Speaking to a hushed chamber of his peers, State Rep. Carl M. Sciortino Jr., made his maiden speech as a member of the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth tonight in support of his amendment to the state budget bill appropriating funds for the pre-construction engineering work on the extension of the Green Line through the city and onto Medford.

"No other issue unifies my district more than this," said the freshman legislator.

Sciortino said the people of Somerville and Medford would not give up the fight to extend the Green Line, despite attempts by members of the Romney adminstration to derail it.

The state has a legal obligation to complete the project by 2011, yet unless construction begins soon, there is no way the work can be completed on time, he said.

The funding of the engineering work on the potential track and station sites is an important first step, he said.

Sciortino said bringing the Green Line to Somerville was the right thing to do in order to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, improve the city’s air quality and connect members of the underclass to employment opportunities.

The city has one train station, yet eight commuter rail lines cut through Somerville without stopping, he said.

After he stepped down from the rostrum, Sciortino was swamped by legislators from both parties to congratulate him with handshakes and pats on the back.

Sciortino said he was pleased to have made progress on his district’s number one priority. "I met with every committee chairman and I met with the Speaker two days ago–and I told them this is my issue and this is what I want."

The funding amendment was part of a larger consolidated amendment bill, which passed 158-2.