Commonwealth Report Legislators Method

House · Democrat

John Barrett, III

Current member · 1st Berkshire

Data through FY2026; built October 19, 2026.

Residence

North Adams

First elected

House 2017 (special)

Seats held, General Courts 189–194 (the FY2017–FY2026 budgets)
SessionChamberDistrictLinesNote
190th (2017–18)House1st Berkshire2011 lines
191st (2019–20)House1st Berkshire2011 lines
192nd (2021–22)House1st Berkshire2011 lines
193rd (2023–24)House1st Berkshire2021 lines
194th (2025–26)House1st Berkshire2021 lines

Posts and stipends

John Barrett, III was paid $92,630 in leadership and committee stipends from 2021 to 2026 (2026 to date).

Posts and stipends by session (stipends by calendar year)
SessionPostsFirst yearSecond year
190th (2017–18)No post recorded$0$0
191st (2019–20)No post recorded$0$0
192nd (2021–22)Vice chair, House Committee on Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight$5,908$5,908
193rd (2023–24)Chair, House Committee on Ethics$20,468$20,468
194th (2025–26)Chair, House Committee on Operations, Facilities and Security$22,431$17,446 (to date)

Posts: the Legislature’s leadership and roster records as compiled for this project; where those name no post, the member’s committee chair, vice-chair and ranking roles from the Legislature’s member profiles. Stipends: additional compensation in the Comptroller’s payroll data (CTHRU dataset 9ttk-7vz6), 2016–2026; 2026 is the year to date. Stipends for 2015 are not available. Base salary is not included.

The district

1st Berkshire on its 2021 lines: 13 cities and towns, 42,503 residents (2020).

North Adams · Adams · Williamstown · Cheshire · Lanesborough · Hinsdale · Clarksburg · Windsor · Peru · Hancock · Florida · Savoy · New Ashford

Percentages are each place’s share of the district’s 2020 residents; for a town split between districts, the share of the town inside this one follows.

Population-weighted Fairness Index of the district’s cities and towns: 55 for all state aid and 72 for discretionary money (50 is a fair share).

Local earmarks are counted three ways. District money uses the first, clauses that name a place in the district; the second table adds organizations located in the district (placed in the district) and state facilities located there (everything placed). Three ways to count a local earmark.

District money, first measure: enacted earmarks in clauses naming a place in the district, by session (district money, not the member’s)
SessionDistrictDollarsIn corrective clausesPer resident per budget, rankWithout corrective clauses, rank
190th (2017–18)1st Berkshire$200,000$0$2.61 · 116th of 160$2.61 · 115th of 160
191st (2019–20)1st Berkshire$150,000$0$1.96 · 127th of 160$1.96 · 127th of 160
192nd (2021–22)1st Berkshire$435,000$0$5.68 · 99th of 160$5.68 · 95th of 160
193rd (2023–24)1st Berkshire$3.1M$0$37.04 · 4th of 160$37.04 · 4th of 160
194th (2025–26)1st Berkshire$3M$0$69.96 · 3rd of 160$69.96 · 3rd of 160

District money is where enacted earmarks land, by the place a clause names, mapped to districts by 2020 population; it is not attributed to the member and does not include leadership’s base-text money that names no place. Ranks are of district money per resident among the chamber’s districts, 1 = most. “In corrective clauses” is the part carried by a Ways and Means chair’s corrective amendments, which is leadership’s money; the last column gives the per-resident figure and rank without it. Sessions are labeled by the General Court that enacted each budget. Per-resident figures use the district as drawn for each session (2011 lines through the 192nd General Court, 2021 lines from the 193rd), so they will not equal a session’s dollars divided by the resident count above.

