BOSTON – Cape and Islands State Senator Dan Wolf gave his final speech Monday at the State House before leaving office next month.
The Democrat has served six years in that role, but announced last year that he would not seek reelection.
In his nearly 30-minute speech, he praised his colleagues’ welcoming attitude and the support from his family throughout his career.
He also called on his fellow lawmakers to continue to seek balance in their work, especially in matters of the economy.
“An economy that gets as out of balance as this one no longer provides for low and moderate wage earners,” he said. “So any system, whether it is mechanical, biological, environmental, economic or political will not be sustainable if it is out of balance.”
Wolf also talked about the labels he said he’s acquired on the floor, such as “progressive” and “extremist.”
Responding to those labels, he said he thinks his work has primarily focused on achieving and maintaining balance in areas where not doing so has already had or will have negative consequences.
“There is nothing extreme about believing our workplaces need to be balanced, between the need to deliver profits with our shared belief that profits must not come at the expense of our citizens or our environment,” he said.
Wolf said his decision not to run for office last year was one of the most difficult he’s ever had to make.
He attempted to run for governor in 2013 but was sidetracked by a battle with the State Ethics Commission over his ownership of Hyannis-based Cape Air/Nantucket Airlines.
Wolf has been rumored as a potential candidate for governor in 2018.
He said the years ahead will likely include involvement with the same causes he has battled for over the past six years.
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