Moving up, on, out or over.

• Author: Rhyme, Nancy
• Position: State legislators

Massachusetts Senate President William M. Bulger isn't the only leader to leave his post this session. At least nine other leaders have already announced their retirement from the legislature and by November there are sure to be more on the list.

Despite the public perception that legislators and most certainly leaders remain in their positions for a very long time, there's more turnover than most people believe. Only three senate presidents who held the office in 1985 were still there in 1995. Similarly, only four speakers were still in office after 10 years of service. The trend was the same for other leadership offices in the years between 1985 and 1995. There was an 86 percent turnover rate for senate majority leaders, 93 percent for senate minority leaders, 95 percent for speakers pro tem, 98 percent for house majority leaders and 91 percent for house minority leaders.

Studies of five-year periods do not reflect as high a turnover, but between 1990 and 1995, leadership turned over 80 percent. After five years, only eight senate presidents and 10 speakers were still serving.

Long tenure like that of former California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (1980-1995) and current Georgia Speaker Tom Murphy (1974-) is rare. Even rarer is the more than 30 years served by Speaker Solomon Blatt (1937-1971). He is considered to be the longest serving leader in any state legislature.

In state senates, lengthy tenure is also unusual for presiding officers. Only Lieutenant Governor John Wilder (1971), who presides over the Tennessee Senate, and Senator Richard Cordrey of Delaware (1977) have held their positions for 20 years or more.

Some of our leaders retiring this year have been in the legislature for a very long time. Others have had shorter careers. Here's a look at some who are moving on. In the next few issues, State Legislatures will look at more leaders who have decided to leave the legislature.

Senate President Stanley Aronoff came to the Ohio House of Representatives on a whim in 1960. He didn't plan to stay in the legislature for 35 years. After graduating from Harvard University law school he had intended to join his father's law practice in Cincinnati. He ended up doing both.

Senator Aronoff moved to the Senate in 1967. When the Republicans took control of the chamber in 1981, he was elected assistant president pro tem. Between 1981 and 1985, the GOP lost and then regained control of the Senate and Aronoff was elected president pro tem in...