2019–2020 Massachusetts legislature

The 191st Massachusetts General Court was the meeting of the legislative branch of the state government of Massachusetts, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives.[1] It convened in Boston at the Massachusetts State House, on January 2, 2019, and ended on January 6, 2021, during the fifth and sixth years of the governorship of Charlie Baker. Senate and House districts were drawn based on the 2010 Census.

191st
Massachusetts General Court
190th 192nd
The front of the Massachusetts State House in bright daylight
Overview
Legislative bodyMassachusetts General Court
TermJanuary 2, 2019 (2019-01-02) – January 6, 2021 (2021-01-06)
Election2018 election
Massachusetts Senate
Members40
Senate PresidentKaren Spilka (D)
Senate Majority LeaderCynthia Stone Creem (D)
Senate Minority LeaderBruce Tarr (R)
Party controlDemocratic
Massachusetts House of Representatives
Members160
House SpeakerRobert DeLeo (D)
House Majority LeaderRon Mariano (D)
House Minority LeaderBrad Jones (R)
Party controlDemocratic

In the 2018 elections, the Democratic Party increased its majorities in both chambers, flipping two seats from the Republicans in the House and one in the Senate.[2] Although Republican Governor Charlie Baker easily won re-election to a second term, the Democrats maintained veto-proof supermajorities in the legislature.[3]

The session was notable for the wide range of flash-point issues discussed; among these were climate change, police reform, the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare reform, and education funding.[4] Other notable legislation included a pandemic-related vote-by-mail law.[5] Notable bills include a proposal for a commission focused on "state agency automated decision-making, artificial intelligence, transparency, fairness, and individual rights."[6][7]

Party summary

Senate

Affiliation Party
(shading indicates majority caucus)
Total Vacant
Democratic Independent Republican
End of previous General Court 31 0 7 38 2
Begin (January 2, 2019) 34 0 6 40 0
November 29, 2019[lower-alpha 1] 34 5 39 1
January 6, 2020[lower-alpha 2] 34 4 38 2
May 28, 2020[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] 36 40 0
Latest voting share 90.0% 0.0% 10.0%

House of Representatives

Affiliation Party
(shading indicates majority caucus)
Total Vacant
Democratic Independent Republican
End of previous General Court 119 1 34 154 6
Begin (January 2, 2019) 127 1 32 160 0
November 15, 2019[lower-alpha 5] 126 159 1
January 6, 2020[lower-alpha 6] 126 31 158 2
January 8, 2020[lower-alpha 7] 125 157 3
March 25, 2020[lower-alpha 8] 126 158 2
May 28, 2020[lower-alpha 9] 125 157 3
June 10, 2020[lower-alpha 10] 127 159 1
Latest voting share 79.9% 0.6% 19.5%

Members

Senators

Portrait Name Party District Residence Assumed office
Michael J. Barrett   Democratic 3rd Middlesex Lexington 2013
Joseph Boncore
  Democratic 1st Suffolk and Middlesex Winthrop 2016*
Michael Brady   Democratic 2nd Plymouth and Bristol Brockton 2015*
William Brownsberger   Democratic 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex Belmont 2012*
Harriette Chandler   Democratic 1st Worcester Worcester 2001
Sonia Chang-Díaz   Democratic 2nd Suffolk Boston 2009
Nick Collins   Democratic 1st Suffolk Boston 2018*
Joanne Comerford   Democratic Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester district Northampton 2019
Cynthia Creem   Democratic 1st Middlesex and Norfolk Newton 1999
Brendan Crighton   Democratic 3rd Essex Lynn 2018*
Julian Cyr   Democratic Cape and Islands Truro 2017
Sal DiDomenico   Democratic Middlesex and Suffolk Everett 2010*
Diana DiZoglio   Democratic 1st Essex Methuen 2019
James Eldridge   Democratic Middlesex and Worcester Acton 2009
Ryan Fattman   Republican Worcester and Norfolk Webster 2015
Paul Feeney   Democratic Bristol and Norfolk Foxborough 2017*[8]
Barry Finegold   Democratic 2nd Essex and Middlesex Andover 2019
Cindy Friedman   Democratic 4th Middlesex Arlington 2017*
Anne Gobi   Democratic Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex Spencer 2015
Adam Hinds   Democratic Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden Pittsfield 2017
Patricia Jehlen   Democratic 2nd Middlesex Somerville 2005*
John Keenan   Democratic Norfolk and Plymouth Quincy 2011
Edward Kennedy   Democratic 1st Middlesex Lowell 2019
Eric Lesser   Democratic 1st Hampden and Hampshire Longmeadow 2015
Jason Lewis   Democratic 5th Middlesex Winchester 2014*
Joan Lovely   Democratic 2nd Essex Salem 2013
Mark Montigny   Democratic 2nd Bristol and Plymouth New Bedford 1993
Michael Moore   Democratic 2nd Worcester Millbury 2009
Susan Moran   Democratic Plymouth and Barnstable Falmouth 2020*
Patrick O'Connor   Republican Plymouth and Norfolk Weymouth 2016*
Marc Pacheco   Democratic 1st Plymouth and Bristol Taunton 1993
Rebecca Rausch   Democratic Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex Needham 2019
Michael Rodrigues   Democratic 1st Bristol and Plymouth Westport 2011
Michael Rush   Democratic Norfolk and Suffolk Boston 2011
Karen Spilka   Democratic 2nd Middlesex and Norfolk Ashland 2005
Bruce Tarr   Republican 1st Essex and Middlesex Gloucester 1995
Walter Timilty   Democratic Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth Milton 2017
Dean Tran   Republican Worcester and Middlesex Fitchburg 2017*
John Velis   Democratic 2nd Hampden and Hampshire Westfield 2020*
James Welch   Democratic Hampden West Springfield 2011
  • *Originally elected in a special election

