The Legislature may have adjourned for the year in late June but our work is far from over.
In this interim period before the Legislature reconvenes in January, I’m focused on meeting with constituents, hearing from small businesses and working with stakeholders to address some of the key policy issues facing our state. With more than 400 bills carried over to be considered and debated next year – 20 in my committee alone and two that I personally introduced – it’s clear that we have a lot of work to do before the legislature returns.
This summer, I will be working on my bill idea to attract more film production in Maine. I think this is a great opportunity to promote economic development in this state.
The idea is to create a baseline workforce or semi-permanent workforce who can work in film right here in Maine. However, creating the right incentives that benefit film producers, while also helping Maine, is a tricky one. I’ll be working with the advocate of this bill, public representatives involved in filmmaking, the Department of Economic and Community Development and non-partisan legal staff at the State House to draft a strong bill that I can introduce next session.
I have been working on this concept for a long time because the issues are so complex, and it’s important that we get it right.
The other major bill I will be working on this summer is – LD 1169, “An Act To Provide Ready Access to Defibrillators in Businesses and Pharmacies” – which has been carried over to the next session. The idea behind this bill is to make sure more Mainers have access to lifesaving devices in emergency situations.
It came to me from a constituent whose husband would still be alive had he had access to an AED. Both the Biddeford City Fire Department and the Maine Ambulance Association came out in support of the bill. It requires some technical fixes, and I look forward to ironing out the details this summer.
In addition to working on these bills, I also will be serving on a number of commissions and task forces taking a deep dive into some critical issues. The Legislature has commissioned eight working groups to study some of the pressing issues facing our state. These studies and commissions are designed to help guide future legislation or determine whether changes need to be made to existing laws.
Most recently, the Senate President has appointed me to serve on a Commission to Improve the Sentencing, Supervision, Management and Incarceration of Prisoners. As Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee (CJPS) and my background in the Maine prison system, I view this as an opportunity to provide knowledge, expertise and learn from my peers about the current system we have in place when dealing with people who have committed crimes.
This summer, I’m part of a task force to explore the positives and negatives of using body cameras on police officers. The working group will also include members of law enforcement representatives and a number of appointed stakeholders. I do not take this topic lightly.
We’ve all heard about the rise of body cameras. I want to make sure we gain as much information about body cameras as possible before we make any big decisions. I’ve also been appointed to serve on the Juvenile Justice System Assessment and Reinvestment Task Force.
With my 40-year career as a social worker working with incarcerated people in Maine’s prison system, this is right up my alley. We will conduct a thorough review of this system. The task force is made up of experts, lawmakers and other critical stakeholders. We’ll meet once a month to study best practices and provide a full report to the legislature in December offering recommendations and proposed legislation.
While the excitement seems to pause during the summer months, make no mistake, your lawmakers are still working hard to make sure your voice is heard and represented in state government. For me, that means advocating for economic opportunity and reviewing our criminal justice system to work to making Maine as strong and as safe as it can be.
If you have any thoughts about any of these key issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at Susan.Deschambault@legislature.maine.gov, or by calling my office at 287-1515. Your input is important to me.
— State Sen. Susan Deschambault, D-Biddeford, represents Senate District 32, which includes Alfred, Arundel, Biddeford, Dayton, Kennebunkport and Lyman.
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