Taylor still intends to try to keep 1st vice chair's post

State Sen. Lena Taylor said she's heading to this weekend's Democratic Party state convention with the intentions of mounting a bid from the floor to retain her position as first vice chair.

But the state party contends that isn't an option.

Taylor said party officials told her she missed the deadline to file her papers to run for another two-year term. She also said party officials discouraged her from mounting a bid from the floor.

She complained that it was "a little much" to hear her papers had been filed late considering she's been focused on the state budget as a member of the Joint Finance Committee. She said this afternoon she hadn't made a final decision about mounting a bid for the office from the convention floor, but she was leaning in that direction.

"I'm going there with my papers ready to run," she said.

Melissa Schroeder, an aide to U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, was the only person to file papers by the May 22 deadline to run for the office.

DPW spokesman Alec Loftus said the party's election commission met last week and ruled that a run from the floor isn't allowed under party rules and bylaws.

Taylor said she disagreed with the committee's interpretation of party rules and bylaws.

-- By JR Ross