Representatives

portrait name [9] date of birth district [9]
James Arciero August 27, 1974 2nd Middlesex
Brian Ashe April 23, 1963
Bruce Ayers April 17, 1962
Ruth Balser October 30, 1948
Christine Barber
John Barrett (Massachusetts politician) 1947
F. Jay Barrows April 5, 1956
Donnie Berthiaume
David Biele
Natalie Blais
Nicholas Boldyga
Antonio Cabral January 26, 1955
Daniel Cahill
Linda Dean Campbell
Peter Capano
Daniel R. Carey
Gerard Cassidy
Tackey Chan August 10, 1973
Michelle Ciccolo
Mike Connolly (Massachusetts politician) June 3, 1980
Edward F. Coppinger
William Crocker Jr. 2000
Claire D. Cronin
Dan Cullinane
Mark Cusack 1984
Josh S. Cutler January 22, 1971
Angelo D'Emilia
Michael S. Day
Marjorie Decker
David DeCoste
Robert DeLeo (politician) March 27, 1950
Marcos Devers October 25, 1950
Carol Doherty
Mindy Domb 1959
Dan Donahue May 1, 1987
Paul Donato October 27, 1941
Shawn Dooley
William Driscoll
Michelle DuBois April 14, 1973
Peter Durant
Carolyn Dykema December 26, 1967
Lori Ehrlich June 9, 1963
Nika Elugardo July 31, 1973
Tricia Farley-Bouvier
Kimberly Ferguson
Dylan Fernandes
Ann-Margaret Ferrante June 26, 1972
Michael Finn March 24, 1970
Carole Fiola
Paul Frost April 25, 1970
William C. Galvin October 18, 1956
Sean Garballey February 22, 1985
Denise Garlick
Colleen Garry July 21, 1962
Carmine Gentile
Susan Williams Gifford November 3, 1959
Thomas Golden Jr. March 5, 1971
Carlos Gonzalez (legislator)
Ken Gordon (American politician) November 4, 1959
Tami Gouveia
Danielle Gregoire
Patricia Haddad May 7, 1950
Richard Haggerty
Sheila Harrington 1960
Jim Hawkins (politician) October 17, 1949
Stephan Hay
Jon Hecht
Christopher Hendricks
Natalie Higgins July 24, 1988
Bradford Hill January 22, 1967
Kate Hogan January 15, 1957
Russell Holmes August 17, 1969
Kevin Honan June 5, 1958
Steve Howitt
Daniel J. Hunt
Randy Hunt (politician) August 24, 1957
Bradley Jones Jr. January 9, 1965
Louis Kafka November 28, 1945
Hannah Kane 1971
Patrick J. Kearney
Mary Keefe
James Kelcourse
Kay Khan June 22, 1941
Kathleen LaNatra
John J. Lawn
David LeBoeuf 1989
Susannah Whipps
Jack Patrick Lewis
David Linsky October 16, 1957
Kate Lipper-Garabedian
Jay Livingstone
Marc Lombardo
Adrian Madaro 1988
John J. Mahoney
Liz Malia September 30, 1949
Ronald Mariano October 31, 1946
Paul Mark
Christopher Markey
Joe McGonagle
Joseph D. McKenna
Paul McMurtry October 28, 1965
Joan Meschino
Aaron Michlewitz 1978
Christina Minicucci
Liz Miranda June 29, 1981
Lenny Mirra February 23, 1964
Rady Mom 1970
Frank A. Moran
Michael Moran (Massachusetts politician) February 23, 1971
David Muradian November 21, 1982
Matt Muratore
James M. Murphy November 15, 1969
Brian Murray (politician)
David Nangle December 18, 1960
Harold Naughton Jr. July 4, 1960
Tram Nguyen June 22, 1986
Jim O'Day May 23, 1954
Norman Orrall
Jerry Parisella
Sarah Peake October 4, 1957
Alice Peisch October 4, 1954
Thomas Petrolati March 16, 1957
William "Smitty" Pignatelli August 31, 1959
Elizabeth Poirier October 27, 1942
Denise Provost March 9, 1951
Angelo Puppolo
Dave Robertson (Massachusetts politician)
Maria Robinson March 25, 1987
Dave Rogers (Massachusetts politician)
John H. Rogers October 22, 1964
Jeffrey Roy September 8, 1961
Daniel Joseph Ryan
Lindsay Sabadosa
Jon Santiago
Angelo Scaccia September 29, 1942
Paul Schmid
Danillo Sena September 7, 1986
Alan Silvia October 19, 1951
Todd Smola 1977
Michael Soter
Theodore C. Speliotis August 20, 1953
Thomas M. Stanley March 23, 1964
William M. Straus June 26, 1956
Alyson Sullivan February 7, 1988
Jose Tosado December 18, 1953
Paul Tucker (politician)
Chynah Tyler
Steven Ultrino
Andy Vargas
Aaron Vega August 25, 1970
John Velis January 26, 1979
David Vieira (politician)
RoseLee Vincent
Tommy Vitolo 1978
Joseph Wagner (Massachusetts politician) May 7, 1960
Thomas Walsh (Massachusetts politician) July 15, 1960
Tim Whelan (politician)
Bud Williams
Donald Wong January 15, 1952
Jonathan Zlotnik May 7, 1990

