This week, Democrats followed through with our promise to expand health care to tens of thousands of Mainers while making our final payment to Maine’s hospitals. As we make our final payment to hospitals, we must also address the underlying problem of our high hospital costs. Our comprehensive plan does just that by taking full advantage of the Affordable Care Act.

 

Click here to read more from the Portland Press Herald.

Community Event

On Friday, I had the pleasure of welcoming students from the Reiche School to the State House. It was great to meet with them, learn about their classes, and even watch a few bang the gavel. If you know of students that would like to visit the legislature, send me an email atJustin@JustinAlfond.com.

Bills Submitted

This week, I had seven bills in work session, which is when a committee debates a bill among themselves, proposes amendments, and ultimately makes a recommendation to the full legislature. Because I was the lead sponsor of each of these bills, they will come to the Senate in the next few days.

 

Innovation in Schools

On Monday, the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee deliberated on LD 1129, “An Act To Promote Innovation in Public Schools.” This bill would require Maine’s Education Department to highlight approved deeper-learning models, lead a statewide conference where deeper-learning organizations can showcase their learning models, and create a series of teleconferences to support standards-based learning strategies, implementation, and resources to public schools across the state.

 

The bill received an Ought to Pass as Amended Report, with the committee requiring the Maine Education Association to collaborate with the Education Department for the statewide conference.

 

Brewers’ Festivals

Later on Monday, the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee deliberated and voted on LD 1447, “An Act To Grow the Maine Economy by Promoting Maine’s Small Breweries and Wineries,” which would set the number of special taste-testing festival licenses statewide at five per year, and increase from the current one license per year. The bill passed Unanimous Ought-to-Pass As Amended. The committee struck the language regarding licenses held by trade associations.

 

Virtual Charter Moratorium

On Monday, the Education Committee deliberated and voted on LD 995, “An Act To Establish a Moratorium on the Approval and Operation of Virtual Public Charter Schools.” This bill will place a moratorium on establishing a virtual charter school in Maine. The only exception in the bill allows for supplementary online classes to be provided to high school students if they are administered by the state or by a nonprofit. The bill received a majority Ought to Pass, with 9 of the 14 members supporting the bill.

 

Public Charter Input & School Construction

On Wednesday, the Education Committee held a work session on two of my bills. The first is LD 1128, “An Act To Provide for Greater Public Input and Local Control in the Chartering of Public School.” This bill would require an applicant charter school to hold more community meetings and input into the creation of a charter school that could be established in their community. This bill received a Divided Report, with 10 members voting Ought to Pass as Amended.

 

The second bill the Education Committee deliberated was LD 1235, “An Act Regarding School Construction,” This bill would allow schools to begin planning and hiring professionals, to a certain point, without losing their place on the priority school list. The bill received a Unanimous Ought to Pass as Amended Report, with the committee preferring only the top 20 schools on the priority list can begin working on a school. With Hall School at number 12, this would allow the City of Portland to move forward as planned.

 

Groundfishing Permit Bank

Also on Wednesday, the Marine Resources Committee worked on LD 939, “An Act To Restore Maine’s Groundfishing Industry.” This bill would appropriate $3.5 million to the Department of Marine Resources to purchase federal groundfishing permits to strengthen our Maine Groundfish Permit Bank. This bill received a Unanimous Ought to Pass as Amended Report. The committee amended the bill to make it a bond.

 

Employment First

On Thursday, the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee worked on LD 1352, “An Act To Provide Integrated Community-based Employment and Customized Employment for Persons with Disabilities.” This bill would require the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health & Human Services to coordinate their efforts to assist the disabled community and help those that want to work find a job. The bill received a Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report, making minor changes to the composition of the board.

Closing

As always I’d love to hear your thoughts on these and other topics. Send me an email at Justin@JustinAlfond.com.

 

-Justin