Ever since 2004, Massachusetts law has provided that Governors may not fill a vacancy in a U.S. Senate seat. Instead, the seat must remain empty until a special election is held. That election must be approximately five months after the vacancy had been created.
In January 2009, Massachusetts State House member Robert Koczera introduced HB 656, to permit the Governor to fill the vacancy immediately, although the state would still hold a special election approximately five months later. The bill had been set for a legislative hearing in October 2009, but the legislature may expedite that hearing, given the recent vacancy created by the death of Senator Ted Kennedy.
just thank god as now maybe the remaining crooked politicans in our country will think before selling out our nation.
Candidate / Incumbent rank order lists for vacancies during a term of office.
Legislative body to fill a vacancy in case prior sentence fails to fill the vacancy.
Legislative bodies MUST BE 100 percent operational 24/7 to deal with emergency stuff — just like the executive branch.
Each judicial branch can lag a bit.
Apparently the Massachusetts legislature passed the law requiring a special election because they were afraid that if John Kerry were elected President in 2004, Mitt Romney would appoint a Republican Senator to fill the vacancy.
It is ironic that now the Dems want to give the governor the power to appoint. After the Rod Blagojevich affair in Illinois, I believe a bill was introduced in Congress to require a special election in any state that has a vacant Senate seat.
oh, rats – thought the title was SENATE VACCINES. I’d be all for that!
Ridiculous and an insult to the people of MA. Is this how our legislative bodies work? Let’s get rid of them all and limit office to 12 years! To change laws to fit party needs rather than the good a
of all constituents is shameful. Are we all fed up yet?!