The same district on the other two measures, by session (enacted; includes any corrective-clause money)
SessionDistrictPlaced in the districtPer resident per budget, rankEverything placedPer resident per budget, rank
190th (2017–18)1st Berkshire$200,000$2.61 · 129th of 160$200,000$2.61 · 132nd of 160
191st (2019–20)1st Berkshire$150,000$1.96 · 140th of 160$150,000$1.96 · 142nd of 160
192nd (2021–22)1st Berkshire$435,000$5.68 · 117th of 160$535,000$6.99 · 92nd of 160
193rd (2023–24)1st Berkshire$175,000$2.06 · 158th of 160$3.1M$37.04 · 14th of 160
194th (2025–26)1st Berkshire$0$0 · 160th of 160$3M$69.96 · 11th of 160

Budget amendments

John Barrett, III sponsored 59 budget amendments in FY2017–FY2026, asking for $24.1 million in all.

Amendments sponsored

59

FY2017–FY2026 budgets

Adopted, known outcomes

67%

16 of 24

Chamber rate, same ask sizes

59%

expected at the chamber’s rates

Of the 24 with a known outcome, 16 were adopted (67%). At the chamber’s adoption rate for amendments of the same size, about 14 (59%) would have been.

Largest enacted items matched to an amendment John Barrett, III filed (strong text matches)
YearAmountEnacted budget text (excerpt)Amendment
FY2026$3M“the recognition of additional allowable costs to the standard base rate for nursing facilities located within 17 miles of 71 Hospital avenue in the…”H4000 #383
FY2023$50,000“the Williamstown Meetinghouse Preservation Fund, Inc. to support repairs to the Williamstown Meetinghouse”H4700 #382
FY2023$50,000“the city of North Adams for emergency repairs to Building 5 at Heritage state park”H4700 #383
FY2021$50,000“the resurfacing of a section of route 116 in Cheshire”H5150 #170
FY2026$25,000“the Elizabeth Freeman Center, Inc”H4000 #380

Strong matches: 6 enacted items, $3.2 million (the member’s share where several amendments claim one clause). A further one weaker text match is not listed; attribution is inferred from amendment text and is less certain there. House attribution is inferred throughout, because the House adopts most amendments inside consolidated amendments.

22 outcomes are inferred by matching amendment text to the House’s consolidated amendments, because the House records most amendments only as “Consolidated A–G.” Ask size is the larger of the earmark dollars and the line-item change an amendment requests; bands: no dollar amount, under $50,000, $50,000–$250,000, $250,000–$1 million, $1–5 million, $5 million or more. Leadership’s unattributed base-text and corrective-amendment money is never assigned to a member. The comparison describes outcomes; it is not a measure of merit.

Bills sponsored

John Barrett, III filed 76 bills as lead sponsor in these sessions; 20 were enacted on their own. In completed sessions, 27% of their lead bills were enacted on their own, against chamber medians of 3% to 7% for the same sessions.

Most bills die in every legislature, and many policies pass inside other bills; the chamber median for the same session is the fair comparison.

Bills filed as lead sponsor, by session and outcome
SessionChamberLead billsEnactedFolded into an enacted billSent to studyReported favorably, then diedReported adversely or withdrawnNo actionPending (session open)Enacted rateChamber medianCosponsored
190th (2017–18)House11000000100%7%7
191st (2019–20)House13306400023%4%247
192nd (2021–22)House19205822011%3%185
193rd (2023–24)House23914504039%4%176
194th (2025–26)House20509000625%*1%97

Enacted bills as lead sponsor

Show all 20

Outcomes are the furthest point each bill reached in the record. “Folded into an enacted bill” means the history names the enacted bill that absorbed it. “Passed both branches; no chapter recorded” means the bill was enacted by both branches and laid before the Governor, with no chapter or veto in the history; in the 194th General Court such bills are shown as laid before the Governor (pending). The 194th General Court is in session until January 2027, so its open bills are pending, not dead, and its rates (*) are not comparable with completed sessions. Chairs and leaders control the calendar, which raises their rates. Source: malegislature.gov bill histories.

Recorded votes on accountability measures

John Barrett, III cast 60 yes-or-no votes on the 60 accountability roll calls in this file (12 yes, 48 no).

