The Legislature is currently hard at work with nearly all 2,000 bills reported out of committee or carried over until next session; but there’s still a lot to accomplish before we adjourn next month. The Appropriations Committee is still negotiating a budget that won’t bankrupt our state and we have a number of important measures in front of us. However, I am happy to be able to report on two matters that will have a positive impact on the residents of Senate District 30.

Recently the Legislature overturned the veto on LD 905, a bill to authorize the construction of a Maine Turnpike connector to Gorham to help alleviate congestion in the Gorham/ Scarborough/Westbrook area. I’m very glad we were able to get this done, as I believe this initiative will vastly improve the lives and livelihoods of many of my constituents.

Daily traffic congestion and associated environmental threats to the villages of South Gorham, North Scarborough and nearby regions are significant and have been growing worse for a long time. Gorham is a lovely and friendly town with an amazing school district, a vibrant business community and a ton of heart. It is currently the fastest growing municipality in Maine. In short, Gorham is a highly desirable place to live.

However, anyone who lives in the area knows that choosing to live, work or even participate in activities in Gorham, especially during commuter hours, frequently comes with a price: long periods of time caught in bumper to bumper traffic. It is the sort of traffic one expects to find in Boston or on the way to Cape Cod in the summer, but not in Maine. Failure to plan adequately around or for this congestion can cost one dearly as minutes tick by, making what is normally a 15 minute drive between Sam’s Club in Scarborough and downtown Gorham as long as 45 minutes. Residents and businesses have long been begging for relief, and I am glad to be able to report that help is one step closer.

Also of importance is the passage of LD 306, a bill to finally bring Maine into compliance with the REAL ID Act of 2005. This new law will avoid further penalties from the federal government for our continued noncompliance.

For the last 12 years the federal government has granted the state of Maine waivers. However, with only a few holdout states remaining, Maine became an outlier and was the only state in New England to continue resisting compliance with the federal law. In fact, until this year, we had a 2007 law on the books prohibiting compliance.

All that changed in January with the announcement that Maine licenses would no longer be accepted for admittance onto federal installations. Furthermore, as of January 2018, Maine driver’s licenses would no longer have been accepted for the purpose of boarding commercial flights, severely restricting Maine citizens’ ability to travel freely around this country.

Lawmakers worked hard this session to find a compromise that wouldn’t put Mainers at a disadvantage while still allowing some privacy protections. Under the new law, the Secretary of State will begin to administer changes to our driver’s licenses to become compliant, with a provision to allow Mainers the option of opting out of the new REAL ID compliant licenses. Should anyone choose to opt out, they will be required to provide a passport to access federal installations or fly on commercial flights.

I am glad we were able to come together to pass both of these measures, as they will benefit our region and the state as a whole. If you have any questions or comments on legislation as the session progresses, please don’t hesitate to contact me.