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

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.