Beacon Hill extending pandemic-era policy of remote access to public meetings
Bill expected on Gov. Healey’s desk by end of week
By Gintautas Dumcius
HOUSE AND SENATE lawmakers this week plan to send Gov. Maura Healey a bill continuing to allow remote or hybrid access to public meetings in cities and towns across Massachusetts.
The remote access policy, a vestige of the pandemic era, allows members of the public to log on to Zoom, a phone conference line, or YouTube to participate in the meetings.
The policy was first established under an executive order from Gov. Charlie Baker as he and other state officials shut down large gatherings of people to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Gov. Maura Healey later signed a 2023 law that included a sunset date of March 31, 2025, for the policy.
Gov. Maura Healey
A bill extending the policy through June 2027 received initial approvals in the House and the Senate on Monday. Additional procedural votes are planned on Thursday, with the aim of the bill landing on the governor’s desk by Friday.
Commonwealth News Service