Teresa S. Pierce

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 44
Age: 53
Occupation: Non profit fundraising
Education: University of Colorado, BA
Family: Married, two children
Hometown: Falmouth

Political experience

State Representative, 127th Legislature, State Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, National Council of State Legislature Education Committee, Falmouth Town Councilor 2008-2014 (Chair for two years), Greater Portland Council of Governments Metro Chair, 2013 – 2014, Member of Falmouth Elementary School Building Committee 2007-2008, Falmouth Trails Advisory Committee, 2007-2008, Past President of Falmouth Education Foundation.

Why are you running for office?

Maine faces enormous challenges and opportunities in the coming years. I am running to ensure that the decisions made today will provide lasting benefits for all citizens of Maine for decades to come. We must all work together to ensure that our children have high quality and effective schools, that our economy continues to grow, and that our environment is protected.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • No.
    I voted to lower the income tax on all levels of earners in the last budget and will continue to look for ways to create a fair and appropriate system that works for all Mainers. Eliminating the income tax completely is a reckless proposition. It would create an enormous deficit, not easily made up through sale tax and tax on goods and services. Critical funding to Education K-12, the University system and Maine’s infrastructure would be greatly reduced if not eliminated by this loss of revenue.
• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes.
    Yes, but only if certain exceptions are part of the law. Exceptions should include transferring arms between family members, if the parties involved are hunting or sport shooting, or in emergency self-defense situations. We need common sense gun safety laws. Currently, there is a loophole in the law, where people can easily and anonymously buy guns from strangers they meet online or through classified ads. These type of privately sold firearms should be subject to background checks. The process for legally obtaining a firearm should be the same whether you purchase your gun through a licensed dealer, over the internet or at a gun show.
• Minimum Wage: In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  • Yes.
    Yes. A full-time worker earning minimum wage makes $15,600 a year, less than the federal poverty level for a family of two. An increase will put more money in the pockets of these workers who will then be able pay their bills and also spend it in our local economy. Workers and our State will benefit.
• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • Yes.
    Yes, we should legalize marijuana for recreational use, but only if it is strictly regulated. We have the opportunity to learn from other states on how best to implement legislation regarding marijuana, we should take that information and adapt it to Maine. The funds generated from the taxes should be used to educate teens and adults about the health issues and danger of using this substance.
• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • The State has taken important steps in trying to address this crisis, but more needs to be done. No community is immune. We must focus on law enforcement, effective treatment of addiction and prevention.While drug dealers and traffickers need to be stopped in their tracks, law enforcement alone does not address the root cause of this epidemic: addiction.I co-sponsor a law to fund an initiative in Maine called LEAD, (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program. LEAD is an innovative approach that focuses on helping addicts take back their lives rather than putting them behind bars. The law establishes up to eight pilot programs in communities around the state. The goal of these projects is to divert nonviolent, low-level offenders into community-based treatment, significantly reducing costs to our State.In addition to helping those in recovery programs, emphasis much be placed on prevention as well. As a member of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, we worked ensure that schools are able to provide health classes with curriculum that address the issue of prevention.