Alice Wolf - As A State Representative

As A State Representative

In the fall of 1996, Wolf successfully ran for a seat on the Massachusetts House of Representatives, defeating Anthony Galluccio in the Democratic Primary by 89 votes. She was reelected in subsequent terms and served in the Massachusetts legislature for 16 years.

As a legislator, Representative Alice Wolf served as the House Chair of the Committee on Elder Affairs and on the Women’s Legislative Caucus. She has been recognized for her advocacy through numerous honors and awards including the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Department of Mental Health 2010 Certificate of Appreciation; the 2009 School-Based Health Center Legislative Champion Award; the 2007 NOW Legislator of the Year; the 2007 Byron Rushing Freedom of Religion Award from the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry; the 2006 Massachusetts Family Planning Association Leadership Award; the 2005 Champions of Children Award from Massachusetts Advocates for Children; and the 2005 Early Education Leadership Award from the Massachusetts Association of Community Partnerships for Children.

Alice Wolf worked on many progressive issues and on countless bills. Her many constituents saw Rep. Wolf as their champion on a range of issues, and she was regarded as one of the most progressive legislators in the State House. During her tenure, she worked to promote gender equality, GLBT rights, marriage equality, minority and immigrant rights, environmental causes, education, health care, reproductive rights, affordable housing, education and senior issues. She served as the House Chair of the Committee on Elder Affairs and of the Women’s Legislative Caucus. Wolf’s perseverance and hard work on behalf of those she represented was widely recognized. When faced with barriers to progressive legislation, she identified allies, worked within coalitions, and created strategies to move forward. She was willing to work tirelessly to move the mountains of legislative bureaucracy on issues she cares about.

Alice Wolf worked closely with activists and other leaders in their efforts to ensure that the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, which legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, was not the subject of a public referendum. As a House whip, she persuaded legislators to vote against bringing the matter before a legislative constitutional convention, championing the position that human rights should not be determined by popular vote.

Bottle Bill

Wolf’s legislative legacy includes her work to update the state’s bottle bill See Container deposit legislation in the United States. Under her leadership, the Bottle Bill Update became the most talked-about environmental bill of recent years. The Bottle Bill Update passed the Senate in 2012, but was not passed by the House.