Farewell column

    After 12 years in the Legislature, I am retiring from Legislative Service. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve the hardworking people of northern Aroostook County first as your State Representative and then as your State Senator. Throughout my time in Augusta, I have never forgotten why I serve or where I came from.
Although there have been many challenges throughout my years of service, I am proud of the work my colleagues and I were able to accomplish on behalf of all Mainers. This session, we passed a responsible bipartisan budget, kept our funding promise to cities and towns, and created a comprehensive bond package to keep good jobs in Maine, improve our existing infrastructure, and boost our local economy.
I know how critical it is, especially in this economy, to provide property tax relief to Maine families and businesses. That is why I am especially proud of our efforts to ensure that the state kept its revenue sharing commitment to our cities and towns, which are used to help stabilize property taxes and maintain essential services. Our bill helped prevent our communities from losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding.
While Governor LePage opposed most of my bills to help Maine workers and families, I am especially proud to have sponsored measures to keep call center jobs in Maine, increase dental access to underserved areas and sponsor legislation to allow Maine residents to obtain quality, low-cost medication through approved online retailers.
By allowing increased access to prescription drugs, all Mainers regardless of financial status can access quality medication. People need to be able to access life-saving drugs at a reasonable price, and this law gives Maine people more options. I am proud of what this law has been able to do for folks and believe that Mainers will get the medication they need and deserve.
As a lawmaker, it has always been my priority to demand that Mainers get a fair deal and I always felt a deep responsibility to advocate for those who elected me.
I would like to congratulate and welcome all the newly elected men and women to the State Legislature. In the next two years, it is imperative that you balance the needs of your constituents and your own beliefs before reaching your decisions.
As a public servant, I have always felt that I should be held accountable by those who elected me. The elections are over and now it is our responsibility as a community to continue to hold these legislators accountable for their actions in Augusta. Their votes affect our lives.
While I will no longer be representing the people of northern Aroostook County at the Statehouse, I will never stop fighting for Maine people. I am proud of what I have accomplished, but know we have a long way to go.
Thank you for trusting me to be your voice in Augusta; it has been my honor.
    Sen. Troy Jackson (D-Allagash is majority leader of the Maine Senate. He can be reached at either 398-4081 (home) or 436-0763 (cell), or via email at SenTroy.Jackson@legislature.maine.gov.