Therese Murray Named 'Legislator of the Year' by Mass. Municipal Association

Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, today received the “Legislator of the Year” Award from the Massachusetts Municipal Association for her work and record of accomplishment during the 2011 legislative session. The award was first announced at the MMA’s Annual Meeting, Jan. 21 in front of local officials from across the Commonwealth.

“I’m deeply honored to receive this award,” said Murray. “I am so proud of the work we have accomplished in this legislative session and, more importantly, how it has benefited the people of the Plymouth and Barnstable District and the Commonwealth.”

The MMA is the statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan association of cities and towns that provides all 351 communities with a broad range of services, including advocacy, training and education, publications, policy research, cost-saving programs and management assistance.

MMA Executive Director Geoff Bechwith credited Murray with helping to push through municipal health insurance reform.

“This has been a very strong and productive legislative session for cities and towns, including passage of municipal health insurance reform legislation, the most important reform law to benefit cities and towns in the past 30 years, and local officials across Massachusetts deeply appreciate the time and effort President Murray and her office devoted on this key issue,” Beckwith said. “The new law will save cities and towns, taxpayers, and municipal employees millions of dollars a year, all while guaranteeing high quality health insurance for local workers and preserving countless jobs for teachers, police officers, firefighters and other key municipal employees. Local officials in every corner of Massachusetts know that this progress would not have occurred without President Murray’s deep involvement and support. We are grateful for her leadership and record of accomplishment.”

Natick Selectman and MMA President Josh Ostroff said Murray was selected for her work on the passage of municipal health insurance reform and other acts, including restoring $65 million in local aid in the 2012 budget, the passage of a $200 million Chapter 90 program to repair local roads and bridges and enactment of pension reform.

“Senator Murray’s record during the 2011 session contains many other acts to benefit the communities of Massachusetts, including: the fiscal 2012 state budget, which restored $65 million in vital local aid to every town and city; the passage of a $200 million Chapter 90 program to repair local roads and bridges, the highest in state history; and the enactment of strong pension reform legislation without mandates on local systems, which will reduce local pension costs by $2 billion over the next 30 years,” Ostroff said .