The inauguration of the 168th General Court fell on Wednesday the 4th this biennium. Where the House and Senate meet in their respective chambers for the biannual organization day of each body. Electing a Speaker, or Senate President. A Clerk for each body, a Sergeant at Arms, and then coming together for a joint session. Where they will elect the constitutional officers for the next biennium. Those being the State Treasurer, and the Secretary of State. 

Organization day is a day of excitement, where you get to meet all your new freshman colleagues. It is also a day with a sadness to it. A lot of good people lost there re-election bid this last election, or decided not to seek re-election because of how the legislature has been the last few General Courts. Representatives Bill Hatch, Renee Monteil, Linda Massimilla, Latha Mangaputi, Dan Eaton, Mike O’Brien, Jeff Goley, Steve Shurtleff, and many more. Were missed on the 4th. 

It could have been fairly chaotic but ended up going off without a hitch. The Republican caucus has a lot of splinters in it’s membership. Some were very unhappy with Speaker Packard in the last biennium, and Kimberly Rice a returning member in this term, decided that she would challenge the Speaker on the floor during inauguration day. It is not unprecedented for there to be an actual election on organization day, rather than an affirmation of what the majority caucus decided behind closed doors, but it rarely happens. The last time it did was 2014, when Speaker Bill O’Brien lost to fellow Republican Shawn Jasper on the floor during inauguration day due to members of O’Brien’s defecting in support of Jasper, who also managed to get the democratic caucus to support his bid. It didn’t seem as though the same was going to happen with Representative Rice but in politics there are no guarantees. 

She ultimately decided to bow out of the race on the floor. Giving a speech saying that after conversation with Speaker Packard, she is confident in his ability to serve as Speaker again. That essentially locked it up for the Speaker to return to the Speaker’s office for a third term. There were a bunch of scatter votes for a variety of candidates, and oh how I wish I could tell you one of those candidates, but ultimately Speaker Packard prevailed with a majority of votes from members present on the first ballot. 

December also marks the time in which the 2024 campaign disclosures wrap, and the legislative financial disclosures must be filed. If you make over ten thousand dollars from a single source in the last year, you must declare that in a financial disclosure to ensure transparency between the Representative and their constituents. My campaign disclosures can be found on the Secretary of States website. For my own personal financial disclosures, I made over ten thousand dollars working for Marianne in 2023, and 2024, however I did not make over ten thousand dollars in 2024 alone. Therefore I did not have to file for Marianne, although I am perfectly willing to be honest about it here. The other sources of work varied, and did not equal ten thousand from one source. My work in the woods for Paul in the spring and summer, and my work canvassing in the fall almost broached it - but both were a couple thousand dollars shy. The other work I did of driving people around, aiding those who needed it with groceries, trash, or whatever they needed - odd jobs, as I say, did not equal close to ten thousand from one source. 

After having my work in non-profits ended, and working with Marianne later that year into this one. I have gotten by with a combination of the State House and County government mileage stipends, odd jobs such as the work in the woods, and election work where it is available. I have no qualms about speaking about my work. If you need something done, you know who to call! I kid, my clientele is quite good, but I am always open to seeing if I can help. Whether that be for money or not. I see those odd jobs as yes, a way to get by with such a wacky schedule in the legislature, but also an extension of my work to represent and serve the people. I am very proud of my people powered campaign this election, and the ability to serve while also scraping by financially. It is proof that however hard it is, it’s possible as a working person to run and serve your entire responsibility in the legislature without missing a beat. I hope my story inspires others in a similar situation to make the sacrifice of running for office. The more of us there are, the better are chances of getting a system where all of us can serve without worrying about how we will survive. 

On Monday the 23rd, I got my Christmas gift from the newly elected leader. Representative Alexis Simpson called me, and informed me that I would no longer be on Criminal Justice and Public Safety this session. Moving me to the House Environment and Agriculture committee. She said that this was as requested by the minority leadership on the committee. I acknowledged the change, wished her a Merry Christmas and ended the call. Calling my ranking member Representative Linda Harriott Gathright, the leader of the minority on committee. Linda had no idea that this change had been made. That is as far into this as I will go. There is no need to sensationalize this. I think the facts that I ran for leader, Linda being the one who nominated me, and all the other events which have occurred to other members in the aftermath; speak for themselves. The vindictive nature of our politics can and must end. The only way it does is if when moments such as this happen, we respond with grace as opposed to retaliatory vindication. 

The House Environment and Agriculture committee is an important one. Which deals with issues I care very deeply about such as our land, water, and food policy in the State. I ran on addressing the trash pollution in our State and the appointment to this committee only puts me in a better position to effectuate change.