Mainers deserve a properly functioning government that gets things done. Instead, the State House is often plagued by obstruction, lack of compromise and inaction. To see this, look no further than events that took place the end of session. It is no wonder so many Mainers are fed up. As lawmakers, we are frustrated, too.
We came to Augusta to work with our colleagues all along the political spectrum and in both chambers to solve problems, not prolong them. And Maine certainly has no shortage of problems.
The opioid crisis continues to devastate families and communities, claiming the lives of more than one Mainer a day. Rising property taxes are putting more working families and vulnerable Mainers in difficult financial situations, and an aging demographic is exacerbating workforce shortages across the state.
There is a lot of work in front of us and a number of smart, thoughtful lawmakers who want to do the work. But Maine’s chief executive and select number of obstructionist lawmakers routinely prevent Mainers from getting what they need from their government. It’s not right.
Maine needs a smart, aggressive strategy to tackle an escalating opioid crisis that is devastating our families, communities and economy. Last year, 418 Mainers died from drug overdoses, the majority from opioids. To turn this around, the first step is to increase the availability of the life-saving, anti-overdose drug naloxone. Yet, the governor has routinely thwarted this effort, vetoing at least two pieces of legislation to expand access to the overdose reversing drug this year. While increasing naloxone is not the endpoint of addressing the opioid epidemic, it means more Mainers struggling with addictions have a chance at recovery, returning to the workforce and participating in their communities.
Our state also benefits when we take action to safeguard the health and well-being of Maine people. When Mainers have access to quality, affordable health care options, we have healthier communities and a more productive workforce. Not to mention, Mainers want better health care, whether it is through Medicaid expansion, streamlining health care systems or strengthening basic patient protections. Yet, the governor has vetoed a number of these important bills, which adversely affects the health of our state.
The Legislature seems to be caught in an endless loop of fighting the same fights, arguing the same arguments, with no or little accountability for not making progress on important issues to Mainers. Enough is enough. Mainers deserve leaders who come together in the best interest of Maine people to move our state forward by establishing goals, measuring progress and holding themselves accountable.
This is why we are excited about America’s Goals for 2030, a framework that lays out ambitious goals for lawmakers to rally around and address our most pressing issues. Our hope is that these goals provide the proper context, data and objectives in critical areas to gain widespread support in the Legislature. The goals seek to highlight improvement in jobs, health care, education, civic engagement, equal rights, sustainability and environmental protection. We believe these goals are attainable over the next decade if Mainers muster up the political will to achieve them.
With this comprehensive new agenda, we are also launching a new mechanism for accountability and results. The first edition of the America’s Goals report card ranked Maine ninth out of all 50 states. While we’re clearly doing well relative to the rest of the country, Maine continues to fall behind the rest of the developed world. We encourage all Mainers to go online and visit AmericasGoals.org to see where we are — and how far we need to go.
The status quo in Augusta won’t change if we don’t change it ourselves, and that could mean real consequences for the health and well-being of Maine people. We need to bring new voices, allies and partners into the political and advocacy arena to build support for America’s goals. By focusing on measurable goals and working together, we can finally move past the divisive era of politics and get results for Maine’s working families.
Sen. Rebecca Millett is serving her third term in the Maine Senate, representing South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and part of Scarborough. She serves on the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. Sen. Geoff Gratwick is serving his third term in the Maine Senate, where he represents the communities of Bangor and Hermon. He serves on the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the Government Oversight Committee.
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