We have been making a collective effort to keep our communities safe for the past 13 months. For many of us, this has meant having to navigate an altered workplace, take on new child care responsibilities and delay plan after plan. But now, the work we’ve had to do to get through this pandemic is beginning to pay off.
Maine is currently leading the nation in COVID-19 vaccination rates. A few weeks ago, we reached the milestone of having administered over one million COVID-19 vaccine doses, and more than 450,000 Mainers have received their final dose. I am endlessly grateful to the health care and frontline workers who are dedicated to pulling us out of this public health crisis.
Just as all of you have adapted your lives to overcome this challenge, so too has the Legislature. In order to keep our communities safe, we have been holding committee meetings over Zoom and floor votes at the Augusta Civic Center. By making some of these changes, we have been able to continue conducting our work. Last month, we met in Augusta to pass the Back-to-Basics Budget, funding current and essential services like education, property tax relief and support for rural hospitals and nursing homes.
Since then, we have been busy in legislative committees working to pass important new measures that were not included in the Back-to-Basics Budget. Our Education and Cultural Affairs Committee has worked on bills to bolster Maine’s rural economies, improve prekindergarten education and promote equity in our public education system. On health care issues, the bills coming through committee include measures to increase access to mental health care, dental care and other vital medical services. We have also been intently focused on climate change and crafting legislation that supports the Climate Council’s Maine Won’t Wait four-year climate action plan.
After working with the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations last summer, committees have utilized the framework established to evaluate legislation through a racial equity lens. This means that in each committee, legislators are analyzing and discussing new bills with an eye towards social justice and equity. Some really meaningful and challenging conversations have come to light as a result of this work. I can say for certain that the way we approach policy decisions, as a body, has shifted as a result of the leadership of Assistant Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross and others spearheading these efforts. In total, all of the legislative committees have voted or acted on hundreds of bills that saw further action on the floor when the full Legislature met again at the Augusta Civic Center. Many of these are now awaiting the Governor’s signature.
Among the bills I introduced this session are measures to help fund hunger relief efforts and provide funding to support veterans transitioning into civilian life in Maine. I have also introduced a bill to extend the statute of limitations for filing a complaint under the Maine Human Rights Act for certain offenses related to sexual abuse. Many of the bills I’ve introduced come directly from having conversations with constituents. While I have certainly spent much of my adult life helping to feed people, I’m no expert in veterans affairs or Maine’s criminal code. That’s why hearing from you about the issues you face or opportunities you see to improve life here in Maine is so important.
As always, if you have any ideas, questions or concerns, please reach out to me. I am best able to serve our district by hearing directly from you.
Rep. Maureen “Mo” Terry, D-Gorham, is serving her third term in the Maine House of Representatives. She serves as House Chair of the Taxation Committee. She is a chef and small business owner with more than 25 years of experience in the food service industry. Contact her at maureen.terry@legislature.maine.gov.