Charles A. "Charley" Murphy (born August 11, 1965) is the former representative of the 21st Middlesex District to the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

and the Chairman of the Massachusetts House Committee on Ways and Means.

Biography

Murphy was born on August 11, 1965 in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

and raised in

Burlington, Massachusetts Burlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,377 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History It is believed that Burlington takes its name from the English town of Bridlington, York ...

. After graduating from the Burlington school system, Murphy went on to attend

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

and

Vermont Law School Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) is a private law and public policy graduate school in South Royalton, Vermont. It is the only ABA-accredited law school in the state. It offers several degrees, including Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Law ...

. As a second-year law student at Vermont Law School, Murphy joined the U.S/ Marine Corps, where he served from 1989 to 1994 and rose to the rank of captain. Stationed in

Cherry Point, North Carolina Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (*) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, United States, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 an ...

, Murphy served a six-month tour as a Staff Judge Advocate for the commanding officer aboard the USS Guadalcanal that deployed to the Mediterranean Sea and

Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

, as part of the

22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) is one of seven Marine expeditionary unit, such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. It is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. They are ...

. During his time in North Carolina, Murphy also served as a military prosecutor and Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. He returned to New England following his military service and attended

Harvard Kennedy School The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, graduating with an

MPA MPA or mPa may refer to: Academia Academic degrees * Master of Performing Arts * Master of Professional Accountancy * Master of Public Administration * Master of Public Affairs Schools * Mesa Preparatory Academy * Morgan Park Academy * M ...

Political career

Murphy was elected to the

in 1997 and was serving his sixth term. He represents the 21st Middlesex District, covering Burlington,

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

, and Precinct 3 of Wilmington. In February 2009, Murphy was appointed Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, which is responsible for considering all legislation affecting the finances of the Commonwealth. Murphy has also served as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee and was a member of both the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure and the Veterans Affairs Committees. A veteran himself, Murphy has sponsored and led the passage of legislation to provide tuition assistance and workforce training programs for veterans across Massachusetts. He has helped increase state aid to his district by 90% since he was elected. Murphy also played a key role in constructing the 2009 state budget, which contained historical increases for Chapter 70 education funding. In 2003, Murphy was named “One of the Top 100 Democrats to Watch” by the

Democratic Leadership Council The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) was a non-profit 501(c)(4) corporation that was active from 1985 to 2011. Founded and directed by Al From, it argued that the United States Democratic Party should shift away from the leftward turn it had ...

, largely in recognition of his efforts to strengthen public safety policies and ensure equality in the state’s judicial system. Murphy was also named “Outstanding Legislator of the Year” by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation and Southern Middlesex Legal Services. In 2007, Murphy was a candidate for the 4th Middlesex district

State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

seat vacated by Robert Havern III. During the campaign, Murphy got into an argument in the House chamber with opponent and fellow Representative Patrick Natale.

Notes

:1.Sometimes erroneously referred to as Majority Whip.

References

External links

The General Court of Massachusetts

Charley Murphy

Project Vote Smart

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Charles 1965 births Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Living people Harvard Kennedy School alumni People from Burlington, Massachusetts Vermont Law and Graduate School alumni 21st-century members of the Massachusetts General Court 20th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court