It was another fascinating week in Augusta. Both of my committees are meeting regularly now (Education & Cultural Affairs and Regulatory Fairness and Reform), and bills are being heard in committee. It seems like almost every day the Governor releases more information regarding his policies, potential commissioners and new orders. There will not be a dull moment during this legislature!

Community Event
On Thursday morning, I spoke at the Cumberland County Superintendents meeting at the State House and we discussed the pending biannual budget. Schools across Maine are prepping for the difficult 2012-2013 budgets.  I also spoke about three things:

  • Acknowledging which things Maine Schools are doing well, such as committed teachers and students, and a 76% graduation rate (in the top ten in this country);
  • Increasing collaboration between districts to get more dollars in the classroom, such as the Sebago Alliance and the partnership between Westbrook & Portland on Vocational Technical Education;
  • Pushing for innovation and smart reforms in our schools even during these tough financial times, including online and virtual classes and increasing probationary periods for new teachers.

On Thursday and Friday, I joined several other legislators at the Maine State Chambers Leadership Summit at Sunday River in Newry. About 50 business leaders joined us for a conversation about the upcoming session. I was struck by the thoughtful and open-minded approach of the business leaders. Most of them told us their number one priority is creating a business environment where there’s predictability in the formal approval process. There was almost no support for the Governor’s environmental proposals, but almost everyone felt we needed to regularly review all regulations to ensure that they are still relevant. Many businesses are supportive of the Affordable Care Act, but still don’t understand it or the process.

Finally, almost everyone supported increased funding for our higher educational systems. There were disagreements among some in the business community around the state’s alternative energy emphasis and long-term investments. Many complained that we need cheaper rates now, not the promise of cheaper and cleaner energy in the future. There were also spirited conversations about ending the clean elections systems and term limits.

Update from Augusta
This week, the news from Augusta centers around a few more Senate confirmations of Commissioners. Of note, I spoke out against the new Commissioner of the Department of Economic Community and Development, Philip Congdon, and the nominee for commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, Darryl Brown. I want to thank everyone who has contacted me about pending commissioners.

Last Thursday, a confidential memo from Communications Director Dan Demeritt became public and shook up the state house. In his memo, Dan wrote that 11,000 state employees will create a coordinated campaign to re-elect Republicans. Among many other ideas, this plan includes getting Senator Olympia Snowe’s office engaged in “increasing the profile” of Maine Republicans.

Finally, I was in Belfast last Wednesday afternoon on the listening session for the Regulatory Fairness and Reform Joint Standing Committee. Over 70 people packed the University of Maine’s Hutchinson Center. Over 75% of the speakers spoke in opposition to the Governor’s environmental proposals. The business leaders that spoke in favor all seemed to share frustrations at the customer service, redundancy of the multitude of applications, and the lack of staff in some agencies that cause slow turnarounds. This week, I head to Bangor for another listening session.

Bills Submitted
This is the fourth in a series of describing bills I have introduced this legislative session. This week, I’ll review two more, one relating to psychology services in schools and another to help increase the number of students going to college.

An Act to Improve the Delivery of School Psychological Services to Children in Maine Schools
This bill will improve the delivery of school-based psychological services for children birth through grade 12, with a focus on prevention and intervention in Maine school programs. Currently, many intervention services are only delivered by Licensed Psychologists due to issues with the current Department of Education certification. This bill would allow certified school-based psychologists to continue delivering their necessary services while focusing on educational issues. If passed, this bill would assist more schools in rural Maine and allow school psychology providers to be covered by MaineCare, so schools can be reimbursed for their services.

An Act to Increase College Attainment
This bill would require all Maine students completing high school to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or a similar application for financial aid, to receive their diplomas. Many families believe that with expense of college, a higher education will be out of their reach. By completing the FAFSA, students and families will know how much financial aid will be available to them from colleges they apply to, and can make informed decisions about finances when applying for college.

Closing
Are you interested in shadowing me at the state house? How about bringing your son or daughter to be a page? Please let me know if you are interested.
-Justin