I wonder if they will put Kennedy on ice until the great vacation is over.
Oh goody! An ‘after-the-fact’ law that is retroactive....just effing peachy Massachusetts....I truly hope you people coming begging one of these days.
perhaps following the model used in passage of the economic stimulus bill where three Republicans — Arlen Specter (Pa.), Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Susan Collins (Maine) — joined with a united Democratic party to bring the bill to the floor.
That’s not Bi-partisan. And it’s highly unlikely any Republican would sign onto this..
This means low turn out, and the chances of the Broken Glass Republicans pulling off a victory.
My guess in the bowels of the MA DNC, they know people are pissed of TARP, Obamacare etc. and even their people are pissed.
Add to this Ried, Dodd, Specter and Corzine and others I am not aware of and the Democratic Senate is in trouble.
Not to mention, these "things" come in threes with 35 Democratic Senators over 70.
Kennedy was a Democrat. Why would being dead keep him from voting?
Massachusetts general laws says that Patrick must declare the special election IMMEDIATELY. There would be no time for the legislature to change the law.
I just found the relevant election law on the Massachusetts Law website.
Note the part in section (a) that says "the governor shall immediately cause precepts to be issued to the aldermen in every city and the selectmen in every town in the district, directing them to call an election..."
PART I. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
TITLE VIII. ELECTIONS
CHAPTER 54. ELECTIONS
PROCEEDINGS UPON FAILURE TO ELECT, AND VACANCIES IN STATE OFFICES
Chapter 54: Section 140. Senators and representatives in congress; vacancies
Section 140. (a) Upon failure to choose a senator or representative in congress or upon creation of a vacancy in that office, the governor shall immediately cause precepts to be issued to the aldermen in every city and the selectmen in every town in the district, directing them to call an election on the day appointed in the precepts for the election of such senator or representative. The day so appointed shall not be more than 160 nor less than 145 days after the date that a vacancy is created or a failure to choose occurs. Filing a letter of resignation creates a vacancy under this section, even if the resignation is not effective until some later time, but the date of the election to fill a vacancy under this section shall be after the resignation is effective.
(b) If a vacancy under this section is created after February 1 of an even-numbered year, the governor shall not issue the precepts required by subsection (a), except as subsection (c) provides for a vacancy for senator.
(c) If a vacancy is created for senator in congress after April 10 of an even-numbered year, the governor shall issue precepts under this section, unless section 152 requires that office to appear on the biennial state election ballot in that year. If this section prevents issuance of precepts for senator, the office shall appear on the biennial state election ballot in that year. If a vacancy for senator is created after April 10 of an even-numbered year, but on or before the seventieth day preceding the regular state primary, the precepts shall appoint the day of the regular state primary and the biennial state election for holding the special primary and special election required by this section.
(d) If at the time a senator or representative in congress is elected at the biennial state election, there exists a vacancy in that office, the senator or representative shall also be deemed to have been elected to serve out that vacancy.
(e) A senator elected to fill a vacancy under this section shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
This says that the governor IMMEDIATELY announces the date of the special election.
The seat is vacant. When is Patrick going to announce the date of the special election? Why is he talking about changing a law that is already in progress? He is required to name the date NOW!
-PJ