House · Republican

Steven S. Howitt

Current member · 4th Bristol

Data through FY2026; built October 19, 2026.

Residence

Seekonk

First elected

House 2010

Prior public offices

Seekonk Planning Board (two terms); Seekonk Board of Selectmen (one term)

Seats held, General Courts 189–194 (the FY2017–FY2026 budgets)
Session	Chamber	District	Lines
189th (2015–16)	House	4th Bristol	2011 lines
190th (2017–18)	House	4th Bristol	2011 lines
191st (2019–20)	House	4th Bristol	2011 lines
192nd (2021–22)	House	4th Bristol	2011 lines
193rd (2023–24)	House	4th Bristol	2021 lines
194th (2025–26)	House	4th Bristol	2021 lines

Posts and stipends

Steven S. Howitt was paid $39,877 in leadership and committee stipends from 2025 to 2026 (2026 to date).

Posts and stipends by session (stipends by calendar year)
Session	Posts	First year	Second year
189th (2015–16)	No post recorded	not available	$0
190th (2017–18)	No post recorded	$0	$0
191st (2019–20)	Ranking minority member, House Committee on Redistricting; Ranking minority member, Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure; Ranking minority member, Joint Committee on Transportation	$0	$0
192nd (2021–22)	Ranking minority member, Joint Committee on Export Development; Ranking minority member, Joint Committee on Transportation	$0	$0
193rd (2023–24)	Ranking minority member, Joint Committee on Transportation	$0	$0
194th (2025–26)	Ranking minority member, House Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling; Ranking minority member, Joint Committee on Financial Services	$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

4th Bristol on its 2021 lines: 4 cities and towns, 42,432 residents (2020).

Seekonk 37% · Rehoboth 29% · Norton 18%, 39% of the town · Swansea 16%, 40% of the town

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: 35 for all state aid and 17 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)
Session	District	Dollars	In corrective clauses	Per resident per budget, rank	Without corrective clauses, rank
189th (2015–16)	4th Bristol	$20,000	$0	$0.46 · 138th of 160	$0.46 · 137th of 160
190th (2017–18)	4th Bristol	$217,000	$0	$2.56 · 117th of 160	$2.56 · 116th of 160
191st (2019–20)	4th Bristol	$151,000	$0	$1.78 · 133rd of 160	$1.78 · 133rd of 160
192nd (2021–22)	4th Bristol	$204,000	$40,000	$2.41 · 152nd of 160	$1.94 · 154th of 160
193rd (2023–24)	4th Bristol	$432,000	$60,000	$5.10 · 122nd of 160	$4.39 · 136th of 160
194th (2025–26)	4th Bristol	$130,000	$36,000	$3.07 · 138th of 160	$2.23 · 148th 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)
Session	District	Placed in the district	Per resident per budget, rank	Everything placed	Per resident per budget, rank
189th (2015–16)	4th Bristol	$20,000	$0.46 · 144th of 160	$20,000	$0.46 · 145th of 160
190th (2017–18)	4th Bristol	$217,000	$2.56 · 130th of 160	$217,000	$2.56 · 133rd of 160
191st (2019–20)	4th Bristol	$151,000	$1.78 · 145th of 160	$151,000	$1.78 · 146th of 160
192nd (2021–22)	4th Bristol	$204,000	$2.41 · 157th of 160	$204,000	$2.41 · 157th of 160
193rd (2023–24)	4th Bristol	$432,000	$5.10 · 129th of 160	$432,000	$5.10 · 134th of 160
194th (2025–26)	4th Bristol	$130,000	$3.07 · 145th of 160	$130,000	$3.07 · 149th of 160

Budget amendments

Steven S. Howitt sponsored 117 budget amendments in FY2017–FY2026, asking for $20.5 million in all.

Amendments sponsored

117

FY2017–FY2026 budgets

Adopted, known outcomes

39%

28 of 72

Chamber rate, same ask sizes

54%

expected at the chamber’s rates

Of the 72 with a known outcome, 28 were adopted (39%). At the chamber’s adoption rate for amendments of the same size, about 39 (54%) would have been.

