POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook:Sound of discord in the HOUSE — SOUTHIE BREAKFAST preview — $1.4B to help tackle CLIMATE CHANGE

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook:Sound of discord in the HOUSE — SOUTHIE BREAKFAST preview — $1.4B to help tackle CLIMATE CHANGE

THE SOUND OF SILENCE - Something incredibly rare unfolded on the floor of the Massachusetts House yesterday: Public dissent.

In a body known for keeping a tight lid on open discord in its ranks, Democratic Rep. Diana DiZoglio openly criticized House Speaker Robert DeLeo over the handling of non-disclosure agreements including an incident that occurred when DiZioglio was an aide in 2011 - a move that she says broke her own NDA. This all went down as the House debated adopting a new framework for response to sexual harassment.

DiZoglio alleges that DeLeo's office was inactive when she came to his office with complaints of harassment stemming from an incident in which she signed a non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreement after being fired by her boss, a Republican state representative. In return for her departure, she received a severance payment, which she now says she signed under duress.

DiZoglio took those complaints around the process, and DeLeo's handling of it, public yesterday first in the Boston Globe and then on the House floor itself: "We should not be in the business of silencing our critics or covering up any harassing or discriminatory behavior," DiZoglio said on the floor.

The House's longest-serving member, state Rep. Angelo Scaccia took it a step further, calling on Attorney General Maura Healey to investigate DeLeo over non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements, and quoted a Simon and Garfunkel song to make his point: "Mr. Speaker, you've been getting away for too long in this House with the sound of silence."

DeLeo strongly disputes the allegations and fired back against the claims, calling them "irresponsible speculation," in a statement issued last night - "The comments of the two representatives that agreements were used by the House to cover up wrongdoing are based on irresponsible speculation." He also said House counsel had already met with the AG and there continues to be no reason for further investigation.

If and how the public spat between DeLeo and two of his members continues in the open, much less spreads to any other members of the caucus, stands to be seen.

But as a poignant contrast to the House debate was underway simultaneously in the Senate. It happened as members went behind closed doors to discuss amendments to an uncontroversial bill that expands protections for animal welfare and support. The PAWS II bill also received unanimous support.

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