Roll calls on rules, audits, public records, term limits and pay
DateMeasureVoteChamber result
January 30, 2019Amendment 1.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Time to review billsNoYeas 55, nays 103
January 30, 2019Amendment 2.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Time to review amendmentsNoYeas 47, nays 111
January 30, 2019Amendment 3.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Committee materials and votesNoYeas 49, nays 109
January 30, 2019Collective bargaining for House employees (curb on leadership control of staff); not a disclosure/power-of-leadership rule in the narrow sense (contested meaning)NoYeas 9, nays 149
January 30, 2019Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Access to InformationNoYeas 40, nays 118
January 30, 2019Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Emergency Scheduling of HearingsNoYeas 35, nays 123
January 30, 2019Amendment 14.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Polls – 2 HoursNoYeas 44, nays 114
January 30, 2019Amendment 16.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): House AuditsNoYeas 35, nays 123
January 30, 2019Amendment 17.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): HWM Reports on BillsNoYeas 33, nays 125
January 30, 2019Amendment 19.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid ResolutionNoYeas 32, nays 126
January 30, 2019Amendment 20.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated AmendmentsNoYeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019Amendment 22.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Votes on WebsiteNoYeas 44, nays 113
January 30, 2019Fingerprint remote voting from committee rooms (contested meaning)NoYeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019Amendment 25.0 (Marc T. Lombardo): Matters considered in an informal sessionNoYeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019Amendment 31.0 (John H. Rogers): Relative to Rule 18CNoYeas 43, nays 113
January 30, 2019Amendment 32.0 (Patrick Joseph Kearney): relative to Rule 100 ( c ) 3NoYeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019Amendment 33.0 (Patrick Joseph Kearney): relative to Rule 20A and Rule 33ANoYeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019Equitable office space (leadership allocates offices) (contested meaning)NoYeas 11, nays 146
January 30, 2019Amendment 38.0 (Denise Provost): To assure adequate time to prepare and file amendmentsNoYeas 44, nays 113
January 30, 2019Amendment 41.0 (Russell E. Holmes): Equal Pay Amendment IINoYeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019House rules (H2019), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 125, nays 32
January 30, 2019Conference-committee appointment deadline; adopted 157-0 (contested meaning)YesYeas 157, nays 0
January 30, 2019Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Roll Calls on WebsiteNoYeas 47, nays 110
January 30, 2019Amendment 12.0 (Marc T. Lombardo): Informal SessionNoYeas 36, nays 121
January 30, 2019Joint rules (H2021), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 157, nays 0
February 24, 2021Amendment 8.0 (Erika Uyterhoeven): Public Committee Votes and TestimonyNoYeas 36, nays 122
February 24, 2021Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Electronic PollNoYeas 38, nays 121
February 24, 2021Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Procurement AmendmentNoYeas 34, nays 125
February 24, 2021Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Conference Committee ReportNoYeas 35, nays 123
February 24, 2021Joint rules (H68), rules package: on adoption of the Order (contested meaning)YesYeas 128, nays 31
July 7, 2021Remote voting for members on military duty; adopted 160-0 (contested meaning)YesYeas 160, nays 0
July 7, 2021Amendment 2.0 (Tami L. Gouveia): Speaker Term LimitsNoYeas 35, nays 125
July 7, 2021Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Emergency Scheduling of HearingsNoYeas 30, nays 129
July 7, 2021Amendment 9.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Polls - 2 HoursNoYeas 35, nays 124
July 7, 2021Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Access to InformationNoYeas 33, nays 126
July 7, 2021Amendment 13.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated AmendmentsNoYeas 32, nays 127
July 7, 2021Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Votes on WebsiteNoYeas 38, nays 121
July 7, 2021Amendment 16.0 (Erika Uyterhoeven): Public Committee VotesNoYeas 41, nays 117
July 7, 2021Amendment 3.0 (Christopher M. Markey): Review Period for Released BillsNoYeas 39, nays 119
July 7, 2021House rules (H3930), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 129, nays 29
February 1, 2023Amendment 7.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Time to review technical/ perfecting amendmentsNoYeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated AmendmentsNoYeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023House rules (H2023), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 153, nays 0
February 1, 2023Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid ResolutionNoYeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023Amendment 9.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Hearing ScheduleNoYeas 24, nays 129
February 1, 2023Joint rules (H2025), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 153, nays 0
February 25, 2025Amendment 2.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Roll CallsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Formal Session NotificationNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 4.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): General Court AuditsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 5.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Opinion of the JusticesNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee PollsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 7.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Poll NotificationNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Joint rules (H2026), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 128, nays 23
February 25, 2025Amendment 18.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Time to Review LegislationNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 17.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Audit by State AuditorNoYeas 24, nays 127
February 25, 2025Amendment 2.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee PollsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Poll NotificationsNoYeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025House rules (H2024), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)YesYeas 128, nays 23
June 26, 2025Joint rules (conference report) (S2545), rules package: on acceptance (contested meaning)YesYeas 147, nays 2
June 3, 2026Engross H.5469 (public records law applied to the Legislature). Reform advocates split (contested meaning)YesYeas 125, nays 28

