Last week, my fellow lawmakers and I returned to the Statehouse for the second session of the 126th Legislature. We will be addressing a number of issues, and I’d like to tell you about some of our priorities for this session.
Our top priority will be increasing access to health care. Every family should have access to a family doctor, and accepting the federal government’s offer to provide health care for 70,000 Mainers will bring us one step closer to making this goal a reality.
At the request of the City of Saco, I’ve submitted legislation to help relieve the impact of erosion at Camp Ellis caused by installations from the federal government. If passed, this will enable more options to address the issues for our coastal residents. Our communities depend upon our natural resources; if we don’t take steps to protect our sand beaches from erosion, they could disappear, along with an important segment of our local economy.
Doing everything we can to end the cycle of domestic violence is also very important to me. This session, I am co-sponsoring Sen. Emily Cain’s bill to increase safety for victims of domestic violence. The most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when a person is leaving the abuser. When abusers are released on bail, the conditions of the bail often forbid them from having any contact with their victims. However, there can be a delay between the arrest and the setting of the bail conditions, so the bill would make it a crime for abusers to contact their victims during this time. This bill will also increase the availability of risk-assessment data, which will better empower police officers, victims’ advocates and prosecutors to make the best plan to keep victims and families safe.
In an effort to help reduce our higher-than-average energy costs, I’m also co-sponsoring a bill that would help streamline the process for bringing natural gas to municipalities. Natural gas brings the promise of a cheaper alternative energy as we look toward long-term investments in renewable energy like solar and wind power.
As the Senate chairperson of the Workforce Committee, I will continue to work with my colleagues to find ways to enhance our workforce and grow Maine’s economy. Small businesses are telling us that access to capital and strong mentoring can help them leap forward, and we should do what we can to help them. Smart investments in our innovation economy are crucial for our state’s prosperity.
Finally, I am co-sponsoring Sen. David Dutremble’s bill to provide property tax relief to senior citizens. Last year, the governor proposed a state budget that would have completely eliminated the “circuit breaker” property tax relief program for many Mainers. In an effort to pass a bipartisan budget, the Legislature agreed to a Republican proposal to eliminate the program and replace it with the Property Tax Fairness Credit.
The credit helps, but there are still many Mainers, especially seniors, who are struggling to pay their property tax bills. This bill will provide property tax relief to help Maine seniors stay in their homes.
These are just a few of the bills I will be working on this session. As I always, I welcome your thoughts on these, or any other bill. You can always reach me via email at senatorvalentino@gmail.com or stop by my office in Saco.
— Sen. Linda Valentino is a Democrat who represents the communities of Senate District 5: Buxton, Dayton, Old Orchard Beach, Saco and part of Biddeford. Her column appears on the second Monday of each month.
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