Two heads are better than one?  The Massachusetts Senate is awkwardly testing that hypothesis, as one member claims a mandate to become Senate president, while the current occupant of that position clings to her post.

The current drama has its roots in the controversy around the husband of former president Stan Rosenberg.  Bryon Hefner was indicted this week on felony charges of lewdness and sexual assault; Rosenberg yielded his gavel last December as an investigation began into the allegations against Hefner.  Rosenberg’s second-in-command, Majority Leader Harriette Chandler, stepped in as Acting President, but soon shed the “Acting” title as part of a bid to keep the Senate focused on legislation, not succession.

That didn’t work.  The jockeying for power continued until April 21, when Sen. Karen Spilka, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, announced that she had secured pledges from 25 of her colleagues, including Chandler, to support her bid to become the next Senate president.  But in joint remarks to the press explaining the move, Spilka and Chandler were not on the same page as to when this should occur:

Asked when the transfer would take place, Spilka spoke first, saying she had not discussed the timing with Chandler and other senators but wants to ensure a “respectful, smooth transition.”

“People need to be together on this,” said Spilka, surrounded by a half-dozen Democratic colleagues.

At that, Chandler interjected, batting down any notion that she would be pushed aside earlier than anticipated.

“This would not be the best time to transfer any power,” Chandler said. “My hope is we will continue to go along as we are. I hope to serve until the end of this term and then we will transfer power over quickly to Senator Spilka as the new Senate president.”

Asked if she agrees with Chandler’s timing, Spilka pointedly avoided a direct answer.

“Again, we will discuss the respectful, smooth transition,” she said. “This is something all of our members need to be a part of, as well.”

For now, Chandler – an 80-year-old legislator who insisted from the beginning that she did not want to continue as president beyond this term – still holds the post.  The Massachusetts legislature does not formally adjourn until January 2019, but most serious legislative work will stop at the end of July, when both chambers transition into so-called informal session.

Update (Apr. 5):  After weeks of behind-the-scene negotiations, Senate President Chandler announced that she would hand the gavel to Chairwoman Spilka during the week of July 23, or about one week before formal Senate sessions conclude for 2018.