Health & Fitness
What Is the Governor's Council?
This is an overview of the Massachusetts Governor's Council. It introduces the issues I will be discussing in the next few weeks.
While some states elect candidates for judicial positions and others follow the national model with a body like the Senate to approve nominations, Massachusetts has the Governor's Council.
It is a body of eight elected individuals and is the only part of the process that is visible to the public.
In recent years, the council had become nothing more than a rubber stamp for whatever governor was in office.
Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Other players in the process—the Judicial Nominating Commission, the governor's chief legal counsel and the governor himself—have no requirements to report to the people of the commonwealth.
It is only the Governor's Council that is required to operate as a public forum, it is only through the Governor's Council that the public learns about the qualifications of the nominees, their history and what they might bring to a position.
Find out what's happening in Attleborowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
During the next couple of weeks, I will post about the council and the "hot" issues it is dealing with, "the oath," "the questionnaire," "the JNC," etc.
If there is anything you would like to know about the Council please feel free to contact me at patrickmccabegovernorscouncil@gmail.com.
To learn more about the council and what it is currently doing, please check out my site patrickmccabegovernorscouncil.com.
Patrick McCabe is a candidate for District Two of the Governor's Council, which includes Attleboro and Seekonk.
