Sen. Stanley Rosenberg named new Majority Leader

BOSTON (State House News Service) - Senate President Therese Murray on Thursday refashioned her senior leadership team in the wake of retirements and resignations appointing Sen. Stanley Rosenberg as her new majority leader and Sen. Richard Moore as president pro tempore, filling the top two positions behind the president in the Senate.

Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat who spearheaded redistricting and expanded gambling efforts in the Senate, has been elevated from president pro tempore to the number two post after former Majority Leader Frederick Berry retired after last year.

Moore, an Uxbridge Democrat, who co-chaired the Health Care Financing Committee last session as the Legislature embarked on a major health care reform effort, takes Rosenberg's position.

Following a formal session on Thursday during which the Senate debated rules for the next two-year session, senators received envelopes containing their committee assignments.

Rounding out the senior leadership team under Murray, Sen. Harriette Chandler becomes assistant majority leader taking the place of Sen. Jack Hart who announced on Tuesday that he would resign to take a position at the Boston law firm Nelson Mullins. His last day in the Senate is Friday.

Sen. Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) was appointed majority whip, and Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) was named by Murray as assistant majority whip.

Sen. Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) will remain on for another session as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, while Sen. Thomas McGee (D-Lynn) and Sen. Anthony Petruccelli (D-East Boston) will stay as co-chairs of the committees on transportation and financial services, respectively.

Sen. James Welch (D-West Springfield) will take over for Moore as co-chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing, and Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy) moves from the Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse to co-chair the Committee on Public Health, a position previously held by retired Sen. Susan Fargo.