Sciortino appointed to House Transportation Committee
The Somerville News, by Keith Cheveralls
February 18, 2009
Last Thursday, Somerville/Medford State Representative Carl Sciortino was appointed to be the Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation in the state House of Representatives.
Sciortino, a third-term representative and long-time public transportation advocate, told The Somerville News that he will use his new position to "help advocate for the needs of our community, as well as for improvements in public transportation across the state."
Gaining support for the proposed Green Line Extension, which would extend the Green Line from Lechmere Station in Cambridge into Somerville and Medford, is one of Sciortino's major goals.
"I have been a strong supporter of the Green Line Extension since day one in office," Sciortino explained. "I was proud to be a part of getting the Governor to commit the state's bond money towards the project, which we passed in a transportation bond bill last spring."
"I will continue to closely monitor the progress of the Green Line Extension, to do what I can to ensure the funding needs of this project are met, and that the project is delivered on time."
Sciortino also cited his belief in the need for increased reliability of MBTA buses and trains in Somerville.
"A large portion of Somerville residents rely on the MBTA for their daily commute to and from work. Every time a bus is late, or a train gets taken out of service for mechanical reasons, we are reminded that the T's finances are a mess. I will be using my role on the committee to make sure a comprehensive transportation reform package includes the needs of the MBTA."
The appointment, made by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, comes as Sciortino begins his third term as a Representative in the House. He was a member of the committee during both of his previous terms.
"Carl has been a hard-working legislator, and I know that he will continue to serve the Commonwealth and his communities well in these posts," DeLeo explained. "I look forward to working with him as we face the challenging issues confronting us, such as transportation reform."
In addition to his appointment to Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee, Sciortino was appointed to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. The Committee on Ways and Means handles the budget process for the House and reviews all legislation that involves state finances. The Committee on Health Care Financing crafted the state's health care reform legislation and continues to address issues such as health care affordability and access.