Rep. McElwee posts 99.9 percent voting record during 114 days of Legislature

During the two years of the 126th Maine State Legislature, State Rep. Carol McElwee was present for 99.9 percent of the roll call votes held in the Maine House of Representatives.
“The people of Caribou work hard, and they expect the same of their elected officials. They sent me to Augusta to be their voice at the State House, and I take that job very seriously,” said Rep. McElwee. “Numerous critical issues came before lawmakers during the 126th Legislature, and it is imperative for my constituents to be represented on those matters.”
Throughout the 126th Maine State Legislature, the House met for 114 days and 793 roll call votes were held on matters ranging from the state budget to welfare reform to hunting laws. From January 2013 to May 2014, 1,865 pieces of legislation were brought before lawmakers for consideration.
As part of her legislative duties, Rep. McElwee served on the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services.
“The HHS Committee is certainly a busy one, but the work is worth it to be able to impact the policy that affects the health and wellness of Mainers,” said Rep. McElwee.
McElwee spoke more about her voting record on Monday, providing a story of how she happened to miss out on receiving a 100 percent attendance record for the second consecutive year, as she achieved the perfect mark during in the previous legislative session.
“It’s actually a funny story, as to why I wasn’t able to take part in the one vote that I missed,” said McElwee. “I was taking a picture with George Knorr and Gov. LePage in between votes, as Mr. Knorr was visiting the State House on that particular day, so I was running back and forth trying to get back for each vote. I walked in just a few seconds too late and right before I sat down to vote, the hammer came down and I was too late.”
In addition to her committee work, Rep. McElwee sponsored legislation that adds “telemedicine” to the list of services covered under MaineCare. Telemedicine helps populations, such as seniors, who may have trouble getting to appointments to receive the medical attention they need via telecommunication technologies. The Legislature ultimately passed the measure with strong bipartisan support.