It has two branches, the 40 member Senate and the 160 member House of Representatives. Massachusetts became a Commonwealth in 1780 when it adopted its remarkable Constitution. This document included a ground-breaking Declaration of Rights and was a model for the Constitution of the United States. It is, in fact, the oldest written constitution in effect in the world today, although it has been amended more than 100 times. All Massachusetts citizens have the right of free petition and may have bills introduced by a legislator.
Bills receive a public hearing and a committee recommendation.
They must be read, debated, and passed in both the House and the Senate before they are sent to the governor to be signed into law or vetoed. The Executive Branch Massachusetts' chief executive officer, the governor, is assisted by a cabinet and a governor's council. Each cabinet secretary is appointed by the governor and is responsible for the implementation of policy in the departments under his or her jurisdiction. The eight members of the Governor's Council approve gubernatorial judicial appointments and pardons, as well as expenditures from the treasury.