After a vote by the state Senate to alter their self-imposed guidelines, the higher chamber’s president will not be topic to any limits on the variety of phrases she might serve.
“It’s as upsetting as it is unsurprising to watch the Senate eliminate term limits for the Senate president, and with so little fanfare,” anti-corruption group Act on Mass‘ Executive Director, Erin Leahy, informed the Herald following the vote Thursday.
Senate President Karen Spilka, a Democrat from Ashland first elected in July of 2018, can now be re-elected to steer the 40-member physique as typically as she is ready to persuade her fellow senators she needs to be in cost.
Her final election to the presidency, in early January, got here at a vote of 36-3, although the Republicans within the Senate agreed to report the vote as unanimous. The vote to take away time period limits handed 32-6, with all three Senate Republicans and three Democrats voting in opposition to.
“I filed this amendment, primarily, to eliminate a present imbalance and to establish equity, uniformity, and stability among the Senate, House and governor’s office,” state Sen. Michael Rodrigues mentioned Thursday.
Rodrigues, the one senator to rise in help of the modification — none spoke in opposition to — informed his fellow lawmakers the place of Senate president was the final exterior the state’s judiciary carrying a restrict on phrases of service and that, following the pandemic, the time was ripe for regular management on the helm.
“The senate president is the only position in the Legislature or executive branch of state government with term limits. The governor and all six constitutional officers have no limitations on terms of service. The House rescinded term limits for the office of Speaker eight years ago. Minority leaders, in both legislative branches, are not subject to any limits on their term,” the Westport Democrat mentioned.
According to Rodrigues, when a Senate president’s time period restrict approaches, it decreases their bargaining energy in debates in opposition to the governor’s workplace and the House Speaker. Besides which, with out the rule change, Spilka’s time period might have ended with lower than every week left within the subsequent Legislature’s formal periods.
“Surely that known deadline could be a negative factor in the Senate’s hands,” he mentioned.
According to Leahy, the change will permit a long-serving president to set the agenda for lawmaking within the state with few talking in opposition.
“Once leadership makes a decision, the members tend to fall in line. The culture of hierarchy and retaliation was on full display during this vote; only three Democrats were courageous enough to vote against this power grab, and none spoke on the floor in opposition. Let’s be clear: term limits aren’t about any one senate president,” she mentioned.
“This is about sharing power. This is about ensuring that, through their elected officials, everyday people are able to have a voice in their government. When the House, Senate, and Governor’s office are caught in a race to the bottom for democracy and accountability, we all lose,” she continued.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”