After 28 years representing the Sanford area in the Legislature as both a House and Senate member, I will not be returning to the Maine Senate to serve in the 127th Legislature. The people of Maine have spoken and I am once again reminded of the strength of our democracy to heed the wishes of its citizens.
I leave this post with a profound sense of gratitude for the time I was given to serve the people of our community and to be part of our representative democracy.
I am deeply proud of all that we have accomplished together over these past years. Despite great challenges, my colleagues and I in the Senate made progress on a number of top Democratic priorities, such as restoring funding for municipal revenue sharing, passing a bipartisan budget to pay our bills, and investing in bond proposals to create jobs and jumpstart the economy, all while looking out for our most vulnerable citizens ”“ our children and seniors.
I know how critical it is, especially in this economy, to provide property tax relief to Maine families and businesses. That is why I am especially proud of our efforts to ensure that the state kept its revenue sharing commitment to our cities and towns, which are used to help stabilize property taxes and maintain essential services. Our bill helped prevent our communities from losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding.
Furthermore, we honored our commitment to grow Maine’s economy and provide good jobs for Maine workers. The $50 million in bond proposals the voters approved on Nov. 4 will jumpstart our economy by making investments in Maine’s small businesses and in key and rapidly growing sectors of the state’s economy, including medical research and our marine industries.
Strengthening our public education system has always been one of my top priorities, so I was proud to support measures that expanded early childhood education in Maine, increase access to summer food programs and create a task force to explore different ways to end student hunger.
As Senate Chair of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, I also had the opportunity to work on several important pieces of legislation dealing with veterans’ issues, including two bills that I sponsored. One of the measures I put forth directs the federal government to recognize the health risks and disabilities that have come to Maine’s National Guard veterans from exposure to Agent Orange and other harmful chemicals at the Canadian Forces Base in Gagetown, New Brunswick. The Legislature also passed my bill to allow private employers to adopt a veterans’ preference employment policy, which will assist veterans in finding work and transitioning back to civilian life.
Serving my friends and neighbors in Augusta has been a true honor and privilege. I am hopeful for the future of our state, but know we have much more work ahead of us. Mainers possess a strong work ethic, unmatched by any other state, and I am confident that together we will prosper as a state. My love for this state runs deep. I was born and raised in Maine and will continue to advocate for Maine’s hard-working families as I have done throughout my life.
I look forward to seeing my fellow community members around the district. Thank you for the honor of having served you in Augusta. I am forever grateful for, and humbled by, your support and your faith in me.
— John Tuttle is the outgoing state senator for District 3, which includes Alfred, Limington, Lyman, Sanford, Springvale and Waterboro.
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