2025-01-02 00:00:00 - Joint Session
2025-01-02 00:00:00 - Joint Session
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - The joint session will come to order. The chair will ask all members, guests, and staff to please rise and recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag.
SPEAKER2 - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it
SPEAKER1 - Admit her excellency, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the constitutional officers that are here, and the councilor's elect.
The chair would like to recognize the governor and lieutenant governor.
GOV MAURA HEALEY - Thank you. Good morning. Thank you, Madam President, and members of this great and general court. Thank you for inviting us here this morning. It's always an honor to be in the chamber and among all of you. And we're very excited today to be, presenting our governors' counselors who provide, tremendous service to our administration, of course, and the work that they do, but more importantly for the entire Commonwealth. And I also wanna make a special welcome to their families and their friends and supporters, all who helped get them to where they are today. We're grateful to all of you and we're grateful to all of you, for your willingness to step forward and314 serve in this, critically important role. And I would now like to, turn the podium over to our fabulous Lieutenant Governor, Kim Driscoll.
LT. GOV KIM DRISCOLL - Thanks, Gov. Good morning, everyone, and thank you very much, governor. It is indeed a pleasure to be here to be able to swear in our governor's councilors, both our veterans and our newest members. I have the good fortune and pleasure of spending many Wednesday afternoons with this team, and it really is a team helping ensure that we are putting the best and the brightest in judicial positions. It is some of the most meaningful work, and often, sometimes, the commission350 that people are not familiar with and have not heard of is truly the backstop for our judicial system. In the last 2 years, we've confirmed 50 judges, including 38 last year alone, 2 on the Supreme Judicial Court, and the chief justice of the appeals court. Meaningful work that will really carry on generations of ensuring that we have the right sort of lived experience and commitment and professional experience to lead these efforts, and that's thanks to your good service. It's not just the time on Wednesdays that we spend. All of you put many more hours into really reviewing the individuals that we put before you to ensure that we have well-respected, well-experienced, individuals in our judicial system. So I wanna say thank you and congratulations, and looking forward to working with you in the year ahead. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - The clerk401 will read a communication.
SPEAKER2 - To the honorable senate and house of representatives. I have the honor to lay before you the return of votes cast at the election held in this Commonwealth on the 5th day of November 2024 for the councils and the several districts, together with schedules showing number of ballots, which are appear to have417 been cast for each person voted for. These returns have been duly canvassed by the governor and421 council and are now transmitted for examination by the Senate and House of Representatives as required by the constitution. Very427 truly yours, William Francis Garland, secretary429 of the Commonwealth.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you.
Will all of the councilors elect please meet in the well below or stand where you are for your swearing in.
I also would like to congratulate you and thank you for stepping452 up in performing this very vital role to our commonwealth, ensuring access to justice for all of our residents of our commonwealth no matter where they live, what their background is, just to make sure that the Commonwealth continues to provide fair and equal access to justice. So thank you very much. We look forward to hearing more from you as as this term continues. So please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I and please state your name.
Do solemnly swear
SPEAKER2 - Do solemnly swear.
SPEAKER1 - That I will bear true faith and allegiance
SPEAKER2 - That I will bear true faith and allegiance
SPEAKER1 - to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And will support the constitution thereof
SPEAKER2 - so help me god.
SPEAKER1 - So help me god. I, please state your name. I, I. Do solemnly swear and affirm
SPEAKER2 - Do solemnly swear and affirm.
SPEAKER1 - That I will faithfully and impartially that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform discharge and perform.
SPEAKER2 - Discharge and perform.
SPEAKER1 - All of the duties incumbent on me as state your role.
According to the best of my abilities and understanding According to the best of my abilities and understanding agreeably agreeably to the rules and regulations to the rules and regulations
SPEAKER2 - of the constitution of the constitution and the laws of the commonwealth and the laws of the commonwealth and the laws of557 the557 commonwealth and the laws of the commonwealth and the laws of the commonwealth and the laws of the commonwealth
SPEAKER1 - and the laws
SPEAKER2 - of the commonwealth.
SPEAKER1 - And the laws of the commonwealth. So help me god. So help me god. I, please state your name. I, please567 state your name.
SPEAKER2 - I, please state your name. Do solemnly swear
SPEAKER1 - Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear Do solemnly swear.570 That I will support the constitution of the United States.
SPEAKER2 - That I576 will support the constitution of the United States.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. Great job.580
Okay.
Your work is not done though. You should find hopefully, you'll find a sheet of paper on your chair that you have to sign before you leave. Who do they turn it into?
SPEAKER2 - Well, that's Pierre. Pierre and his wife staff and John from the governor of the secretary's office. Get it.
SPEAKER1 - Okay. That will be, retrieved before you leave. Make sure that you hand that in. Otherwise, it's not real truly official.
The sergeant at arms will now653 escort her her excellency, the governor, her honor, the lieutenant governor, the659 several counselors that are here, and distinguished guests from this house chamber. So please gather here together and follow the sergeant at arms. And thank you very much and happy New Year. Happy New Year to all that are here.
Okay.
The senator from Brock The senator from Brockton, mister Brady moves at the joint convention do now adjourn. All those in favor say aye. Opposed no. The ayes have it and the joint session stands adjourned. Thank you very much.
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