Massachusetts lawmakers are debating their transparency procedures â behind closed doors By Emma Platoff Globe Staff,Updated April 7, 2021, 9:46 a.m. Email to a Friend Could this be the year Massachusetts state representatives open themselves up to more scrutiny? Constituents seeking an early hint could look to a recent meeting of the legislative committee debating just that â when lawmakers voted to conduct discussions about their internal transparency rules out of the view of the press and public. Itâs that instinct toward secrecy that advocates are targeting this year in a renewed push for transparency on Beacon Hill. For years, voters have been left to wonder why some popular, common-sense proposals donât pass in the Massachusetts House â even when a majority of the chamberâs members sign on publicly in support. Thatâs because the vast majority of bills never get a formal vote; instead, they die in the obscure committee process, where voters canât see who killed them.