The following comments were provided by NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman in support of Massachusetts House Bill 3299. Silverman shared these comments on October 14, 2025, to the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
Good afternoon.
I’m Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition. NEFAC represents open government and journalism interests throughout the region. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of House Bill 3299.
You’ve already heard how this legislation would increase government accountability and provide equitable access to those unable to attend public meetings. But the point bears repeating:
Everyone in the Commonwealth should have the same opportunities to engage with their government and to make sure their voices are being heard. This bill would allow everyone — not just those who have the time and means to travel or those who enjoy reliable Internet access — but everyone an opportunity to engage with government in the way that works for them. It’s what’s equitable and fair and what’s needed to make our democracy work.
There’s also another interest at stake here and that’s the ability of journalists to report on local news and keep the communities they cover informed.
By requiring public bodies to provide hybrid access, House Bill 3299 will allow journalists across the state to attend multiple meetings remotely and provide much needed local coverage that would not otherwise exist. At the same time, the bill requires public bodies to meet in person so journalists, not to mention other constituents, can still meet offline with officials and have conversations not easily had via Zoom.
At a time when misinformation is rampant and trust in national media is declining, we are dependent on local news. According to the Knight Foundation, Americans say local news does the best job of keeping them informed, holding leaders accountable and amplifying stories in their communities.
Our dependence on local news is of such a priority that a state commission was established in 2021 to research journalism in Massachusetts and make recommendations on how the industry can be strengthened. One way to help the industry is to require hybrid access for open meetings. We can provide a way for local reporters to cover multiple open meetings without being restricted by travel, time and conflicting schedules.
This legislation will help journalists do their jobs and will improve local news coverage across the board. It will help the readers, listeners and viewers who don’t attend public meetings but who instead depend on local reporters to inform them about what they’re missing. And it will help the rest of us who would like to be represented at government meetings but due to a lack of access find ourselves on the outside looking in.
For all these reasons, we are in support of House Bill 3299. Thank you again for your time and consideration.