Diana DiZoglio

Diana DiZoglio
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 14th Essex District
Assumed office
2013
Preceded by David Torrisi
Personal details
Political party Democratic
Residence Methuen, Massachusetts

Diana DiZoglio is an American state legislator serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. She is a Methuen resident and a member of the Democratic Party.[1] DiZoglio represents the 14th Essex District, which includes portions of North Andover, Methuen, Lawrence and Haverhill. She has served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 2013.[1]

Early Life and Career

DiZoglio was born in Methuen, Massachusetts, graduating from Methuen High School in 2002. She attended Wellesley College, graduating with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology and Spanish. DiZoglio also attended Middlesex Community College, graduating with an associate degree in Psychology.Prior to being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, DiZoglio worked as chief-of-staff to Edward A. Kelly, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM). She also served as a legislative aide in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, worked for multiple non-profit organizations and was a small business owner.[2]

Legislative Work

Committee Assingments

DiZoglio serves on four committees in the Massachusetts House of Representatives:

Substance Abuse

DiZoglio testifying on substance abuse legislation

In 2013, DiZoglio co-founded the Merrimack Valley Prevention and Substance Abuse Project (MVPASAP), an effort to increase awareness and strategies to reduce drug addiction in the Merrimack Valley.[3]

DiZoglio secured $25,000 toward the Lawrence-Methuen Community Coalition (LMCC)’s Merrimack Valley Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative in the Massachusetts Fiscal Year 2016 Budget.[4]

In response to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s August 2015 approval of the prescribing of the opioid painkiller OxyContin for children as young as 11, DiZoglio filed legislation in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to prohibit prescriptions of OxyContin to children under age 17.[5]

Included in comprehensive opioid abuse legislation passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives in January 2016 were four amendments sponsored by DiZoglio: prohibiting of advertising opiates in doctor’s offices; requiring cautionary statements on opiate medications outlining their risks; updating Massachusetts’ Protective Custody Law to protect those under the influence of heroin or other drugs; and allowing for additional funding to address substance abuse in hard-hit communities.[6]

Education

Since being elected State Representative, DiZoglio has visited schools across the Merrimack Valley on a Civic Education Tour, educating students about the democratic process and what it means to be a citizen.[7] DiZoglio has also hosted Young Women Empowerment and Career Day at Lawrence High School[8] and End Distracted Driving Day at Methuen High School.[9] At the State House, DiZoglio co-hosted alongside Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito Women in Government Day for students from Lawrence’s Arlington Middle School.[10]

DiZoglio successfully fought for a full funding of the Commonwealth’s Special Education Circuit Breaker in the Massachusetts Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, ensuring services for children with learning disabilities would not be reduced.[11] She also worked with the Lawrence legislative delegation to secure $145,000 for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning at Greater Lawrence Technical School.[12]

Campaign Finance Reform

In May 2014, then-Governor Deval Patrick signed into law campaign finance reform legislation sponsored by DiZoglio. With the passage of House Bill 3760, an act relative to strengthening campaign finance reporting requirements, prior campaign finance report law was extended to candidates for municipal office who file with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. Previously, candidates for state or county office who failed to file campaign finance reports were prohibited from appearing on an election ballot, yet this law did not apply to municipal candidates.[13]

DiZoglio also successfully advocated for the passage of campaign finance reform requiring the timely disclosure to the public of donors to super PACs (Political Action Committees) in Massachusetts.[14]

Veterans

DiZoglio secured $125,000 in funds through the Commonwealth’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget toward Haverhill’s Career Resources Corporation (CRC) in its initiative to help disabled veterans who are seeking employment opportunities.[15]

In September 2015, DiZoglio filed legislation to exempt active duty military members from paying motor vehicle excise taxes while serving.[16]

Senior Citizens

DiZoglio hosting a St. Patrick's Day luncheon at the North Andover Senior Center

In July 2014, DiZoglio hosted 14th Essex Senior Day at the Massachusetts State House with the Lawrence, Methuen and North Andover senior centers.[17]

In response to an April 2015 homicide at a North Andover public housing complex that took the lives of three elderly residents, DiZoglio filed legislation to establish a task force in Massachusetts on protecting elderly and elderly persons residing in public housing.[18]

Manufacturing

A member of the Massachusetts legislature’s Manufacturing Caucus, DiZoglio hosted caucus members on a tour of small businesses across the Merrimack Valley in June 2014.[19]

Infrastructure

In June 2015, DiZoglio secured $1 million toward public safety improvements along Route 114 in North Andover, matched in a 50-50 public-private partnership by Merrimack College.[20] She worked with the North Andover legislative delegation to also secure $1.5 million toward improvements along Route 114 for sidewalk construction and better accommodations for cyclists and pedestrians.[21]

DiZoglio worked with the Methuen legislative delegation to secure additional funding for improvements at Methuen’s Nicholson Stadium, baseball fields and Methuen Rail Trail.[22]

Environment

In the Commonwealth’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget, DiZoglio secured $40,000 in funding toward facility repairs at Berry Pond in the Harold Parker State Forest.