Largest enacted items matched to an amendment Steven S. Howitt filed (strong text matches)
Year	Amount	Enacted budget text (excerpt)	Amendment
FY2024	$150,000	“the town of Swansea to construct an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant and architectural access board-compliant sidewalk along the north side…”	H3900 #355
FY2025	$75,000	“Swansea to be applied toward the upgrades and repairs of the crossing at Sharps Lot road and Lewin brook”	H4600 #276
FY2018	$50,000	“the Seekonk Senior Center”	H3600 #448
FY2026	$25,000	“necessary HVAC replacements to the public safety building in the town of Seekonk”	H4000 #838
FY2026	$25,000	“the town of Rehoboth for the remediation, testing and supplies for water systems contaminated by per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, as well as the…”	H4000 #855

Strong matches: 14 enacted items, $441,000 (the member’s share where several amendments claim one clause). A further three weaker text matches are 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.

58 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

Steven S. Howitt filed 310 bills as lead sponsor in these sessions; eight were enacted on their own. In completed sessions, 3% 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
Session	Chamber	Lead bills	Enacted	Folded into an enacted bill	Sent to study	Reported favorably, then died	Reported adversely or withdrawn	No action	Pending (session open)	Enacted rate	Chamber median	Cosponsored
189th (2015–16)	House	27	3	0	16	8	0	0	0	11%	6%	181
190th (2017–18)	House	35	1	0	23	10	0	1	0	3%	7%	449
191st (2019–20)	House	51	1	0	36	11	0	3	0	2%	4%	408
192nd (2021–22)	House	63	2	2	43	15	1	0	0	3%	3%	373
193rd (2023–24)	House	61	0	1	39	16	0	5	0	0%	4%	191
194th (2025–26)	House	73	1	2	43	0	0	0	27	1%*	1%	127

Enacted bills as lead sponsor

H1846 (189th): An Act authorizing the long term lease of the former Anawan school in the town of Rehoboth · Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2015
H3340 (189th): An Act authorizing the town of Norton to use water supply and conservation land for public way purposes · Chapter 139 of the Acts of 2015
H4732 (189th): An Act establishing a sick leave bank for Henry Clodius, an employee of the Department of Correction · Chapter 372 of the Acts of 2016
H1102 (190th): An Act authorizing the town of Rehoboth to transfer a conservation easement on a certain parcel of land · Chapter 198 of the Acts of 2018
H5021 (191st): An Act designating a certain bridge in the town of Rehoboth, Massachusetts as the 1st Lt. Craig H. Waterman Memorial Bridge · Chapter 356 of the Acts of 2020
H3970 (192nd): An Act providing for the appointment of a treasurer/collector in the town of Rehoboth · Chapter 101 of the Acts of 2021
H5282 (192nd): An Act providing for the appointment of a stormwater officer in the town of Rehoboth · Chapter 323 of the Acts of 2022
H4348 (194th): An Act relative to a cemetery in the town of Norton · Chapter 50 of the Acts of 2025

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

Steven S. Howitt cast 81 yes-or-no votes on the 81 accountability roll calls in this file (66 yes, 15 no).

