Now that we are in the last week of the Second Regular Session of the 128th Legislature, I would like to sincerely thank my friends and neighbors in Senate District 33 for counting on me once more to serve as their voice in Augusta.

Each term is very different in the Maine Senate, and the 128th has been no exception. We have tackled some very challenging public policy over the last two years, spending a lot of time focusing on how to responsibly implement a number of referendums, including recreational marijuana, minimum wage, education funding and ranked-choice voting.

As Chair of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, I have been intimately involved in a number of issues including championing another attempt to support Maine’s growing solar industry and looking into CMP’s significant billing issues.

While both sides have experienced a number of triumphs and disappointments over the last two years, it’s important to keep in mind that, regardless of political background, we are all here fighting to do what we think is right for those of you who we represent back home.

This is why I would like to talk about some of the great things happening this year that will make a big difference for veterans of our armed services here in Maine.

The first bill, “An Act to Expedite Healthcare Employment for Medical Veterans,” achieved broad bipartisan support in both the House of Representatives and the Maine Senate and went into law last month without the governor’s signature.

This new law will cut unnecessary red tape for veterans returning from service with medical training. It creates a program to facilitate the match of veterans to employers so these healthcare professionals can continue their education and training through apprenticeships, ultimately securing healthcare positions in local hospitals, assisted living facilities and other healthcare facilities.

400 veterans in Maine have valuable military training in healthcare, and before this new law, it was not easy for them to transfer their valuable military medic training and experience to equivalent civilian jobs in the medical field because our certification requirements previously did not honor their years of experience in the field.

Maine is facing an imminent nursing shortage as our nursing population, much like the rest of the state, is aging, so this new law is a win-win for the medical field and our veterans.

Another new law that soared through the Legislature with unanimous support and went into law without the Governor’s signature is “An Act Regarding Mental Health Care for Maine Veterans.”

As a result of this new law, the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services has launched a pilot program to provide mental health care and case management services to Maine veterans. This new program is open to all veterans, free of charge, to who needs mental health treatment or help navigating the mental health system.

Another bill that passed through the process unanimously and is waiting for funding on the special appropriations table is “An Act To Broaden Educational Opportunities for Members of the Maine National Guard.”

This bill would expand upon a law that passed in 2016 that provides Maine National Guard members with free in-state tuition to colleges within the University of Maine System, Maine Community College System and the Maine Maritime Academy, expanding the program to allow Maine’s private postsecondary institutions to participate as well. 

If you have any questions about these or any other bills that we have addressed, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 287-1505 or email me at dcwoodsome@gmail.com. I hope to see you all around the district this summer.

State Sen. David Woodsome is currently serving his second term in the Maine State Senate. He represents the people of Senate District 33 which consists of the towns of Cornish, Limerick, Newfield, Parsonsfield, Sanford, Shapleigh and Waterboro.