State House Programs

At the Massachusetts State House, DiZoglio has hosted many events, including:

DiZoglio honoring Nancy Chippendale's Dance Studio at the Massachusetts State House
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a national program that was founded in 1977. The idea of the program was to use trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court. Judges across the country soon began utilizing these volunteers and there are now more than 900 CASA programs in the nation. Most CASA advocates have full-time jobs and work on their cases in the evenings or on weekends.[26]

Cusack Scandal

In 2011, Diana DiZoglio was identified as the woman involved in an alleged sex scandal with then Braintree Representative Mark Cusack. Cusack and DiZoglio were found in the House Chamber with an unidentified staff member by State House security after a party in a nearby office. Cusack, who gave a false name to authorities, and DiZoglio were discovered in the middle of unspecified activities and were reported to the Speaker's office.[27]

Speaker Robert DeLeo’s office conducted a brief investigation during which it was determined that no laws or house rules had been broken. While Ms. DiZoglio was exonerated of wrongdoing, allegations regarding her sexual misconduct continued, and she resigned from her position as Legislative Aide at the State House in September 2011.[28]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Diana DiZoglio. Massachusetts General Court.
  2. ↑ "About Diana | Vote Diana DiZoglio". votedizoglio.com. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  3. ↑ "Merrimack Valley 1st Annual Community Awareness Day | Patch". North Andover, MA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  4. ↑ COCO+CO. "100% Locally Owned Radio Stations". www.whav.net. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  5. ↑ "DiZoglio Bill Would Prohibit OxyContin Prescriptions for Children". The Valley Patriot. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  6. ↑ "DiZoglio: Amendments Would Limit Pain Killer Advertising". WHAV 97.9. January 19, 2016.
  7. ↑ "North Andover Educator Awarded 2015 C-SPAN Fellowship". The Valley Patriot. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  8. ↑ lkashinsky@eagletribune.com, Lisa Kashinsky. "Lawrence girls inspired to go after careers". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  9. ↑ "Methuen High School Holds Distracted Driving Day - EndDD". EndDD. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  10. ↑ "Lt. Gov. Polito, Rep. DiZoglio Host Lawrence Girls at State House for Women in Government Day" (PDF). Rumbonews.com. June 15, 2015.
  11. ↑ "DiZoglio Votes to Pass Comprehensive FY14 Budget | Patch". North Andover, MA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  12. ↑ "GLTS recive subvenciones para Programa de nueva energía limpia" (PDF). Rumbonews.com. July 1, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Governor Signs DiZoglio Campaign Finance Bill Into Law | Patch". North Andover, MA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  14. ↑ "House Passes Super PAC Transparency Bill | Patch". North Andover, MA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  15. ↑ COCO+CO. "100% Locally Owned Radio Stations". www.whav.net. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  16. ↑ dmoser@eagletribune.com, Douglas Moser. "Excise tax exemption for military members approved". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  17. ↑ "DiZoglio Hosts 14th Essex Senior Day on Beacon Hill | Patch". North Andover, MA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  18. ↑ lditullio@eagletribune.com, Lauren DiTullio. "With bill, DiZoglio hopes to make public housing safer". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  19. ↑ "DiZoglio Embarks on Merrimack Valley Manufacturing Tour | Patch". North Andover, MA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  20. ↑ gmarchetti@eagletribune.com, Garrin Marchetti. "$2M targeted for Route 114 improvements". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  21. ↑ "House Passes Funding for Improvements Along Route 114 | Patch". North Andover, MA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  22. ↑ "Journal of the House" (PDF). Mass.gov. June 4, 2014.
  23. ↑ COCO+CO. "100% Locally Owned Radio Stations". www.whav.net. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  24. ↑ COCO+CO. "100% Locally Owned Radio Stations". www.whav.net. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  25. ↑ "Chippendale's Dancers to Compete in World Tap Championships | Patch". North Andover, MA Patch. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  26. 1 2 "CASA Awareness Day on Beacon Hill tomorrow". Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  27. ↑ "Mystery woman to run for office". March 9, 2012.
  28. ↑ "Former legislative aide enmeshed in House chamber incident seeks office herself". March 9, 2012.


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