Votes marked “contested meaning” are rules-package and public-records passage votes; reform advocates were on both sides of them. Descriptions are the project’s plain summaries of each question, or the question as recorded for rules-package roll calls; the official record is on malegislature.gov. Votes are facts; no score is computed.

Campaign money in

John Barrett, III’s committee reported $105,000 in contributions of $250 or more in years the member served, 2017–2026.

By year (years in the Legislature)
YearContributions
2017$16,000
2018$5,600
2019$6,800
2020$4,300
2021$6,550
2022$12,000
2023$2,000
2024$19,000
2025$3,750
2026$30,000
By kind of contributor
KindTotalShare
Individuals$81,00077%
Political committees and PACs$14,00013%
Unions and associations$10,00010%
Individuals’ money by the employer they reported
Employer reportedShare
A named employer38%
Self-employed25%
Retired32%
Not employedunder 1%
Homemaker or at home1%
Not reported or withheld4%

Not counted as contributions: $18,000 in other receipts of $250 or more in the same years (candidate loans and the candidate’s own money, transfers, refunds, bank interest and aggregated small receipts).

The same committee also reported $9,850 in years the member was not in the Legislature (2015), for example while running for another office. Those receipts are not in the totals above.

Largest employers and organizations
Employer or organizationKindTotalContributions
LGI HOLDINGSindividuals, by employer$4,0004
ADAMS PLUMBINGindividuals, by employer$3,7007
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEESunion or association$3,5005
CLEAR SKY CANNABISindividuals, by employer$2,2503
INTEGRITUS HEALTHCAREindividuals, by employer$2,2505
MA & NORTHERN NE LABORERS' DISTRICT COUNCIL POL ACTION COMMcommittee or PAC$2,0004
MA & NORTHERN NE LABORERS' DISTRICT COUNCIL POL ACTION COMMunion or association$1,5003
RICHARD E NEAL MASSACHUSETTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEEcommittee or PAC$1,0002
BERKSHIRE COMMUNITY ACTIONindividuals, by employer$1,0002
BEER DISTRIBUTORS' PACcommittee or PAC$1,0002

Source: Office of Campaign and Political Finance, itemized receipts of $250 or more since 2015; OCPF filer record: Barrett Committee (CPF 16235). Individuals are grouped by the employer they reported; no individual contributor is named, and an employer field that is a person’s name is withheld. Massachusetts bars business contributions to candidates. Employer shows affiliation, not instruction.

Sources

Every figure traces to a public record.

Facts only: posts, stipends, sponsored amendments, enacted items, roll-call votes and district money. No score or grade is computed. Associations shown here are not evidence of cause. Method.