Stephen Brewer is an American politician who served in the

Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the ...

from 1997 to 2015.

Early life

Stephen Brewer was born on February 10, 1948, in Worcester, MA. He was raised in the town of

Barre, Massachusetts Barre ( ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,530 at the 2020 census. History Originally called the Northwest District of Rutland, it was first settled by Europeans in 1720. The town was incorpora ...

. He received his B.A. from the

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...

in 1971, and his M.A. from Assumption College in 1974.

Political career

Brewer started his political career on the Barre Board of Selectmen, where he served from 1977 to 1984, eventually becoming the board's chairman. He also worked as an aide to state Senator Robert D. Wetmore from 1980 to 1988. He became a member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

in 1989 and moved onto the

in 1997, where he served until his retirement in January 2015. In the state Senate he represented the Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin District. As the Senate Chair for the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Brewer was instrumental in the passing of the Welcome Home Bill, a comprehensive package for recent combat veterans to come home to as they transition back to civilian life. He also chaired the Senate Committee on Bills in the Third Reading and served as Vice-Chair of the Joint Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. On October 14, 2011, Sen. Brewer opposed a budget amendment by state Rep.

James J. Lyons, Jr. James J. Lyons Jr. is an American politician who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the Massachusetts House of Representatives' 18th Essex district, 18th Essex district from 2011 to 2019, and as chair of the Massachusetts Re ...

(R-Andover) that would have required the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services to give a public accounting on state benefits given to immigrants, both documented and undocumented. The amendment died in the resolution phase of the Senate and House versions. Sen. Brewer said, "It was not a Senate priority. I think it needs further study." Brewer retired from the Senate at the end of his term in January 2015.Mass. state Sen. Brewer to retire at end of term

Personal life

Brewer practices Catholicism. As of 2009 he resides in Barre with his wife Valerie and two daughters, April and Audrey.

References

Living people People from Barre, Massachusetts Democratic Party Massachusetts state senators University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni Assumption University (Worcester) alumni Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 1948 births {{Massachusetts-MARepresentative-stub