By Rep. Holly Eaton, D-Deer Isle
As of Jan. 7, the 132nd Legislature is back in Augusta to conduct our second session of the two-year term. Currently, we have roughly 700 bills to consider before our adjournment date in April.
Last year, the Legislature passed a balanced budget that helps build stronger Maine communities and delivers for working families across the state. In a difficult and uncertain fiscal environment, we protected critical investments in food security, education, child care and housing. This includes funding that supports nutrition programs like SNAP, ensures no student goes hungry and invests in our child care workforce.
In the off season, a number of task forces and commissions took up the important work of diving deeper into policy matters, including a task force on property tax relief, a commission focused on preventing the growing trend of deed fraud, and another commission studying how to expand access to oral health care in Maine. These groups produced recommendations to the Legislature, some of which will result in new bills that we will take up in the coming months.
This session, my colleagues and I are working to protect Mainers from federal cuts to health care and food assistance, build more housing that is desperately needed, make sure Maine kids get high-quality early childhood education, and give working families some relief from rising energy costs. I am committed to fighting for an economy that works for all Mainers, not just a privileged few.
In my personal work, I am cosponsoring a number of bills that matter to our greater community here in Hancock County. LD 2069, An Act Designating July 21 as Maine Commercial Fishing Remembrance Day, does exactly what the title says and honors the Maine fishermen who’ve lost their lives at sea. Last year, Governor Mills proclaimed July 21 “Lost Fisherman’s Remembrance Day.” This bill would set that day in stone going forward, ensuring we annually remember those who we have lost.
I’m also a cosponsor of LD 2078, An Act to Establish the Electricity Cost Fairness Refundable Tax Credit. I am especially excited about this bill, which would provide targeted relief for eligible Mainers through a new income tax credit of up to $600 per year to help more Mainers afford rising energy costs, putting money directly back into the pockets of those who need it most. The credit would work similar to the state’s existing Property Tax Fairness Credit and Sales Tax Fairness Credit, which are two proven policies that have helped lessen the financial burdens facing so many of us.
I will also be closely following the proposals outlined in Gov. Mills’ supplemental budget, especially in regard to municipal revenue sharing, K-12 public school funding and community college tuition. As of this writing, we have just heard her State of the State Address and await the release of her full budget proposal. I will have more thoughts to share on that in the coming weeks. It is my hope that this budget will be a vehicle to lower costs for working families.
We have a lot to do this session between now and April, and I am excited to get to work. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance, if you have an idea for a bill or if a young person in your life might like to shadow me for a day in Augusta. I can always be reached at Holly.Eaton@legislature.maine.gov or 207- 610-9281.
Rep. Holly Eaton is serving her second term in the Maine House. She serves as a member of both the Marine Resources Committee and the Transportation Committee, and represents the communities of Brooklin, Deer Isle, Eagle Island Township, Frenchboro, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Swan’s Island, Tremont, Isle au Haut and Vinalhaven.