One of the longest-serving and most influential state legislators from western Massachusetts is retiring.
Joe Wagner announced Tuesday that he will not run for re-election this year.
The Democrat from Chicopee was first elected to the Massachusetts House in 1991.
Currently the Second Assistant Majority Leader, Wagner previously chaired committees on transportation and on economic development.
He authored legislation that created the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and championed several roadway safety bills including the hands-free driving law.
Wagner helped negotiate the so-called “Grand Bargain Bill” in 2018 that led to an increase in the state’s minimum wage, paid family leave, and a permanent annual sales tax holiday.
His decision not to run again caught most observers by surprise.
WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Matt Szafranski, Editor-in-Chief of Western Mass Politics & Insight.
