What is the Massachusetts Legislature makeup like?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

What are the odds that they will successfully be able to appoint someone to Teddy's seat after they passed the 5 month interim law in 2004?


On Edit:

By *they* I mean, the Democrats of the state, including the governor.

[Mojambo]

1. Overwhelmingly Democratic

I think I read somewhere that around 10% of the seats are held by Republicans.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

9. Thanks

:)

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. 141-15 and 35-7 D, IIRC

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. Thanks very much

:)

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[Davis_X_Machina]

7. self del---

[valerief]

10. Yeah, those freepers that defend Dems, wow. What a bunch.

:sarcasm:

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. Not a freeper, but rude for no apparent reason.

[valerief]

13. I wasn't responding to you but to # 4, who called him a freeper. nt

[SemiCharmedQuark]

5. Wow, someone had their grouchy flakes this morning.

That's what I was asking about. In 2004, the law was changed so that the governor can't appoint someone. The seat is filled by a special election about 5 months after the seat went vacant. To get around this, the legislature can change that law but they would need a good partisan legislature to do that.

[valerief]

8. I hope it won't take too long for the appointment. I wonder what Miss Kitty is doing nowadays. nt

[Mass]

12. If it is brought to the floor, it will pass.

What Kennedy was proposing in his latest letter was for the governor to appoint a interim senator that would not be able to run for the seat, until the election planned in the law is done. My guess is that, if it is changed, it will be changed the way Kennedy was asking it to be changed.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

14. I worded it poorly...I am on my phone and was not explaining myself properly.

But I think you very much for your response.

[Mass]

15. I realized that when I read your answer to a previous post.

[MUAD_DIB]

16. The word is that they are not talking about it until after the late senator

has been laid to rest.

[Mass]

17. That would be the decent thing to do. But will the media let them do that?

Anyway, here are the latest news about it (at least here in MA):

http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2009/08/26/State-leaders-spar-over-Sen/1251334523.html

In a letter sent in early July that only recently became public, the late senator asking legislative leaders and Patrick to support an amendment enabling Governor Deval Patrick to install an interim senator -- almost certainly a Democrat -- before a Kennedy replacement gets elected five months from now.

What political leaders on both sides of the aisle most wanted to talk about Wednesday was how deeply they grieved Kennedy's death and celebrated his decades of service to Massachusetts. But Patrick was willing to take up and support the controversial Kennedy plan for an interim senator, saying, "I think it's a particularly timely proposal." With health care reforms and other major legislation pending, Patrick said, "Massachusetts needs two voices in the U.S. Senate."

...

(Kennedy proposed in his letter that the interim appointment go only to someone who would promise not to seek election as a permanent successor when
the special election to replace Kennedy is held in late January or early February of next year.)

...

Senate President Therese Murray, speaking in Hyannis, said, "It is the senator's last request. It is a little bit complicated,'' involving questions of not just the state but federal constitutions. Nevertheless, Murray said, "I think that will most likely be taken up in a timely fashion, and we will explore that option.''

House Speaker Robert DeLeo said only that he was "still gathering information and speaking to folks" and while he can understand arguments for and against, he has not expressed a personal opinion yet.

...

Of course, The GOP and Deval Patrick's ex democrat opponent are opposed to this.

[MUAD_DIB]

18. The GOPygs are opposed to anything not run by the GOPygs.