Wolf was a member of the Cambridge School Committee from 1974 to 1982, a city councillor from 1984 to 1994 and mayor from 1990 to 1991.

She said that the biggest difference between the House and the City Council is the House's greater size, with 160 delegates compared with the council's nine.

Wolf said she opposed electricity deregulation efforts in the House, inserting clauses to protect low-income utility users. She said deregulation is inevitable. "It's a train out of the station," she said.

Combating Underage Drinking

He may represent one of the smallest precincts in the state, but State Rep. Paul C. Demakis '75 (D-Boston) has his sights set on the big issues.

One of them--cracking down on underage drinking--has become his priority.

"There are some steps that need to be taken to prosecute to people who serve to minors," Demakis said Friday in an interview from his Boston home.

Underage drinking is of particular importance in Demakis' precinct, which includes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the row of MIT fraternity houses on Beacon Street. Demakis said he encourages schools to be more proactive in both educating students about the dangers of drinking and monitoring student activities.

"We also need to control the deliveries of liquor to buildings where underage drinking is likely to happen," he said.

Demakis, a self-described "Liberal Democrat and pragmatist," is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School and worked for 10 years as a tax lawyer in state government. During his two terms in the House, he has firmly established an allegiance to liberal allies--from pro-choice to gay and lesbian constituencies--in Boston and Cambridge.

This year, Demakis' liberal politics were put to the test when the state legislature contemplated restoring the death penalty.

Demakis sided with Wolf and Thompson in opposing the death-penalty bill. Although he was unsuccessful in persuading Toomey to join them, Demakis said he recognizes a spectrum of opinion on the issue.

"Everyone has their own reasons," Demakis said. "There are some people that just think it's wrong for the state to be killing, and I agree with them. There's just too much of a chance for imperfection in the system."

As the session winds down today, Demakis and the three other Cambridge representative will be busy lobbying for the affordable-housing bill