Thursday, January 22, 2015

State Senate 2015-2016 Democratic majority leadership and committee assignments

by BRENT BENSON

Massachusetts State Senate President Stan Rosenberg announced leadership and committee assignments for the Democratic members of the Senate for the 2015-2016 legislative session.

Leadership

Majority Leader: Chandler
President Pro Tempore: Pacheco
Assistant Majority Leader: Creem
Assistant Majority Leader: Joyce
Assistant Majority Leader: Montigny
Majority Whip: Petruccelli
Assistant Majority Whip: Donnelly

Senate Standing Committees

Ways and Means
Spilka - Chair
DiDemenico
Jehlen - Assistant Vice Chair
Brownsberger
Chang-Diaz
Donnelly
Donoghue
Downing
Keenan
Kennedy
McGee
Moore
Petruccelli
Rush
Timility

Intergovernmental Affairs
Dorcena Forry - Chair
L'Italien- Vice Chair
Gobi
Moore
Rodrigues

Redistricting
Downing - Chair
Joyce - Vice Chair
Chang-Diaz
L'Italien
Timilty

Rules
Montigny - Chair
Creem - Vice Chair
Chandler
Spilka

Bills in Third Reading
Joyce - Chair
Petruccelli - Vice Chair
Donoghue
Downing

Steering and Policy
Wolf - Chair
Lewis - Vice Chair
Chang-Diaz
O'Connor Ives

Personnel and Administration
Rush - Chair
O'Connor Ives - Vice Chair
Donnelly
Donoghue
Pacheco

Children's Caucus
McGee - Chair

Ethics
Creem - Chair
Brownsberger - Vice Chair
Chandler
DiDomenico

Post-Audit and Oversight
Barrett - Chair
Downing - Vice Chair
Lewis
Moore
Welch

Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets
Keenan - Chair
Chang-Diaz - Vice Chair
Donnelly
Donoghue
Moore

Global Warming
Pacheco - Chair
Eldridge - Vice Chair
Barrett
Downing
McGee

Joint Standing Committees

Financial Services
Eldridge - Chair
Lesser - Vice Chair
Keenan
O'Connor Ives
Rodrigues

Economic Development and Emerging Technology
Donoghue - Chair
Gobi - Vice Chair
Barrett
Keenan
Lesser
McGee

Education
Chang-Diaz - Chair
Jehlen - Vice Chair
Dorcena Forry
Lewis
L'Italien

Housing
Dorcena Forry - Chair
Keenan - Vice Chair
Chandler
Gobi
Jehlen

Public Safety and Homeland
Timilty - Chair
Moore - Vice Chair
Chang-Diaz
Flanagan
Welch

Revenue
Rodrigues - Chair
Timilty - Vice Chair
Downing
Lesser
Wolf

Higher Education
Moore - Chair
Donoghue - Vice Chair
Downing
L'Italien
O'Connor Ives

Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Flanagan - Chair
Lovely - Vice
Donnelly
Dorcena Forry
Eldridge

Telecom, Utilities, and Energy
Downing - Chair
Pacheco - Vice Chair
Gobi
Joyce
Wolf

State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
Lovely - Chair
Eldridge - Vice Chair
Barrett
Keenan
Rodrigues

Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development
Lesser - Chair
Downing - Vice Chair
Eldridge
Lovely
Wolf

Community Development and Small Business
O'Connor Ives - Chair
Rush - Vice Chair
L'Italien
Rodrigues
Wolf

Children and Families
Flanagan - Chair
Lovely - Vice Chair
Chang-Diaz
Keenan
Lewis

Public Health
Lewis - Chair
Flanagan - Vice Chair
Lesser
Lovely
Timilty

Judiciary
Brownsberger - Chair
Keenan - Vice Chair
Chang-Diaz
Creem
Jehlen

Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture
Gobi - Chair
Rush - Vice Chair
Eldridge
McGee
Timilty

Public Service
Timilty - Chair
Rodrigues - Vice Chair
Barrett
Donnelly
Kennedy

Elder Affairs
Jehlen - Chair
L'Italien - Vice Chair
Barrett
Gobi
Lesser

Consumer Protection and Licensure
Kennedy - Chair
Petruccelli - Vice Chair
O'Connor Ives
Rodrigues
Timilty

Transportation
McGee - Chair
Keenan - Vice Chair
Donoghue
Dorcena Forry
Lesser
Rush

Veterans and Federal Affairs
Rush - Chair
Kennedy - Vice Chair
Barrett
Gobi
Lesser

Municipalities and Regional Government
L'Italien - Chair
Lovely - Vice Chair
Brownsberger
Donaghue
Timilty

Health Care Financing
Welch - Chair
Montigny - Vice Chair
Barrett
Dorcena Forry
Joyce
L'Italien

Election Laws
Kennedy - Chair
Donnelly - Vice Chair
Brownsberger
DiDomenico
Welch

Labor and Workforce Development
Wolf - Chair
Barrett - Vice Chair
Donoghue
Lewis
Moore

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Boston Olympics poll shows taxpayer funding a primary concern of opponents

Respondents who support Boston's bid believe funding will come from private sources, opponents think taxpayers will foot the bill
by BRENT BENSON

A new poll from WBUR and MassINC Polling finds that 50% of Boston respondents support a Boston-based Olympics, while 33% oppose, and it appears that a some of the opposition is based on who will pay for the construction and hosting costs.

Forty-six percent of those who support a Boston Olympics think the funding will come from private sources; 35% of the supporters think funding will come from taxpayer funds; while 19% don't know.

On the other hand, a full 83% of the opponents of a Boston olympics believe that taxpayers will foot the bill for a Boston Olympics, with 7% counting on private money, and 11% who don't know.

If Mayor Marty Walsh and other Boston Olympic proponents want to increase public support, convincing them that a minimum amount of taxpayer funds will be needed might go a long way to improving Boston's Olympics prospects.

Olympic support by funding source