Roll calls on rules, audits, public records, term limits and pay
Date	Measure	Vote	Chamber result
January 25, 2017	Recommit the 2017 pay-raise bill (H.58) to Ways and Means	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 125
January 25, 2017	Amd 3 (Lyons): legislators' raise not effective until next General Court	Yes	Yeas 40, nays 120
January 25, 2017	Amd 5 (Lyons): cap the increases at 4%	Yes	Yeas 36, nays 124
January 25, 2017	Engrossment of the pay-raise bill (stipend increases)	No	Yeas 116, nays 44
January 26, 2017	Enactment of the pay-raise bill	No	Yeas 116, nays 43
February 2, 2017	Override of Gov. Baker's veto of the pay-raise bill	No	Yeas 116, nays 43
February 2, 2017	Amendment 1.0 (Geoff Diehl): Text of the proposed House amendment (Representative Diehl) to the House Bill relative to Rank and File (House, No. 2017)	Yes	Yeas 34, nays 124
February 2, 2017	Sustain the Chair's ruling (point of order, Mr. Mark) against Diehl amd 2, Speaker term limits	No	Yeas 123, nays 33
February 2, 2017	Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): 24 Hour Time Frame for Bills to Be Acted On	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 124
February 2, 2017	Amendment 4.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Access to Information	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 124
February 2, 2017	Amendment 9.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Emergency Scheduling of Hearings	Yes	Yeas 38, nays 121
February 2, 2017	Amendment 10.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Equal Representation on Ethics Committee	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 124
February 2, 2017	Amendment 15.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Inoculators	Yes	Yeas 37, nays 122
February 2, 2017	Amendment 16.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid Resolution	Yes	Yeas 38, nays 121
February 2, 2017	Amendment 27.0 (James J. Lyons, Jr.): Defining and Limiting Informal Session	Yes	Yeas 34, nays 124
February 2, 2017	Amendment 20.0 (Shaunna L. O'Connell): Public access to House financial accounts audits	Yes	Yeas 34, nays 125
February 2, 2017	Amendment 21.0 (Shaunna L. O'Connell): Public access to committee votes	Yes	Yeas 41, nays 118
February 2, 2017	Amendment 5.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid Resolution	Yes	Yeas 37, nays 122
February 2, 2017	Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Roll Calls on Website	Yes	Yeas 38, nays 121
February 2, 2017	Amendment 13.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Reports of Conference Filing Deadline	Yes	Yeas 37, nays 122
February 2, 2017	Amendment 14.0 (Shaunna L. O'Connell): Public access to committee votes	Yes	Yeas 38, nays 121
January 30, 2019	Amendment 1.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Time to review bills	Yes	Yeas 55, nays 103
January 30, 2019	Amendment 2.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Time to review amendments	Yes	Yeas 47, nays 111
January 30, 2019	Amendment 3.0 (Jonathan Hecht): Committee materials and votes	Yes	Yeas 49, nays 109
January 30, 2019	Collective bargaining for House employees (curb on leadership control of staff); not a disclosure/power-of-leadership rule in the narrow sense (contested meaning)	No	Yeas 9, nays 149
January 30, 2019	Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Access to Information	Yes	Yeas 40, nays 118
January 30, 2019	Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Emergency Scheduling of Hearings	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 123
January 30, 2019	Amendment 14.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Polls – 2 Hours	Yes	Yeas 44, nays 114
January 30, 2019	Amendment 16.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): House Audits	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 123
January 30, 2019	Amendment 17.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): HWM Reports on Bills	Yes	Yeas 33, nays 125
January 30, 2019	Amendment 19.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid Resolution	Yes	Yeas 32, nays 126
January 30, 2019	Amendment 20.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated Amendments	Yes	Yeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019	Amendment 22.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Votes on Website	Yes	Yeas 44, nays 113
January 30, 2019	Fingerprint remote voting from committee rooms (contested meaning)	Yes	Yeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019	Amendment 25.0 (Marc T. Lombardo): Matters considered in an informal session	Yes	Yeas 32, nays 125
January 30, 2019	Amendment 31.0 (John H. Rogers): Relative to Rule 18C	Yes	Yeas 43, nays 113
January 30, 2019	Amendment 32.0 (Patrick Joseph Kearney): relative to Rule 100 ( c ) 3	No	Yeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019	Amendment 33.0 (Patrick Joseph Kearney): relative to Rule 20A and Rule 33A	No	Yeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019	Equitable office space (leadership allocates offices) (contested meaning)	No	Yeas 11, nays 146
January 30, 2019	Amendment 38.0 (Denise Provost): To assure adequate time to prepare and file amendments	Yes	Yeas 44, nays 113
January 30, 2019	Amendment 41.0 (Russell E. Holmes): Equal Pay Amendment II	No	Yeas 5, nays 152
January 30, 2019	House rules (H2019), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)	No	Yeas 125, nays 32
January 30, 2019	Conference-committee appointment deadline; adopted 157-0 (contested meaning)	Yes	Yeas 157, nays 0
January 30, 2019	Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Roll Calls on Website	Yes	Yeas 47, nays 110
January 30, 2019	Amendment 12.0 (Marc T. Lombardo): Informal Session	Yes	Yeas 36, nays 121
January 30, 2019	Joint rules (H2021), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)	Yes	Yeas 157, nays 0
February 24, 2021	Amendment 8.0 (Erika Uyterhoeven): Public Committee Votes and Testimony	Yes	Yeas 36, nays 122
February 24, 2021	Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Electronic Poll	Yes	Yeas 38, nays 121
February 24, 2021	Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Procurement Amendment	Yes	Yeas 34, nays 125
February 24, 2021	Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Conference Committee Report	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 123
February 24, 2021	Joint rules (H68), rules package: on adoption of the Order (contested meaning)	No	Yeas 128, nays 31
July 7, 2021	Remote voting for members on military duty; adopted 160-0 (contested meaning)	Yes	Yeas 160, nays 0
July 7, 2021	Amendment 2.0 (Tami L. Gouveia): Speaker Term Limits	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 125
July 7, 2021	Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Emergency Scheduling of Hearings	Yes	Yeas 30, nays 129
July 7, 2021	Amendment 9.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Polls - 2 Hours	Yes	Yeas 35, nays 124
July 7, 2021	Amendment 11.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Access to Information	Yes	Yeas 33, nays 126
July 7, 2021	Amendment 13.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated Amendments	Yes	Yeas 32, nays 127
July 7, 2021	Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Votes on Website	Yes	Yeas 38, nays 121
July 7, 2021	Amendment 16.0 (Erika Uyterhoeven): Public Committee Votes	Yes	Yeas 41, nays 117
July 7, 2021	Amendment 3.0 (Christopher M. Markey): Review Period for Released Bills	Yes	Yeas 39, nays 119
July 7, 2021	House rules (H3930), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)	No	Yeas 129, nays 29
February 1, 2023	Amendment 7.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Time to review technical/ perfecting amendments	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023	Amendment 12.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Review of Consolidated Amendments	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023	House rules (H2023), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)	Yes	Yeas 153, nays 0
February 1, 2023	Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Local Aid Resolution	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 130
February 1, 2023	Amendment 9.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Hearing Schedule	Yes	Yeas 24, nays 129
February 1, 2023	Joint rules (H2025), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)	Yes	Yeas 153, nays 0
February 25, 2025	Amendment 2.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Roll Calls	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Formal Session Notification	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	Amendment 4.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): General Court Audits	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	Amendment 5.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Opinion of the Justices	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	Amendment 6.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Polls	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	Amendment 7.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Poll Notification	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	Joint rules (H2026), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)	No	Yeas 128, nays 23
February 25, 2025	Amendment 18.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Time to Review Legislation	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	Amendment 17.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Audit by State Auditor	Yes	Yeas 24, nays 127
February 25, 2025	Amendment 2.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Polls	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	Amendment 3.0 (Bradley H. Jones, Jr.): Committee Poll Notifications	Yes	Yeas 23, nays 128
February 25, 2025	House rules (H2024), rules package: on adoption of the order (contested meaning)	No	Yeas 128, nays 23
June 26, 2025	Joint rules (conference report) (S2545), rules package: on acceptance (contested meaning)	Yes	Yeas 147, nays 2
June 3, 2026	Engross H.5469 (public records law applied to the Legislature). Reform advocates split (contested meaning)	No	Yeas 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

