Tracking the Most Active Freshman Legislators in Massachusetts

The New Faces on Beacon Hill

The Massachusetts Legislature has welcomed a fresh wave of lawmakers, and their early actions provide key insights into their priorities and approaches to governance. While some legislators hit the ground running, filing and co-sponsoring bills at a rapid pace, others have taken a more measured approach. By analyzing bill sponsorship and bipartisan collaboration, we gain a clearer picture of which freshmen are actively shaping policy and which are keeping a lower profile.

Understanding Bill Sponsorship and Co-Sponsorship

Bill sponsorship refers to the number of bills a legislator has introduced themselves, reflecting their legislative initiative and policy interests. Co-sponsorship is when a legislator signs onto a colleague’s bill, showing their willingness to support broader legislative efforts. Tracking co-sponsorship—especially across party lines—offers insight into how willing a legislator is to collaborate.

On average, Massachusetts’ freshman legislators have filed 13 bills and co-sponsored 21. But the story is much deeper than these averages suggest.

Who’s Leading the Charge?

Some legislators wasted no time in making their presence felt. Leigh Davis (D-Great Barrington) stands out as the most active bill sponsor, introducing a total of 25 bills. Many of these bills focus on sex crimes, a response to a recent case at the elite boarding school Miss Hall’s, where a sexual abuse incident occurred. Meanwhile on the Republican side, Ken Sweezey (R-Pembroke) leads with sponsoring 20 new bills. His legislative focus centers on local governance, firearm regulations, and economic policies.

Tara Hong (D-Lowell) took a different approach, becoming the most prolific co-sponsor, signing onto 59 bills—far above the freshman average of 21. This signals a collaborative approach, aligning with a broad spectrum of legislative initiatives rather than focusing solely on personal sponsorship. He usually focuses on a wide scale of issues including social equity, environmental sustainability, and public welfare.

At the other end of the spectrum, Steven Ouellette (D-Westport) sponsored the fewest bills—just 2. While a low sponsorship number doesn’t necessarily indicate inactivity, it does raise questions about his legislative strategy. In a similar vein, Representative Bridget Plouffe (D-Brokton) and Senator Kelly Dooner (R-Taunton) co-sponsored the fewest bills, with only 2 each (Plouffe’s co-sponsored bills) (Dooner’s co-sponsored bills), indicating a more selective approach to legislative support.

Bipartisanship: Who’s Crossing the Aisle?

With political polarization a constant challenge, tracking bipartisan cooperation is critical. 

Republican Representative Sweezey emerges as the freshman legislator most willing to work across party lines, co-sponsoring 13 bills with members of the opposing party—an impressive 68% of his total co-sponsorships. This makes him a standout figure in efforts to bridge partisan divides.

Conversely, some freshmen have taken a more partisan approach. Democratic Representative Davis, for instance, did not co-sponsor a single bill with the other party, despite leading in bill sponsorship. Similarly, Democratic Representative Hong—who co-sponsored the most bills overall—did not cross the aisle once.

One notable bipartisan effort centers around an Act to promote affordable utility services in the Commonwealth (SD2672), sponsored by Republican Senator Dooner, which received the highest level of bipartisan co-sponsorship (7 Democrats and 6 Republicans). The bill aims to regulate utility rate increases and introduce rate reductions for certain vulnerable groups. While Dooner has been selective in her legislative endorsements, this bill appears to have garnered unique cross-party support, indicating its broad appeal.

Notable Bills and Legislative Influence

Other key bills and sponsorship trends stand out among this year’s freshman class:

• An act relative to exemptions from MBTA community designations(HD1420), the bill with the most co-sponsors (15), was introduced by Republican Representative Sweezey, seeking to amend previous sections of the MBTA Communities Act to be more malleable. House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading), the most senior Republican in the House, signed on as a co-sponsor of Sweezey’s bill.

Tracking These Trends with MassTrac

• For those closely monitoring Massachusetts’ legislative landscape, keeping up with bill sponsorships, co-sponsorships, and bipartisan efforts is essential. With MassTrac, users can dive deep into individual legislators’ actions, track the progress of key bills, and stay ahead of the policy shifts shaping the Commonwealth. Whether you’re a policymaker, advocate, or lobbyist, MassTrac keeps you informed with real-time legislative tracking and analysis.

  As this freshman class settles in, their early moves provide a telling glimpse into their legislative styles. Some are prolific sponsors, others strategic co-sponsors, and a few are already proving to be bipartisan bridge-builders. The coming months will reveal whether these patterns hold or if new trends emerge and MassTrac will be here to track it all.

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