Shorthanded council forces Healey to bail out new rep
Not only was the governor needed to administer the oath of office for the newest member of the House, but she was also pressed into action to chair the Governor's Council so that Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll could cast the decisive vote to make Bowen's election official.
Only four of the eight members of the Governor's Council were present for its assembly Wednesday: Councilors Terry Kennedy, Paul DePalo, Tara Jacobs and Mara Dolan. Under the Constitution, five members must be present for the council to act. The assembly was scheduled for 12 p.m., but did not start until 12:30 p.m.
The lieutenant governor chairs most meetings of the council, but can sit as a de facto ninth member of the council if the governor presides over the meeting instead. That happened a few times under Gov. Charlie Baker, when Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito's vote was required to break ties among the eight councilors.
So shortly after calling Wednesday's delayed council meeting to order and going through introductions, Driscoll announced that Healey would take over the duties of the chair 'to certify votes cast in the May 13 special election, and I will take my seat as a member of the council while she does that.'
Healey, whose had no public events on her schedule Wednesday, assumed the council gavel, asked for and got a motion and second to certify the Democrat Bowen as the winner of the special election in the Sixth Essex District, and was then told by Kennedy that the vote should be taken by voice, not by roll call.
With Driscoll sitting alongside the four elected councilors present, Healey called the vote and declared 'the ayes have it' before stepping into the next room over to administer the oath of office to Bowen, of Beverly.
Taking the oath at 12:38 p.m., Bowen was installed as a rep with enough time to allow her to vote Wednesday afternoon as the House considers a $530 million supplemental spending bill.
Bowen fills the House seat left vacant by former Rep. Jerald Parisella, who won reelection in November but was nominated and confirmed to a District Court judgeship before the new term began Jan. 1.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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