Newer senators ascend to key roles

State House veterans Frederick Berry and Robert DeLeo dominate the Massachusetts Senate and House but two relatively new senators are quietly expanding their legislative clout.As majority leader, Berry is the state Senate’s second highest-ranking senator and, like House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a major participant in the annual process of crafting a state budget.DeLeo, a Winthrop resident who represents his hometown and Revere in the Legislature, became one of a handful of top elected leaders in the state when he succeeded Salvatore DiMasi as speaker.Leading the House means DeLeo selects colleagues to head up legislative committees. Allies like Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein, who also represents Revere, is one of DeLeo’s choices to serve as a floor division chairman. The obscure sounding title comes with a job description that includes mustering the support of the House’s 160 members for legislation considered a priority by DeLeo.Senior Sen. Thomas M. McGee of Lynn oversees several legislative committees. He is co-chairman of the Public Service and Labor and Workforce committees and vice chairman of the Financial Services and Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities committees and he is chairman of the Senate Childrens’ Caucus.He also serves on the legislative committee assigned to oversee federal economic stimulus spending in Massachusetts.Although they entered the Senate in 2007 through special elections held to replace resigning legislators, Sens Anthony Galluccio and Anthony Petruccelli have amassed legislative clout in a relatively short period. Petruccelli is the Senate chairman of the committee overseeing environmental legislation and vice chairman of committees dealing with global warming and economic development.Gallucci is co-chairman of the Higher Education committee and vice chairman of Bills in Third Reading, another oddly-named body that has the important and politically powerful job of moving legislation forward through the House and Senate or shunting it off to a quiet death.The pair’s legislative districts include Revere and Saugus.Her semi-novice status as a legislator gives Rep. Lori Ehrlich of Marblehead telecommunications committee membership but no leadership roles. Joyce Spiliotis of Peabody and state Rep. Steven Walsh of Lynn enjoy more prominent positions, with Walsh co-chairman of the State Administration committee and Spiliotis heading up the Municipalities committee.State Rep. Robert Fennell, D-Lynn, has a voice on transportation legislation and he is on the Revenue committee, while colleague Mark Falzone of Saugus, a supporter of DeLeo’s rival for the speakership, has found his legislative voice on committees confined to one dealing with tourism.