Gov. Healey Orders Flags at Half Staff For Late Senate President Birmingham

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BOSTON – Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey has ordered that the United States of America Flag and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings beginning immediately, until sunset on the day of interment, in honor of the life and legacy of former Senate President, Thomas F. Birmingham, who passed away on January 20, 2023.

“Senate President Thomas Birmingham was an incredible public servant dedicated to moving Massachusetts forward. He had a towering intellect and curiosity and an ability to connect with a range of people. Though he walked through rooms of power and privilege, he stayed true to his roots and never forgot where he came from or what mattered. His legacy includes ushering through the 1993 Education Reform Law that made our schools a model of excellence for the nation, advocating for the rights of workers and standing up for marriage equality. His passing is a great loss for the Commonwealth and my heart goes out to his wife Selma, his daughters, and grandchildren. He will be dearly missed,” said Gov. Healey in a statement.

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll tweeted: “Senate President Tom Birmingham approached governing with sincere passion and intentionality. He loved where he came from, and wanted to make life better for the working people of this state. My condolences to his family and friends.

Birmingham was 73 when he died.

He served in the Massachusetts Senate from January 1991 to December 2002.

He was Senate President from January 1996 to December 2002.

 
This gubernatorial order applies to:
 
1.  The main or administration building of each public institution of the Commonwealth, e.g. town and city halls
 
2.  Other state-owned or state-controlled buildings
 
3.  All state military installations

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