Work in Augusta has officially started. As I begin serving the folks of Senate District 33 (Cornish, Limerick, Newfield, Parsonsfield, Sanford, Shapleigh, and Waterboro), my thoughts have been turning more often to what it means to be an effective public servant. I’d like to let you into my thought process a bit, as one unquestionably important part of effective public service is an open dialogue with those you serve.
It is an honor to be entrusted to represent one’s friends and neighbors in Augusta, and I take the responsibility very seriously. One of the dynamics of serving at the Maine State House, however, is that we are voting on policy that affects the entire state ”“ not just one region or area.
As I look at bill titles that have been submitted, including the ones I’m sponsoring, the legislation we will be dealing with this session runs the gamut from extremely local issues to issues that could have far-reaching consequences for the state, and even the region. For example, lawmakers will be asked to consider “Resolve, Naming the Bridges That Span the Machias River in Machias the Jeremiah O’Brien Memorial Bridge,” which is surely a measure important to the folks in that area, but will not have any consequences for us in York County. On the flip side, the Biennial Budget, welfare reform proposals, and many education proposals will affect citizens throughout the state.
I believe it is necessary to approach the issues with wide-reaching effects for the state not only as the senator casting a vote on behalf of my constituents in District 33, but as a legislator casting a vote that will have an effect on everyone in Maine. You might disagree with my stance on an issue, but in the end, I can’t vote to please everyone and will vote in the way I think is best for the state of Maine.
In political philosophy, there are two ideas about what it actually means to be a representative of the people ”“ the delegate model and the trustee model. Under the delegate model, a lawmaker votes exactly as his constituents, or the majority of them, want him to. Under the trustee model, the idea is that the people have voted for the lawmaker to be their voice, so he is trusted to use his own judgment in making decisions ”“ even if it goes against the will of his constituents.
I believe whether a lawmaker is voting as a trustee or as a delegate should largely be dependent on the issue at hand. Of course, as with so much that happens in Augusta, and in Washington, D.C. (and at our local select meetings, for that matter!), nothing is ever starkly black and white. My decision-making process will depend on much. I will be considering how far-reaching the consequences of a bill are, how my constituents feel about the issue, and how the people of Maine overall feel about an issue. The more local an issue is, the more of a delegate issue it will be for me. The more far-reaching, the more of a trustee issue it will be.
That’s not to say the two won’t overlap ”“ they definitely will. What’s good for Maine and what’s good for York County are certainly not mutually exclusive.
The bottom line for me is making informed decisions that most benefit the people of our district and Maine. In the coming weeks and months, the news will be flying furiously out of Augusta, and I’ll be hearing about more than 1,500 bills my colleagues have submitted. If there’s an issue important to you, or an idea you have, please be sure to share your thoughts with me.
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