As your legislator, I am committed to caring for our senior citizens, supporting our veterans, strengthening our schools, growing our economy and creating good-paying jobs. These priorities are at the forefront of our discussions in the Legislature.
I am working hard as your legislator to represent Aroostook County and to help our rural economy grow.
One problem I am committed to fixing is the lack of broadband Internet service in our area. High-speed Internet is not a luxury but a necessity for businesses. Eighty percent of Maine households are underserved in terms of broadband, and some have no access at all. I am excited that a bill I introduced to provide $1 million annually to the ConnectME Authority, which is charged with facilitating universal availability of broadband in the state, is moving through the Legislature.
Last year, I learned about plans for the construction of a new bypass in Presque Isle slated for the spring of 2016 that would impact our snowmobile trails. This year, I am authoring legislation so our snowmobile trails will remain connected. In my previous column I mentioned how Maine statute currently forbids the operation of an ATV or snowmobile on a controlled access highway.
Amending this law will ensure that snowmobiling can continue on our trail network and that all our trails will remain connected and properly functioning. I’m pleased that this bill has received a unanimous vote out of the Transportation Committee. The full Legislature will be making final votes on it in the coming weeks.
I am also committed to ensuring that our children receive the best possible education from our public schools. This year, we learned that school funding across the state was being threatened. Due to changes in statewide valuation and how they affect the complex school funding formula, school districts across the state were going to lose a total of $23 million.
Democrats reacted quickly by introducing and supporting a proposal to fund the $23 million that schools were going to lose. Unfortunately, not all members of the Legislature saw this as a priority and it did not become law.
We heard from parents, educators and local property taxpayers who were very concerned about what the loss of this funding could do to schools and property taxpayers. Our Republican colleagues did not want to support additional education funding at any level, but thanks to the outcry from the public, we were able to work with lawmakers from across the aisle to reach a compromise that secured $15 million in school funding.
As part of the compromise, we also supported the middle class and small businesses through tax relief measures. We aligned Maine with the federal tax code and supported changes such as the addition of mortgage insurance to the mortgage interest deduction, deductions for higher education costs, Section 179 small business incentives, child care credits and deductions for teachers who spend their own money on classroom supplies.
I also strongly support policies that help seniors stay in their homes. Mainers deserve to age with dignity in the communities they grew up in. Providing assistance for weatherization and other repairs would help people to age in place. I also want to ensure Mainers with disabilities are accommodated when living at home. Fair reimbursement rates for the home- and community-based workers who provide care are key.
Our veterans are also a priority for me. These men and women put their lives on the line for us, and we need to ensure they are taken care of when they return home. The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, of which I am a member, heard from a commission about the many struggles veterans in Maine face. Due to the recommendations of this commission, bills to address homelessness, outreach and state resources, transportation and higher education are also before the Legislature.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions about bills before the Legislature. You can reach me at: SaucierforPI@gmail.com.
Rep. Robert Saucier is in his second term in the Maine House and represents part of Presque Isle. He serves on the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee and the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. He is also House chair of the Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission.