See also

Notes

  1. In Plymouth and Barnstable district: Senator Vinny deMacedo (R) resigned to take a job in higher education.
  2. In 2nd Hampden and Hampshire district: Senator Don Humason (R) resigned to serve as Mayor of Westfield.
  3. In Plymouth and Barnstable district: Susan Moran (D) assumed office to continue Vinny deMacedo's term.
  4. In 2nd Hampden and Hampshire district: John Velis (D) assumed office to continue Don Humason's term.
  5. In 32nd Middlesex district: Rep. Paul Brodeur (D) resigned to serve as Mayor of Melrose.
  6. In 3rd Bristol district: Rep. Shaunna O'Connell (R) resigned to serve as Mayor of Taunton.
  7. In 37th Middlesex district: Rep. Jen Benson (D) resigned to serve as President of the Alliance for Business Leadership.
  8. In 32nd Middlesex district: Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D) assumed office to continue Paul Brodeur's term.
  9. In 4th Hampden district: Rep. John Velis (D) resigned to serve as state senator for the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire district.
  10. Carol Doherty (D) and Dan Sena (D) assumed office to continue Shaunna O'Connell and Jen Benson's terms, respectively.

References

  1. "Malegislature.gov". Archived from the original on January 10, 2019.
  2. "Dems pick up three seats on Beacon Hill". November 7, 2018.
  3. "Democrats Further Solidify Super-Majorities in the Mass. House and Senate".
  4. "End of Session Report, 2019-2020 Legislative Session" (PDF). Massachusetts Legislature. May 26, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  5. "A new law allows Mass. residents to vote by mail. Here's how that's already changing things", Boston Globe, July 29, 2020
  6. Electronic Privacy Information Center, "State Artificial Intelligence Policy", Epic.org, Washington, DC, retrieved September 5, 2020
  7. "Bill H.2701", malegislature.gov, 191st General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, retrieved September 5, 2020
  8. Daniel Libon (October 17, 2017). "Feeney Beats Ventura, Shortsleeve In State Senate Race". Patch.
  9. "House Members". Malegislature.gov. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019.

Further reading

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