She's getting lots of help from the GLBT lobby, but she still can't get organized! The infamous State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, who had so much trouble getting re-elected -- because she couldn't get her signatures filed in time -- then had to run a sticker campaign in the primary -- but was rescued by MassEquality -- couldn't file her bills on time.
The Boston Globe reported that 26 of her 27 bills were late-filed, and an aide blamed a "glitch" in the system. "Other lawmakers didn't encounter similar glitches, according to House and Senate officials, who said that none of the state's 199 other legislators missed the deadline." Will the Judiciary Committee treat her bills as they usually do late-filed bills? Put them on a dusty shelf where they almost always die? Or will she get special consideration, again?
We can't understand how this happened, though, since she was reported to have hired one Jesse Sullivan as her legislative aide. Jesse used to be office manager and field organizer for MassEquality --should be a very efficient staffer. So what happened?! Sounded like there were big plans for the new session, but they've all fallen flat with the bills not getting in on time:
"Wilkerson’s top priorities for the upcoming legislative session include the environment and alternative energy, improving education funding and policy, CORI reform, rectifying Gov. Mitt Romney’s recent budget cuts, which slashed funds for some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens and an affirmative resolution on the marriage equality issue," reports Bay Windows. Wilkerson said, "first and foremost Jesse’s here because I needed a legislative director who would know how to get this job done. That he is gay, to me, is an added plus.”
