A Special Session

Tomorrow afternoon Governor John A. Volpe will ask the Massachusetts Executive Council for permission to call a special session of the General Court so that the state legislature can act on his proposal to establish mental health centers throughout the state. The Council ought to accept his request.

Two weeks ago the Governor asked the eight-member Council if he could convene a session to consider various highway safety and crime prevention measures as well as the mental health program. This request was turned down because many councillors felt that the proposed agenda was too long for the 18 days available for a special session.

Whether the councillors were sincere or were merely cooperating with Governor Volpe's legislative enemies will be tested tomorrow, since there are really no arguments against calling a session now that the agenda has been limited to the mental health bill.

Governor Volpe's request is neither whimsical nor trivial. Last year he submitted the mental health bill to the legislature, but certain Democratic leaders, vengeful over the Sales Tax, saw to it that the bill was defeated without adequate debate or consideration. Governor Volpe wants to use the special session to focus the attention of the public and the legislators on this measure which is the keystone of his legislative program. He knows that if the bill must wait until the 1967 regular session it will again be killed in midsummer without fair or full debate.

It is true that the clerks of the State Senate and House of Representatives are currently busy preparing for the 1967 Court, but the added burden of the special session would not be that great, and would not even compare with the volume of work performed by the clerks during the hectic last weeks of a normal session.

The only other argument against calling a special meeting is that the Senate Chamber is presently being repainted and redecorated. But the Senators of Massachusetts could certainly function effectively in their spacious reading room, the Hall of Flags, or even Fanueil Hall.

The Executive Council is frequently accused of being the obstructionist pawn of the state's Democratic legislative leadership. It could demonstrate independence as well as wisdom tomorrow afternoon by advising the Governor to proclaim a special session of the General Court.