AUGUSTA - Rep. Anne Graham, D-North Yarmouth, will serve as the House chair of a new legislative commission that will evaluate how to improve sustained public health investments in Maine. Graham was appointed to serve on the commission by Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland.
The bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission to Design a Plan for Sustained Investment in Preventing Diseases and Improving the Health of Maine Communities was created by LD 1722, which became law earlier this year. The commission will study long-term funding options and policy solutions available for chronic disease prevention throughout the state. Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Androscoggin, will serve as Senate chair.
"Maine's public health infrastructure has been chronically underfunded," said Graham. "The structure of the Legislature's two-year budget cycle often doesn't provide the time to adequately analyze our initial investments responding to public health threats. This commission will provide us with an exciting opportunity to take a longer view and develop a thoughtful, data-driven plan for our future. I am honored to play a leading role in this work, which will support the health and well-being of all Maine people."
The commission will consist of 15 members, including Democratic and Republican legislators with experience on both the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee and the Administrative and Financial Affairs Committee. It will also include public health experts, a representative from a county or municipal health department and people with experience in improving access to health care.
The commission will report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by Dec. 6, 2023.
Rep. Anne Graham is serving her third non-consecutive term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. She represents the community members of North Yarmouth and Gray.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Graham], c. 305-965-2744