Kennedy successor to be debated early September

Source: AFP

BOSTON, Massachusetts — Massachusetts will decide in early September whether to appoint a temporary successor to Edward Kennedy as US lawmakers gear up for fierce debates on key legislation, officials said Monday.

"Within a week after Labor Day there will be a hearing... so in early September," Meghan Bartley, legislative aide of the state's committee on election law, told AFP.

"They have to figure out if they will change the current law. Every member of the (Massachusetts) House and Senate will attend the hearing."

Before his death Tuesday, Kennedy had urged his home state to change the law to allow someone to take his place temporarily in the US Senate ahead of a special election for his seat, not now due before January.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hCEN99NEjZQfMU8LfAniFe6RR43A

Can we get started then?

Source: NBC

Lawmakers will decide whether or not to appoint interim replacement Sept. 9

A public hearing will be held Sept. 9 in Massachusetts to decide whether or not state law should be changed to allow Gov. Deval Patrick to name an interim replacement for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, the governor said Monday.

The Sept. 9 public hearing will determine whether or not Kennedy's seat will be filled until a special election is held to find Kennedy's successor.

Gov. Patrick said Monday the special election will be held Jan. 19. Under state law, the election must be held within 145-160 days of Kennedy's death.

Read more: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/politics/NATL-Hearing-Date-Set-for-Possible-Kennedy-Replacement-56365497.html

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Mass. Governor Wants to Name Kennedy Successor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083101816.html?hpid=topnews

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick threw his support on Monday behind a proposal to appoint an interim successor to the late Senator Edward Kennedy and also set a date of January 19 for a special election to fill the term that ends in 2012.