By Rep. Ellie Sato
We recently concluded this year’s legislative session, where I fought for laws that will make life better for families and working people. In Maine, we did the hard work of governing, passing policies to help ensure our state is a place where families can live and work, where young people can put down roots and where we take care of our aging neighbors – because that’s what people expect from their leaders.
While there is always more work to be done, I am proud of what we accomplished this session and the legislation I sponsored over the last two years to bolster our economy and protect the rights of everyday people.
As someone who has worked primarily in restaurants, the rights of workers are front of mind for me. That’s why I sponsored legislation to support those employed by Uber and Lyft. I also championed a measure directing the Department of Labor to report to the Legislature on the impact of our current workplace sexual harassment policies and include recommendations for strengthening prevention efforts.
Additionally, I passed legislation to establish the Maine-Aomori Sister-state Advisory Council (MASSAC) in state law. MASSAC has been nurturing long-lasting relationships between the Aomori Prefecture in Japan and the State of Maine since the 90s. These partnerships have fostered economic development in aquaculture and supported exchange programs in education, the arts and archeology. Now, we can continue to build and foster our relationship with Aomori as our coastal communities face the shared effects of climate change.
My bill, LD 2106, which is now law, will help uphold due process in Maine and protect residents from unchecked immigration enforcement. This legislation provides clarity for employees at public schools, state health facilities and state libraries on what to do if, and when, they encounter Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It requires immigration officers to obtain a warrant signed by a judge in order to conduct enforcement at places where everyone should feel safe.
The protections laid out in this bill are not new – they were federal policy for years because of the overwhelming public health and safety consequences of conducting enforcement at sensitive locations like these. “Operation Catch of the Day” and other reckless federal immigration enforcement in Maine have created lasting terror in our communities. This bill is about recognizing the humanity in one another and protecting the rights and safety of all Maine residents.
I also worked with advocates to integrate the history and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) people into our statewide system of learning results. In 2020 during the pandemic, we saw a sharp rise in hate crimes committed against the AANHPI community here in Maine. As we work to improve public safety and prevent future violence, educators can utilize many cost-effective and free resources covering AANHPI history and key events in the U.S., like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. AANHPI history is American history.
Finally, for survivors of sexual assault, I passed LD 412, which improves access to justice for survivors by prohibiting the sale of self-administered sexual assault forensic evidence collection kits that distance survivors from critical services at medical facilities, like free evidence collection, advocacy services, legal assistance and time-sensitive prophylactic measures.
The bills I sponsored will protect the rights of everyday people, ensuring we have safer workplaces and schools and, in turn, making our communities and businesses stronger. These initiatives and the many others we were able to pass this session will help make life better for families and working Mainers.
As your representative, I can best represent our community by directly hearing about the issues you care about. You can contact me by email at Ellie.Sato@legislature.maine.gov or by phone at 207-287-1430. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance navigating state services or even just to introduce yourself.
Rep. Ellie Sato, D-Gorham, is serving her first term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.