AUGUSTA — The release this week of new, bipartisan recommendations to help Maine seniors reminds me of the core values I learned growing up as one of six children of a military chaplain and public school teacher.
As I left for school every day, Mom said two things to me: “God loves you, and so do I” and “Remember who you are.” As I get ready to leave office as the longest-serving speaker of the Maine House since term limits became law 23 years ago, I still believe that those words are the measure of our work and life.
We were taught that “Remember who you are” meansto make a difference, look out for each other and serve the greater good. Those values have been at the heart of my decisions to attend seminary, become a family counselor and eventually serve in our citizen Legislature.
As I depart and new members prepare to begin their service as legislators, here is what I have learned: If you want to make progress on important issues like creating jobs and improving housing and care for seniors, then treat people with respect and decency.
I am proud that my party maintained a majority in the House of Representatives during my two terms as speaker and will continue in the majority in the 128th Legislature about to begin, but I am also proud to have worked with so many friends across party lines. Here are a few examples:
• When it comes to serving Maine’s seniors, over 50 representatives across the political spectrum joined my good friend Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting, and me in creating the nation’s first Legislative Caucus on Aging. Our KeepME Home and Seniors Tours took us to communities across the state. We listened to Maine seniors and those involved in the issues that affect their lives.
Then we worked together to pass 18 common-sense pieces of legislation, including the KeepME Home initiative, which gives property tax relief to seniors, boosts wages for in-home direct care workers and provides bond funding for senior affordable housing. This week, we released a follow-up report with additional recommendations that will be championed by Rep. Erin Herbig, D-Belfast, and Sen. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough.
• Similar bipartisanship was evident on my statewide jobs tour. Over 40 members from all parties visited, listened and learned from 29 businesses across nine counties. As a result, the Legislature passed the Put ME to Work initiative, which invests $1 million over the next few years to establish targeted partnerships between educational institutions and local employers to train workers for good-paying jobs.
One example is the recently announced mechanized logging operations training program developed in partnership with the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine. Three area community colleges (Northern Maine, Eastern Maine and Washington County) will offer training on equipment that directly connects Mainers to good jobs.
• A third example is my working relationship with Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport. Mike and I disagree on so many issues across the board, but as leaders charged with making the Maine House and Senate function, we have been able to work together based on mutual respect.
When budget negotiations broke down in 2015 and Maine was 11 hours from a state government shutdown, he and I resolved the issues and passed a budget. The same relationship allowed the Legislature to pass a comprehensive drug crisis bill that funded both treatment and enforcement.
• An overwhelmingly bipartisan majority – unanimous in most cases – voted to support our constructive, collaborative work together by overriding 164 (70 percent) of Gov. Le-Page’s vetoes during the 127th Legislature.
Two examples come to mind: First, the governor proposed eliminating the revenue sharing program, which would have crippled rural communities’ ability to deliver basic services and led to significant property tax increases. Second, the governor proposed cutting $48 million from the Drugs for the Elderly program, which helps 40,000 fixed-income Maine seniors afford the prescription drugs they need for their health. We won on both issues.
I have been humbled and honored to serve the people of my community as their state representative and the people of Maine as House speaker. I have strong faith that Maine’s future is bright and filled with opportunity if “we the people” and our leaders “remember who we are” and treat others with decency and respect. I wish each one of the elected representatives of the Maine people the very best as they begin their work together.
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