An editorial published in last Saturday's Quincy Patriot Ledger offers an endorsement of Assistant Minority Leader Robert Hedlund's efforts to abolish the Executive Council. More commonly referred to as the Governor's Council, the eight-member elected body dates back to Colonial times and is primarily responsible for approving the Governor's judicial appointees, as well as reviewing requests for criminal pardons and commutations. While critics have long dismissed the Council as antiquated and obsolete, the Patriot Ledger was even more blunt in its assessment, referring to the Council as "useless, costly and embarrassing."Hedlund is actually backing not one but two bills to abolish the Governor's Council. He is the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 17, and is co-sponsoring Senate Bill 15 with Senator Brian Joyce (D-Milton). Both bills were heard by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on April 14.
