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Ways and Means Committee, Massachusetts State Senate
The Ways and Means Committee is a standing committee of the Massachusetts State Senate. Per Senate Rule 12, the committee is made up of 18 members.[1]
Massachusetts on 
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Per Senate Rules 12 and 13, committees of the Massachusetts State Senate are assigned by the President of the Senate, with the exception of minority members, who are assigned by the Minority Leader.[2] After the adoption of Senate rules at the beginning of each two-year session, the committees are appointed to serve for the entire session. The President is to give consideration to partisan balance in making appointments, and is required to allocate at least three seats on the Ways and Means Committee, two seats on the Ethics and Rules Committees, and at least one seat on all other standing or special committees, to members of the minority party. The President shall nominate the chair of each committee, and the vice-chair and assistant vice-chair of the Ways and Means Committee, subject to a majority vote of the respective party caucus. Should a nominee be blocked, the President shall nominate another candidate for confirmation. In the event of a special order by the Senate to appoint a committee by ballot, the person receiving the most votes shall be named chair, with the runner-up being named vice-chair.[2] Any vacancies that have occurred in any committees after members have been appointed will be filled following the same rules.[3]
See rules: Rules of the Senate
Function
| “ | It shall be the duty of the committee on Ways and Means to consider all matters relating to the finances of the Commonwealth and such other matters as may be referred thereto.[4][5] | ” |
Membership
2025-2026 legislative session
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Senate Ways and Means Committee, 2025-2026 |
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|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (15) | Republican members (3) | Third-party members(0) |
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2023-2024 legislative session
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Senate Ways and Means Committee, 2023-2024 |
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|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (16) | Republican members (2) | Third-party members(0) |
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2021-2022 legislative session
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Senate Ways and Means Committee, 2021-2022 |
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|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (14) | Republican members (3) | Third-party members(0) |
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Joseph Boncore (D) left this committee on September 09, 2021. [Source]
2019-2020 legislative session
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Senate Ways and Means Committee, 2019-2020 |
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|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (15) | Republican members (2) | Third-party members(0) |
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Donald Humason Jr. (R) left this committee on January 06, 2020.
2017 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2017 legislative session.
| Ways and Means Members, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (15) | Republican members (3) | |||
| • Karen Spilka, Chair | • Vinny deMacedo | |||
| • Sal DiDomenico, Vice chair | • Richard Ross | |||
| • Patricia Jehlen | • Donald F. Humason, Jr. | |||
| • William Brownsberger | ||||
| • Sonia Chang-Diaz | ||||
| • Kenneth Donnelly | ||||
| • Eileen Donoghue | ||||
| • James Eldridge | ||||
| • John Keenan | ||||
| • Joan Lovely | ||||
| • Thomas McGee | ||||
| • Michael O. Moore | ||||
| • Kathleen O'Connor Ives | ||||
| • Michael Rush | ||||
| • James Timilty | ||||
2015 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2015 legislative session.
| Ways and Means Members, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (15) | Republican members (3) | |||
| • Karen Spilka, Chair | • Vinny deMacedo | |||
| • Sal DiDomenico, Vice chair | • Richard Ross | |||
| • Patricia Jehlen, Assistant Vice chair | • Donald Humason, Jr. | |||
| • William Brownsberger | ||||
| • Eileen Donoghue | ||||
| • Benjamin Downing | ||||
| • Kenneth Donnelly | ||||
| • Thomas Kennedy | ||||
| • Thomas McGee | ||||
| • Michael Moore | ||||
| • Sonia Chang-Diaz | ||||
| • Anthony Petruccelli | ||||
| • Michael Rush | ||||
| • James Timilty | ||||
| • John Keenan | ||||
2013-2014
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2013 legislative session.
| Ways and Means Members, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (15) | Republican members (2) | |||
| • Stephen Brewer, Chair | • Michael Knapik | |||
| • Jennifer Flanagan, Vice chair | • Richard Ross | |||
| • Sal DiDomenico, Vice chair | ||||
| • Gale Candaras | ||||
| • Eileen Donoghue | ||||
| • Benjamin Downing | ||||
| • Patricia Jehlen | ||||
| • Brian Joyce | ||||
| • Thomas Kennedy | ||||
| • Thomas McGee | ||||
| • Michael Moore | ||||
| • Marc Pacheco | ||||
| • Anthony Petruccelli | ||||
| • Michael Rush | ||||
| • James Timilty | ||||
2011-2012
The following table describes committee membership for the 2011 legislative session.
| Ways and Means Members, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (15) | Republican members (2) | |||
| • Stephen Brewer, Chair | • Michael Knapik | |||
| • Steven Baddour, Vice chair | • Richard Ross | |||
| • Jennifer Flanagan, Vice chair | ||||
| • Michael Moore | ||||
| • Richard T. Moore | ||||
| • Benjamin Downing | ||||
| • Cynthia Stone Creem | ||||
| • Gale D. Candaras | ||||
| • Karen Spilka | ||||
| • Marc Pacheco | ||||
| • Thomas McGee | ||||
| • Brian Joyce | ||||
| • Anthony Petruccelli | ||||
| • Patricia D. Jehlen | ||||
| • Thomas Kennedy | ||||
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "Rules of the Senate," accessed March 4, 2021 (Rule 12)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Massachusetts General Court, "Senate Rules," accessed March 4, 2021(Rules 12, 13A and 13B)
- ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "Senate Rules," accessed March 4, 2021(Rule 13C)
- ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "Senate Committee on Ways and Means," accessed March 4, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
