Boston — "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.”