As of Thursday, June 17, my first legislative session as your state senator came to a close. Legislating through a pandemic meant we had to find creative ways to finish our work. Our committee work transitioned to being done primarily by Zoom, which granted the public opportunity to join and provide testimony from the safety of their own homes.

Joe Rafferty Courtesy Photo

The Augusta Civic Center took the place of the State House for our session days early on to help us comply with COVID-19 guidelines. Within the past few weeks, we were able to make a return to the State House to complete our legislative session, and I feel compelled to share with you some of the accomplishments from that time.

We passed our package of bills on prescription drug reform, with strong bipartisan support. We also passed a great bill from Senate President Troy Jackson that keeps Maine taxpayer dollars in Maine. The Buy American Build Maine Act would ensure that Maine businesses get the first shot at a job when it comes to publicly funded projects, and that American-made materials are used for those projects whenever possible. 

Another exciting bill from Pres. Jackson, LD 1679, provides free school meals for all children. Our kids have enough to worry about when they’re in school, making sure that hunger is not one of them will be crucial in improving their learning experience and allowing them to reach their full potential.

This being my first term, I am particularly excited about the bills that I sponsored this session.

It feels good to hit the ground running and to be part of tangible, positive change for Maine. For instance, my bill to leverage existing Maine Apprenticeship Program funds to increase apprentice wages was recently signed into law. A priority for me in the Maine Senate is making sure we do all we can to attract and retain young people in Maine.

I am proud to say that the bill will provide better wages for hard-working Mainers who are looking for in-demand careers here in our state through the Maine Apprenticeship Program.

I also want to talk about my bill to help businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry recover from the heavy impact of COVID-19. LD 1493, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development To Create and Administer a Fund To Provide Seasonal and Tourism Industry Recovery Grants,” passed the Legislature and is now sitting before the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee to determine if it will be funded. I testified before the committee, going directly to bat for this critical industry that makes up for a large part of our identity here in Maine.

My bill would create a system where seasonal and tourism businesses in Maine could apply for grants to compensate for loss of revenue. The grants would be financed by federal funds the state received this year through the American Rescue Plan Act. In Maine, one in six jobs is linked to the tourism industry. Maine’s tourism industry also accounts for more than 10 percent of the state’s economic output at $6.2 billion per year. The Maine Revenue Services estimate that the tourism and hospitality industry lost nearly $400 million last July, and $2.3 billion in 2020 overall.

Another bill of mine, LD 816, “An Act To Improve Communication between School Boards and Educators by Requiring Notice of Discussion of Labor Matters,” that would increase communication between school boards and educators was enacted by the House and the Senate. From my several decades of education experience, I can tell you that each superintendent has varying approaches to communication between themselves and the teachers they work with.

Whatever the case, our main goal should always be doing whatever provides the best outcomes for our students. This bill makes it so that school board members must be more accountable to the communities they serve and ensures that all parties involved have a voice in the decision-making process.

While I could have never imagined that this is how my first session as your state senator would unfold when I first decided to run, I am motivated more than ever to build off this year and continue fighting for the best interest of all Mainers. As always, I am honored to represent you all in Senate District 34 and I am looking forward to continuing the work we have done.

If you ever have any comments or questions, you can always reach out to me at joe.rafferty@legislature.maine.gov or by phone at 207-590-9902. If you want to stay even more up to date on what we’re working on in Augusta, sign up for my newsletter at mainesenate.org.

Joseph Rafferty is a member of the Maine State Senate representing District 34, Acton, Kennebunk, Lebanon, Moody, North Berwick, Wells, West Lebanon and part of Berwick. He can be reached at Joe.Rafferty@legislature.maine.gov.