Address to the Dem Caucus on March 8

Dear, dear Democrats, 

When I knocked on doors and then took the oath of office to serve as your representative, I promised to push for legislation that would expand health care coverage, lift up working Maine families, support our schools, improve broadband access, and provide meaningful property tax relief. There is so much more to do but I’m really proud of the work the 129th Legislature has accomplished. Please see below for some specifics. 

I vowed to be the bridge to Augusta and have hosted informational meet and greets, written newspaper columns and letters to the editors, kept up a website and a Facebook page, and sent newsletters, electronic and paper, to help you stay aware of what’s happening at the State House. 

I am honored to serve as a Democrat and eager to keep getting our work done. I ask for your support again. You have invested in me and I hope I am re-elected so that you can see a bigger return on your investment. I’ve taken advantage of many trainings, educational trips, and informational sessions offered, working hard to be the best representative I can for you.
I am again running a Clean Elections campaign. If you are able, please support this program and donate $5 to endorse my candidacy. This is the commitment we make to keeping elections ours—to keeping democracy in the hands of the people, not wealthy donors or agenda-filled lobbyists. 

If you would like me to speak to a gathering or meet your neighbors, if you have questions I can get answered, if you have comments about what’s happening in Augusta, please let me know. 

Most sincerely,
Sarah Pebworth 

I am especially proud of elected officials working together and:

• Raising state share of education funding to nearly 51%, which includes $115 million in new state support for local education and increasing revenue sharing to 3% in 2020 and 3.75% in 2021.
  
• Eliminating single-use plastic bags and prohibiting the use of some disposable food containers.
  
• Putting federal Affordable Care Act protections into state law and expanding Medicaid/MaineCare.
  
• Closing a corporate tax loophole to allow funding for an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit, a credit that puts money in the pockets of low-income workers, and expanding the Homestead
  Exemption Act and Property Tax Fairness Credit.
  
• Supporting initiatives to feed more hungry school children with a program that eliminates the
  reduced-price lunch category and includes those children in the free-lunch category.
  
• Establishing the Climate Change Council to assist in mitigating, preparing for, and adapting to climate change—experts and leaders are planning concrete ways to meet ambitious new statutory goals, e.g., increasing Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to achieve 80% renewable energy by 2030, up from 40% today, and a goal of 100% by 2050.   
  Setting solar prices in a way that incentivizes increased distributed generation in Maine and resetting the solar metering policy to ensure consumers who produce electricity from solar will be fairly compensated for supplying excess energy back to the grid.

• Preventing discrimination in insurance for women in Maine by requiring public and private insurers that cover prenatal care to cover the complete range of pregnancy care, including abortion.
  
• Ensuring health policies provide coverage for the purchase of hearing aids.
  
• Passing the pharmaceutical bill package.
  
• Establishing the Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, which
  worked to create a 10-year strategic plan for economic growth in Maine and instituted ways to
  address the state’s workforce shortage.
  
• Supporting healthy workplaces and families by providing earned paid sick leave to more employees.
  
• Recognizing the contributions of tribal communities by changing Columbus Day to Indigenous
  People’s Day.
  
• Prohibiting the use of handheld phones and devices while operating a motor vehicle.
  
• Establishing a Blue Ribbon Commission to modernize the way Maine funds transportation
  infrastructure in the state.
  
• Establishing a way, beginning in 2022, of automatically registering eligible individuals to vote.
  
• Implementing a presidential primary.
  All of this and more was done within a budget that included increasing the rainy day account. 
  
  Legislation we are working on this session includes:
  

• Ensuring oversight and accountability of the potential transmission corridor project.
  
• Passing a bond that will help fund broadband and bring affordable, equitable access to high-speed
  internet to more Mainers.
  
• Exploring local ownership and control of Maine's power delivery systems (replacing CMP and Emera with a consumer-owned utility in order to refinance and control the electrical grid).
• Adding access to comprehensive medically necessary dental care to the limited dental services
  currently available to MaineCare members 21 years of age and older.
  
• Continuing to address workforce shortages and wage inequity.
  
• Continuing to address tribal relations and judicial concerns.,
  
• Passing the Patient First bills. 
  
  How cool is this?!?
  
  • The Maine House Democratic caucus is now 55% women, the first time in history that women have been the majority of any caucus in the Maine Legislature, and women in the House now chair 50% of the legislative committees.
    
  • With 12 women in the Senate, Maine has the most women legislators ever, the seventh highest number nationally.
  • Under the leadership of Governor Mills, Maine’s first female governor,
    
    • Women outnumber men in her cabinet, 8 to 7, for the first time ever and
      
    • Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife all have female commissioners for the first time.