I announced today that I will not be running for re-election to the House. I have loved my service for the past ten years. I loved the time I spent on the School Board before that. (OK, I didn’t love the times that School Board meetings or floor sessions ran on until the middle of the night. But other than that, I loved it beyond measure.)

Public service is a fabulous way to make a difference in people’s lives. But you can’t do this work unless you can also earn a living. And the kind of work I do–consulting and freelancing–has, quite frankly, been one of the early casualties of the recession.

So with a lot of soul-searching, I made the decision not to seek re-election. I’m going to stay in my House seat until January and I’m going to keep working for the people in the 44th, who have given me the enormous honor of representing them for all this time.

I’m not sick (thanks to all of you who asked, though).  And I’m still planning to do work on public policy issues that I care deeply about. There are plenty of ways to stay involved. And I’ve never been one to sit on the sidelines for long.

I’ll also keep blogging here right up til the time when I’m no longer a member of the General Assembly. I am, as readers know, a rather opinionated sort. Having a chance to continue to sound off on policy issues is a privilege I won’t give up.

Meanwhile, as I said in a letter to my constituents, this has been the greatest honor of my life.