The Press Herald’s top story this Earth Day announced “Legislators eye limits for crowded cannabis market.” There are several bills in the legislative hopper that seek to prevent a “collapse” of the “market” for Mary Jane, or limit the size of “grow operations” to prevent smaller growers from “being pushed out of the market.” While […]
Courier Opinion
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
From Augusta – Standing up for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence
We recently observed Sexual Assault Awareness Month. One in five Maine adults has reported that they have been the victim of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault at some point in their lives. Nationally, the CDC reports that more than one in three women and nearly one in four men have experienced sexual violence at […]
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Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Kennebunk Post, Southern Maine Weeklies
From Augusta – All hands on deck: Combating PFAS contamination in Maine
PFAS, what we call “forever chemicals,” are by now a household acronym in Maine. That’s both bad and good news. It means we are becoming more aware of the pervasiveness and harm of these substances. Before I was elected to the Legislature in 2018, my neighbor, Fred Stone of Stoneridge Farm in Arundel, sounded an […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
From Augusta – Strengthening Maine’s reproductive health care laws
Reproductive rights have been a prominent political topic for years. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade kicked off intense campaigns in every state to either expand access, restrict access or criminalize these health care procedures entirely. It is a topic that inspires strong emotions on both sides. But since […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Kennebunk Post, Southern Maine Weeklies
From Augusta – Maine Legislature passes a responsible budget of needs, not wants
The Maine Legislature has been working hard. We recently passed a continuing services budget, which is a baseline budget that funds all services currently enacted in law. That means that most of the initiatives being funded by this budget are measures that passed in the 130th Legislature or earlier, often with strong, bipartisan support. It […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Beyond the Headlines: Breaking down the county budget process
The county budget season is upon us and it’s a perfect opportunity to break down the process, which isn’t well known. The typical annual county budget is around $20+ million. To give you a comparison on both ends of the spectrum, the city of Saco annual municipal budget has been around $35+ million and the […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
From Augusta: Helping schools go green and save money
We are in the thick of our legislative session, and my colleagues and I are engaged in conversations, committee hearings and work sessions gathering feedback from Mainers across the state, including many of you, regarding issues that matter. Recently, I had the opportunity to present one of my bills in my first public hearing before […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
From Augusta: Shining a spotlight on mental health resources in York County
With the Legislature in full swing, my colleagues and I are busy submitting legislation, offering testimony at public hearings and learning about various policy initiatives before the committees we are all assigned to serve on. I serve as House chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and while issues relating to protecting our environment […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
Library Links – Maine libraries rich in style and history
It is no secret that I love libraries. I have worked in some of the most beautiful buildings in Maine. The interesting thing about Maine’s roughly 250 libraries is that each of them is unique, both in style and in history. So far in my career I have been privileged to work in a beaux […]
Posted inBiddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, Southern Maine Weeklies
From Augusta – Finding free tax filing assistance, helping Maine reduce food insecurity
Earlier this month, the IRS ruled that Maine’s $850 pandemic relief checks are not taxable by the federal government – which is just what my colleagues and I intended when we worked on the budget last year. Also, the same Mainers who were eligible for the $850 pandemic relief checks should expect their $450 winter […]