Joshua R. Plante

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Representative – District 5
Age: 28
Occupation: Licensed Loan Officer; Evening Grocery Store Manager
Education: Bachelor’s in Communications, Minor Political Science (UNH ’10)
Family: Single
Hometown: Berwick

Political experience

I served in the 126th Legislature, representing Berwick and Lebanon (part). I was on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee.

I currently serve on the Berwick Board of Selectmen, after being elected in May 2015.

Why are you running for office?

Maine needs elected leaders to tackle the issues that confront our state. Mainers deserve to have state government fully fund 55% of education costs, which in turn will help lower the growing burden of increasing property taxes. Expanding the state’s Medicaid program will also help address healthcare costs in the state, while also helping to fund drug treatment centers to cure people of their opiate addictions.

• Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
  • No

    The governor proposes eliminating the income tax, but has not shown one plan or idea as to how funding for current programs will occur. Under his proposal, property taxes would dramatically increase, and tied together with higher sales taxes would be an even greater burden on middle class families already feeling the growing weight of higher taxes.

• Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
  • Yes

    Every firearm sale should go through a background check. The ballot initiative on this issue will not require individuals who lend their firearm(s) for the purpose of hunting, shooting range activities or competitions to do a background check (as this is not a sale of a firearm). States with no mandatory background checks are responsible for more illegal firearms sales than those with such a requirement. States with mandatory background checks have 48% fewer police officers killed.

• Minimum Wage: In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
  • Yes

    The current $7.50 minimum wage is not enough for people to pay their bills. The minimum wage must be increased and then tied to inflation to keep up with the cost of living adjustments that occur every year. Arizona is a prime example of a state that has done just that and it works.

• Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
  • No

    I do not support the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.

• Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
  • Maine needs to expand its Medicaid program to help make a greater dent in the opiate addiction battle. Not only does Medicaid expansion help provide more than 70,000 Mainers with healthcare coverage they need, treatment centers will be able to coordinate greater efforts to combat our state’s growing drug problem.

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