Steven S. Howitt’s committee reported $158,000 in contributions of $250 or more in years the member served, 2015–2026.

By year (years in the Legislature)
Year	Contributions
2015	$27,000
2016	$62,000
2017	$20,000
2018	$18,000
2019	$15,000
2020	$2,750
2021	$4,050
2022	$1,500
2023	$860
2024	$3,276
2025	$1,500
2026	$2,500

By kind of contributor
Kind	Total	Share
Individuals	$115,000	73%
Political committees and PACs	$43,000	27%

Individuals’ money by the employer they reported
Employer reported	Share
A named employer	66%
Self-employed	24%
Retired	7%
Not reported or withheld	3%

Not counted as contributions: $3,268 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).

Largest employers and organizations
Employer or organization	Kind	Total	Contributions
REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE	committee or PAC	$28,000	7
HORIZON BEVERAGE	individuals, by employer	$22,000	36
NAI CAPITAL COMMERCIAL	individuals, by employer	$5,883	7
MA & NORTHERN NE LABORERS' DISTRICT COUNCIL POL ACTION COMM	committee or PAC	$5,250	11
SEEKONK MANUFACTURING	individuals, by employer	$4,000	5
BRISTOL TOYOTA	individuals, by employer	$3,000	6
PROPANE PLUS	individuals, by employer	$3,000	4
RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION	individuals, by employer	$3,000	3
SEEKONK SPEEDWAY	individuals, by employer	$2,500	5
MASSACHUSETTS DENTAL SOCIETY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE	committee or PAC	$2,500	5

Source: Office of Campaign and Political Finance, itemized receipts of $250 or more since 2015; OCPF filer record: Howitt Committee (CPF 14265). 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.