate rules alongside Biden-era and pollution rules for power plants. The moves come as the Trump administration looks to promote a fossil fueled future — and are expected to worsen global warming and air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to find that power plants' greenhouse gas emissions 'do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution' and therefore should not be regulated. In effect, this proposal would overturn Biden-era rules that required existing coal and new gas plants to capture at least 90 percent of their carbon emissions and tighten restrictions on coal plants' releases of mercury and other toxic metals. The climate rule that the Trump administration is proposing to ax would have prevented 1.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions between the years 2038 and 2047 – emissions equivalent to taking more than 300 million gas-powered cars off the road for a year, according to Biden-era projections. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, in a written statement, accused the previous administration of trying to regulate fossil fuels 'out of existence.' 'According to many, the primary purpose of these Biden-Harris administration regulations was to destroy industries that didn't align with their narrow-minded climate change zealotry,' he said. Together, these rules have been criticized as being designed to regulate coal, oil and gas out of existence.' The administration's moves were criticized by environmental advocates, who said they would both worsen climate change and expose Americans to more air pollution. 'The Trump EPA is recklessly disregarding its responsibility under our nation's clean air laws to protect the American people from mercury, arsenic and climate pollution from industrial smokestacks,' Vickie Patton, general counsel of the Environmental Defense Fund, said in a written statement. The administration appears to be going further than even the first Trump administration on power plants. During Trump's first tenure, the EPA put forward weakened power plant rules that would be easier to comply with, while now it is proposing to stop regulating planet-warming emissions from the sector entirely. Updated at 3:37 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nearly 500 Fort Campbell soldiers head to D.C. for Army anniversary parade
Hundreds of Fort Campbell soldiers will be joining the other hundreds of soldiers for the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C. on June 14. Nearly 500 Fort Campbell soldiers will be in Washington, D.C., as the nation prepares for the Army's 250th birthday. The Army base, home of the 101st Airborne, will provide seven infantry squad vehicles, the only ones of its kind featured in the national parade. 'It is our honor to represent the 101st Airborne and Fort Campbell in this historic celebration of the Army's 250th birthday,' said Col. Martin Meiners, 101st Abn. Div. spokesperson. 'Our history is America's history—from the airborne drops in Normandy to today's modern battlefields, Screaming Eagles have answered the call. We are proud to celebrate the legacy of our 101st Airborne Soldiers and Veterans who have defended freedom around the world since WWII.' According to Meiners, soldiers participating in the event include Army band members, squad vehicle drivers and soldiers dressed in commemorative uniforms, paying tribute to veterans of the Vietnam War and displaying current combat uniforms. The lineup includes the following: Approximately 200 soldiers will march in Vietnam-era uniforms Approximately 200 Soldiers will march in the current 101st Airborne Division uniforms Approximately 20 Soldiers from 101st band will perform Approximately seven Infantry Squad Vehicles will be featured (The only ones in the parade being from Fort Campbell.) Approximately 50 Soldiers will march and ride in tactical combat uniforms The group of 50 soldiers will represent the Army of 2030, which will have the most modern equipment available, not widely spread across the rest of the Army, Meiners said in a Fort Campbell media release. Trump Military Parade: Why President Trump is hosting a military parade on his birthday and what to know about June 14 The vintage Vietnam-era uniforms worn will represent the Army's service in that conflict, and honor historic 101st Airborne Division's battles such as 'Hamburger Hill.' Additionally, the base's 'Transformation in Contact' platoon will be there to represent the "Army of the future" as the 101st of today employs the most modern vehicles, weapons, drones and equipment, the release said. Meiners said the platoon will showcase Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISV), a Small Multipurpose Equipment Transporter (S-MET), Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) and small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Fort Campbell soldiers will also participate in events around the parade, including an Army-wide fitness competition, sports activities, a re-enlistment ceremony and live music from the 101st Airborne Division Band. The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. EST/ 5:30 CST. The route will begin at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and cross the Potomac River to the National Mall. Kenya Anderson is a reporter for The Leaf-Chronicle. She can be contacted at kanderson@ or on X at kenyaanderson32. Sign up for the Leaf-Chronicle to support local journalism at This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Fort Campbell soldiers head to D.C. for Trump military parade
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Conspiracy Scandal Sentences Ex-OC Supervisor Andrew Do to 5 Years in Federal Prison
Conspiracy Scandal Sentences Ex-OC Supervisor Andrew Do to 5 Years in Federal Prison originally appeared on L.A. Mag. Andrew Do, a former supervisor for Orange County, was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison for a conspiracy to commit bribery — the maximum sentence for a crime of this accepted over $500,000 in personal bribes and voted in favor of $10 million in COVID-19 relief funds to a charity affiliated with one of his daughters, all while in office, according to the U.S. Department of resigned his O.C. office and pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy after his daughter, Rhiannon Do, fell under fire for purchasing a million-dollar home in Tustin that was allegedly purchased with the pandemic relief funds. Do has since forfeited the home. His attorneys asked that their client serve just under three years, but the prosecution pushed for the maximum sentence. The judge favored the prosecution's suggestion, which stated Do used county money to pay for self-serving endeavors like extravagant dinners, credit card debt and personal property DOJ said Do will be responsible for repaying the bribes, forfeiting certain assets and relinquishing control of his pension earned during the scandal. Additionally, he will repay the money his daughters accrued, including that of Viet America Society, the nonprofit Rhiannon worked at and used to purchase her home.'No one is above the law. This maximum sentencing of Andrew Do sends a strong message that we do not tolerate public corruption in Orange County,' said O.C. Vice Chair Katrina Foley in a statement obtained by FOX 11. 'Andrew Do enriched himself off the suffering of others, betraying our residents and violating his oath of office. I commend the Department of Justice for holding him fully accountable.' This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
