This past week, I visited several businesses across the state and joined my Portland legislative colleagues in a community forum in Portland.

Portland Community Forum

On Saturday, February 23rd, I was joined by Senator Anne Haskell and the Portland House delegation at a community forum at the Portland Public Library. We had over 70 members of the public in attendance. We had a great conversation about the supplemental budget and the upcoming two-year budget. We took questions fromthe audience and listen to their concerns and ideas for the legislature. To me, the comments focused on three topic areas: the next two year budget is a tax shift, we need to think big about revenues, and we need to take care of Maine’s most vulnerable. It was great to get out of Augusta and meet with people in our community. We look forward to doing it again soon.

Haven’s Candies Visit

Last Wednesday, February 20th, I had the pleasure of visiting Haven’s Candies, a 97-year-old company in Westbrook. Haven’s has been manufacturing hand-made candies for ninety-seven-years, and employees 20 employees. It was great meeting their owner, Andy Charles. He told me one of his biggest challenges in this economy is the cost of doing business (energy, healthcare, etc.) It is my hope that we work to address these challenges in a meaningful way this session.

Education News

This past week, we learned some great news about education.
First, the high-school graduation rate in Maine has been on the rise for three years running. The Maine Department of Education announced that the high-school graduation rate in Maine is 85%, up 5% from three years ago. This is due in no small part to the tremendous work the legislature has done to keep at-risk kids in school so they can complete their education. In 2010, I worked to pass a bill, LD 944, “An Act to Increase College Attainment,” that raised the target graduation rate from 80% to 90% by 2016. I’m proud to say we are well on our way to meeting that goal.

Second, Mayor Michael Brennan unveiled his plan for public education in Portland. Called Portland ConnectED, the focus is on both preparing young children for school and help them graduate on time. I look forward to working with Mayor Brennan to ensure this program is a success.

Click here to read more from the Portland Press Herald.

Bills Submitted

Every two years, legislators submit bills to make changes in current law. Over the next few weeks, I will be highlighting some of my bills this session.

This week, I’d like to discuss LR 1881, “An Act Regarding School Construction.”

First some back ground: the Maine Department of Education puts out a request for proposal every two to five years for new school construction. Every school can apply and each district is scored on a point system. This list, called the, “school construction priority,” list is then released with several schools being chosen as schools that will be funded by the state. To see the current priority list click here. Finally, after a school district is identified, they work with the state to plan for several years before the new construction begins.

So where ‘s the problem? Under current law, if a school district not identified by the state for school funding moves forward with planning for new construction, they become ineligible for state funding and are removed from the priority list.

My bill would allow schools to begin planning and hiring professionals to a certain point without losing their place on the list. If, during this time, the school becomes eligible for state funding, then they would be reimbursed by the state for the funds spent. And of course, if a school district did not get awarded state funding, then all the costs would remain the responsibility of the towns. I worked with Mayor Michael Brennan to develop this bill, in an effort to incentivize local communities to start their process of building healthy and safe schools.