MAINE’S FREEDOM OF ACCESS ACT IS AN INVALUABLE TOOL FOR HOLDING GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ACCOUNTABLE AND ENSURING TRANSPARENCY.

It, however, has some deficits when it comes to its clarity and the strength of its enforcement mechanisms. Many of these deficits became quite clear during the pandemic as citizens’ involvement in their government was hampered. As someone who has litigated Freedom of Access Act and First Amendment cases against government agencies, I know where those shortcomings are.

As a legislator, I will work on a bi-partisan basis to strengthen this tool for citizen involvement.

Sunlight is the greatest disinfectant, and the Freedom of Access Act should be strengthened to provide that sunlight in the form of transparency.

OUR DISTRICT HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST CHILD POVERTY AND HUNGER RATES IN MAINE.

The best path out of poverty is the promise provided by education. That doesn’t mean solely traditional classroom education, it also means through access to trades. It most certainly means access to early childhood education.

As a legislator, I will work every day to make sure that the next generation of Mainers is provided more opportunity than the last.

That requires that we empower and properly compensate educators. To do so, we acknowledge that there are major staffing, retention, and recruitment issues among educators in Maine. We need to get creative in incentivizing new educators and staff members to enter these professions.

Washington and Augusta make too much education policy without listening to educators and students. We should eliminate unfunded mandates that bury educators in meaningless paperwork and stop them from doing the job they love, teaching. Educators must be fully resourced, amply supported, and unconstrained by politics in doing their work.

THE STATE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER PARTNER TO MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS.

Too many State and Local interactions put the State in the position of a condescending big brother or sister.

As a City Councilor and Municipal Attorney, I’ve experienced administrations of both parties persistently act like they know more, can do more, and are better than Municipal Government. Sometimes that’s the case. More often, it’s not.

I will not hesitate to stand up to anyone, regardless of their party, to make sure that Auburn’s interests are protected whether that’s on municipal revenue sharing, transportation, infrastructural issues, land use, or with respect to exercises of emergency powers during a pandemic.

Local government must have a seat – a real seat – at the table.

THE POVERTY RATE IN DISTRICT 89 IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. IT’S EVEN HIGHER AMONG OUR YOUNGEST RESIDENTS.

Ensuring that our children do not go hungry and are provided meaningful, equitable, and effective paths out of poverty should be our greatest priority. That means real plans not only to ensure that Auburn residents most at risk get access to the aid they need, but also that they receive lifelong skills to ensure that they can transform their lives and the lives of those who come after them.

• It means making sure that those who suffer from addiction are provided the necessary resources to conquer their addiction and lead productive lives.

• It means that those who have risked life and limb to re-locate here to become citizens are unconstrained by bureaucratic impediments to practicing their trade.

• It means digging in and doing real work rather than symbolic performance.

A hungry child can’t eat Facebook likes. In the winter, our residents can’t heat their homes on liberal or conservative tears.

I will work with anyone, regardless of party, to fight poverty.