Massachusetts Governor's Council: What You Need to Know
The State Primary election is coming up in just over a month, and when you look over your ballot the word "Councillor" might catch your eye. This role is a seat on the Massachusetts Governor's Council. Still not ringing a bell? Here's what you need to know.
The Governor's Council has its roots in the colonial era, nearly 400 years ago, and is the body that approves the Governor's appointments for judges, the Appellate Tax Board, the Parole Board, the Industrial Accident Board, and many more. They also vote on pardons and commutations.
While Burlington Buzz typically focuses on hyperlocal Burlington news, Governor's Council District 3 represents all of Burlington and a number of nearby communities, and there are two candidates in the Democratic Primary for this two-year term. We'll be interviewing these candidates in the coming days and wanted to be sure voters are familiar with the job.
The Governor's Council provides checks and balances for the Governor, and when we interviewed candidates Marilyn Pettito Devaney (incumbent) and Mara Dolan (challenger) two years ago ahead of the 2022 Primary, they both expressed a belief that judges and members of the other Boards need to be qualified for the roles they're going to take and a frustration that the Council seems to rubber-stamp candidates for these roles, including ones that appear to represent a conflict of interest.
The importance of the qualifications of the state's judges is especially salient in light of several recent Supreme Court decisions which seem to be shifting a lot of responsibility back to the states. It will be up to our state lawmakers and courts to answer questions that previously had been understood to be a matter of federal protection.
Who sits on all these Boards, and on the bench, impacts the state of criminal justice reform. The racial disparity of incarcerated individuals, the incidence of incarceration for offenses related to substance use disorder, and the general level of understanding and empathy judges and Board members have for things like youth brain development and substance use disorder – these are all important considerations when deciding a defendant or incarcerated person’s fate.
The State Primary is September 3, and registered Unenrolled voters can choose to vote in either Primary. Early voting runs August 24-30, and the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is August 26, though the state recommends giving it 2-3 weeks so the ballot has time to reach you and get back to your polling place.
Be on the lookout for interviews with the two Democratic candidates for Governor's Council this week or next.
This story is adapted from our 2022 story introducing Governor's Council to Burlington voters.
