PRIORITIES
I believe elected leaders need to work collaboratively to deliver the best results for Mainers. We need to work hard to protect reproductive rights, increase affordable housing options, ensure every Maine child has access to a quality education, and prioritize both physical and mental healthcare to take care of our most vulnerable citizens.
The test to our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide for those who have little ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt.
I look forward to continuing to work hard for all Mainers in Augusta!
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LIST OF ISSUES
Education
We made historic progress for all Maine students from high school graduating classes of 2020-2023; any student who enrolls full-time in Maine community collages will receive two years of free education. I was proud to support funding measures to prevent tuition hikes across the University of Maine System, in addition to promoting the health and overall well-being of Maine students by providing universal free school meals and rebuilding our school based oral health program. No student should go to school on an empty stomach or endure a toothache while trying to learn. These measures will support our youngest students' health and academic successes.
Environment
This year, I am extremely proud to have supported legislation to reduce and mitigate contamination from PFAS. We dedicated significant funding for testing, mitigation and assistance to farmers who have discovered that their crops and livestock are contaminated. I was proud to help Kittery identify how to access these funds for some of their initial PFAS testing costs. I was thrilled to be able to expand the Kittery Water District Charter so that all of Kittery has a voice in how the water district protects public health, safety and provides high quality water to the community.
Housing
To address Maine's shortage of affordable and available housing, we passed legislation to allow Mainers to build more housing and funded emergency housing relief for people facing houselessness. I was proud to support a local nonprofit working towards long-term solutions to houselessness to access much needed funding for a local Resource Hub & Housing project through the York County ARPA funds.
Health Care
Serving on the Legislature's Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, I was proud to play a role in developing legislation related to insurance prescription drug prices, health coverage, consumer protection, and more. We passed several pieces of legislation aimed at making behavioral health care more affordable and accessible. Among our many other successes, we passed bills to expand coverage of fertility care to help Mainers grow their families, improve access to emergency supplies of maintenance drugs for those with chronic health conditions, and enhance coverage for children who have lost limbs. I was also proud to cosponsor LD 1798, a bill that will require health care companies to offer coverage to adults with disabilities who are unable to sustain themselves through employment. Everybody should have access to quality, affordable health care. Despite these successes, there is still much more to do. I'm looking forward to continuing this work in the next legislature.