I am a registered Democrat. However, I have previously registered as an independent and a Republican to vote in the primary for the candidate who was the best person for the job. My work in the Legislature this session has been equally pragmatic.

At the beginning of the legislative session, I introduced LD 148 to create ongoing absentee voting in Maine. My work on this issue began in 2019 when a similar bill, introduced by former Senator Linda Sanborn, ultimately stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later in the session, I transferred sponsorship of LD 148 to Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, who has been a long-time champion for this election modernization.

Following a widely attended public hearing, the bill received bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. While this bill did not address every need, we made it easier for senior citizens and disabled Mainers to vote from home on an ongoing basis without the need to request multiple ballots. This measure will go into effect in time for the 2024 elections.

Having been an advocate of open primaries since 2017, I was proud to co-sponsor legislation to allow unenrolled voters to participate in primaries. LD 231, introduced by Sen. Chloe Maxmin, D-Nobleboro, passed by wide bipartisan majorities in both the House and the Senate.

For me, this issue is about basic fairness. Primaries are taxpayer funded elections in which over half of legislative races are effectively decided. Large portions of the electorate, particularly young people and veterans, should not be denied the right to participate in these first-round elections.

Among the other pieces of legislation that I worked on this session, I am proud to report that the following bills were passed by the Legislature with bipartisan support:

LD 857, a bill to create a municipal grant program to support sustainable economic development projects, was passed with unanimous support in both chambers and is now law. The bill is sitting on the Appropriations table awaiting funding using the federal COVID-19 relief dollars.

LD 1073, a bill to study changes that might be made to legislative structures and processes to improve the operations of the Legislature and, in turn, generate better outcomes for the Maine people, was passed with unanimous bipartisan support in both chambers and is sitting on the Appropriations table awaiting funding.

LD 1364, a bill to study whether it would be feasible and desirable for the state to provide incentives for developers, builders and home buyers to install residential fire sprinklers, was passed with unanimous bipartisan support in both chambers and is now law.

LD 1497, a bill to strengthen the RealizeMaine program at Maine Development Foundation and create a youth task force to inform state-level workforce and economic development planning conversations, was passed with unanimous bipartisan support in both chambers and is awaiting funding.

In addition to these successes, LD 446, my bill to research and recommend solutions for supporting regional and local planning, was passed by Democratic majorities in both chambers.

In addition to these successes and good work to combat the pandemic, there have also been setbacks with vetoes from the governor on issues ranging from criminal justice reform to tribal sovereignty. The governor’s veto of LD 1708 will deny Maine voters the opportunity to weigh in on the merits of a public power utility for Maine. I urge supporters of Pine Tree Power to gather the signatures necessary to place this question on the November 2022 ballot so voters can have their say on this important issue.

I welcome the opportunity to hear from you on these and other issues that matter to you. Please contact me with any concerns or questions.

Rep. Kyle Bailey, D-Gorham, is serving his first term in the Maine House of Representatives. He serves on the Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee. He can be reached at kyle.bailey@legislature.maine.gov or (207) 939-8600. For immediate assistance, please send a text message.