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Legislative Leadership
 Senate: Democratic Leadership
President Libby Mitchell, D-Kennebec, Score: 7/7
Majority Leader Philip Bartlett, , D-Cumberland, Score: 7/7
Asst. Majority Leader Lisa Marraché, , D-Kennebec, Score: 7/7
Average 2009 MLCV Score: 7/7
Senators Mitchell, Bartlett and Marraché received a perfect 7/7 combined score showing their solid commitment to protecting Maine’s environment. Mitchell cosponsored legislation to build a cleaner energy future for Maine (LD 1333) and to renew funding for the Land for Maine’s Future program (LD 913). Bartlett deserves recognition for chairing the Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Energy Future. He devoted great effort to drafting and building support for An Act Regarding Maine’s Energy Future (LD 1485).
Senate: Republican Leadership
Minority Leader Kevin Raye, , R-Washington, Score: 4/7
Asst. Minority Leader Jon Courtney, , R-York, Score: 4/7
Average 2009 MLCV Score: 4/7
Senators Raye and Courtney received a respectable combined score of 4/7 as a leadership team. Each demonstrated a commitment to enacting new legislation to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals (LD 973), to build a clean energy future (LD 1485) and to protect Maine’s rivers and fish (LDs 330 & 1333). On the other hand, they supported efforts to weaken environmental laws (LD 347) and supported attempts to erode conservation protections for Maine’s North Woods (LD 1370) and coastal wildlife habitat (LD 1218). Raye provided leadership to gain bipartisan support for An Act to Provide for the Safe Collection and Recycling of Mercury-containing Lighting (LD 973). Courtney demonstrated courage when he was the only Republican senator to vote in opposition to a measure that would have prevented the Department of Environmental Protection from regulating agricultural composting operations (LD 351).
House of Representatives: Democratic Leadership
Speaker Hannah Pingree,, D-North Haven, Score: 7/7
Majority Leader John Piotti, , D-Unity, Score: 7/7
Majority Whip Seth Berry, , D-Bowdoinham, Score: 7/7
Average 2009 MLCV Score: 7/7
The perfect combined 7/7 score of Representatives Pingree, Piotti and Berry demonstrates the priority they place as a leadership team on policies to protect Maine’s air, land and water, to reduce our exposure to dangerous chemicals and to build a clean energy future. Pingree and Berry each sponsored significant legislation to protect human health, promote energy efficiency and advance clean energy jobs (LDs 886, 973, 1293, & 1333).
House of Representatives: Republican Leadership
Minority Leader Joshua Tardy, , R-Newport, Score: 2/7
Asst. Minority Leader Phil Curtis, R-Madison, Score: 1/7
Average 2009 MLCV Score: 1.5/7
Representatives Tardy and Curtis earned the lowest combined score among leadership. While their support for reducing our exposure to dangerous chemicals is commendable (LD 973), they led their caucus on numerous occasions to vote against policies to protect Maine’s natural resources (LDs 330, 347, 1218, 1333 & 1370).
Natural Resources Committee:
Senator Seth Goodall, , D-Sagadahoc / Senate Chair
Representative Bob Duchesne, , D-Hudson / House Chair
Chairs Goodall and Duchesne provided effective leadership throughout the session. They led the Natural Resources Committee on several priority bills including ones to improve the water quality of Maine’s rivers (LD 330), to reduce mercury pollution by creating a first-in-the nation recycling program for compact fluorescent light bulbs (LD 973), and to maintain the Department of Environmental Protection’s regulatory oversight of agricultural composting operations (LD 351). As a freshman legislator, Goodall’s leadership was especially noteworthy.
Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee:
Senator John Nutting, D-Androscoggin / Senate Chair
Representative Wendy Pieh, D-Bremen / House Chair
The ACF Committee considered numerous bills on the use and notification of pesticide spraying. The committee also addressed several damaging bills that would have eroded the Land Use Regulation Commission’s ability to protect Maine’s North Woods. Chairs Nutting and Pieh worked well with different constituencies to develop a much needed pesticide notification program (LD 1293). On the other hand, they supported bills that will make it more difficult for LURC to protect the North Woods and did not support lawmakers on the ACF Committee who were providing strong leadership to defeat those bills (LDs 516, 413, and 1047).
Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Energy Future:
Senator Philip Bartlett, D-Cumberland / Senate Chair
Representative John Martin, D-Eagle Lake / House Chair
The Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Energy Future was formed at the beginning of this session with the sole purpose of crafting comprehensive energy legislation for the state. Chairs Bartlett and Martin worked tirelessly to consolidate energy efficiency and weatherization programs throughout the state and to create a plan for Maine’s energy independence (LD 1485).
State and Local Government Committee:
Senator Deborah Simpson, D-Androscoggin / Senate Chair
Representative Stephen Beaudette, D-Biddeford / House Chair
This session, the State and Local Government Committee considered two anti-environmental bills: one to annex a portion of Redington township to Carrabassett Valley to avoid LURC oversight (LD 741); and one to bog down the legislative process by creating a Science Advisory Board (LD 1102). Chairs Simpson and Beaudette worked diligently within the committee and on the floor of the House and Senate to defeat both of these measures.
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Letter to the Editor
The letters to the editor section of your local newspaper presents an ideal forum. Here are a few guidelines to help you get your letter printed.
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Writing Your Legislator
Tips for making your voice heard
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Wetland Protection:
Studies have shown that protecting wetlands are an important part of fisheries protection. This is especially applicable to Maine's alewife, herring, flounder, mussels and lobster fishery. For more information about Maine's wetlands, visit this website.
>>>See
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