New Senate President Stanley Rosenberg Outlines Agenda

The state's new Senate president, Stanley Rosenberg, is a liberal Democrat from Amherst and a long-time presence on Beacon Hill. Last week, he became the first openly gay person in legislative leadership.

He is also the first Jewish person to lead the chamber and he is the first Senate president from the western part of the state since Calvin Coolidge. In his first speech last week as the new Senate leader, he talked about the need to do something about growing economic inequality in the state.

When we sat down with him Tuesday, in Calvin Coolidge's old office — he talked about all of that, and about the more immediate challenge of a looming budget shortfall facing Massachusetts, which could require some tough negotiations with the new Republican governor, Charlie Baker.

Stanley Rosenberg, president of the Massachusetts Senate. He tweets @SenStan.

The Boston Globe: Rosenberg Calls For Fight Against Income Inequality