Who’s Who at the State House: 2001 – 2002

While the top leadership in the Legislature remains stable — with both Senate President Thomas Birmingham (D – Chelsea) and House Speaker Thomas Finneran (D – Mattapan) re-elected by their respective bodies — significant changes in other leadership and committee chairmanships could affect the future of health care legislation.

Only two new senators were elected last November, but one retirement caused a vacancy in the Senate chairmanship of the Joint Committee on Insurance. Changes on the House side were much more pronounced, with new appointees selected to lead the powerful Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Health Care.

The Senate

The Senate leadership lineup remains largely unchanged in the new session. Sen. Birmingham’s team again includes Linda Melconian (D – Springfield) as majority leader, Stanley Rosenberg (D – Amherst) as assistant majority leader and Robert Travaglini (D – East Boston) as majority whip. Mark Montigny (D – New Bedford) was reappointed as chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, and Richard Moore (D – Uxbridge) was again selected as Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, Sen. Brian Lees (R – East Longmeadow) was re-elected as minority leader.

There was, however, one major shift in the Senate: Therese Murray (D – Plymouth), formerly the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Human Services and Elder Affairs, became Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Insurance, following the retirement of Robert Bernstein (D – Worcester). The Insurance Committee, which reviews a wide array of legislation dealing with issues ranging from the regulation of managed care to mandated benefits, has a key role in the Medical Society’s legislative agenda.

One of two new faces in the Senate is that of Harriette Chandler (D – Worcester), the former two-term House chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care. While Sen. Chandler has now become Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Federal Financial Aid, she retains her seat on the Health Care Committee.

The other new senator is Robert O’Leary (D – Barnstable), who replaced six-term Republican senator Henri Rauschenbach (R – Brewster), when the latter joined the Cellucci administration.

The House

The changes in the House were more pronounced, with a number of key committee chairmanships and leadership positions shifting in the process.

Speaker Finneran’s leadership team still includes Majority Leader William Nagle (D – Northampton) and Majority Whip Salvatore DiMasi (D – Boston).

Joining them is Assistant Majority Whip Lida Harkins (D – Needham). During the last session, Rep. Harkins served first as chair of the House Committee on Science and Technology and then as House chair of the Joint Committee on Education. She replaces Barbara Gardner (D – Holliston), who resigned her seat last fall for a position in the State Department of Education, on the leadership team.

Rep. Francis Marini (R – Hanson) remains as minority leader.

The new House Ways and Means Committee chair is John Rogers (D – Norwood), formerly House chair of the Joint Committee on Taxation. He replaces Paul Haley (D – Weymouth), who resigned from the House to pursue a career in the private sector soon after winning re-election last fall.

At Health Care, Rep. Harriett Stanley (D – West Newbury) is now chair. Rep. Stanley previously served as assistant vice chair of House Ways and Means.

Meanwhile, Rep. Ronald Mariano (D – Quincy) advanced from vice chair to House chair of the Joint Committee on Insurance, replacing Rep. Nancy Flavin (D – Easthampton), who shifted to Rep. Stanley’s former position at House Ways and Means.

Rep. Mariano’s appointment was particularly encouraging to the MMS. Mariano has long advocated for fairness to physicians and other health care providers in the contracting process. During the last session, he was a key supporter of the “prompt payment” legislation that was incorporated in the comprehensive managed care reform law. He is currently the lead sponsor of many MMS-sponsored bills, including one to prohibit insurers from unilaterally amending contracts.

– Stephen Shestakofsky

back to top