Exposing Antisemitism and Problematic Policies in the Public Sector Faces Major Roadblocks! Say "No" to MA Bill S.2065!

We need the Natick community to come together to help protect freedom of information and transparency in local government!

Last week, we reported that the Natick School Committee and Natick Select Board have been working with state legislators to make it harder for parents and taxpayers to access public records through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform. 

Representative David Linsky sponsored House bill H.3079 and supports the companion Senate bill S.2065, which both severely weaken the MA Public Records Law and the MA Open Meeting Law. Both laws are critical tools for grassroots advocates, writers, and investigators to expose and challenge rampant antisemitism, problematic school policies, misconduct, and more in the public sector.

• In Newton and Wellesley, Jewish organizations and individuals used public records to help expose anti-Israel bias in K-12 schools. 
  

• In Sharon, public records requests revealed fake Spanish lesson materials in schools to support “inclusivity.” As a result, the department head immediately told those teachers to stop using the unauthorized curriculum and to teach only authentic Spanish.  
  

• In Natick, we used public records to educate parents on the controversial and potentially harmful gender curriculum elementary and middle-school children are being forced to learn. Across the state, organizations and individuals used public records to expose schools’ (including Natick Public Schools) gender support plans that hide information from parents about their child’s gender status. 

Did you know bill S.2065 also hampers newspapers, who won't be able to investigate bias, discrimination, or misconduct because their journalists will lose the “publication to wide audience” exemption through these reforms?

As a community, we can't allow Massachusetts legislators to infringe on freedom of information or to compromise transparency!

Contact Senator Karen Spilka at Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov to voice Natick's disapproval of bill S.2065 and Representative David Linksy at David.Linsky@mahouse.gov to object to companion bill H.3079!