Greetings!
It’s been nearly four months since the October mass shooting in Lewiston took the lives of 18 people – a devastating tragedy that our entire state is continuing to heal from.
As we all collectively grieve for the victims, their families and the entire Lewiston community, the Legislature has the responsibility to act and ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again.
Gun violence can take many forms. It exists in our communities in ways that don’t often make headlines. Incidents of suicide by firearm continue to destroy lives and families across Maine. Our state currently has the 12th highest rate of suicide in the country, and in 2021, nearly 89% of Maine’s firearm deaths were suicides. Gun violence also takes the form of deadly intimate partner violence, where firearms are by far the most common method used to kill domestic violence victims. Finally, guns from Maine flow to other states where stronger, stricter laws are in place.
In her recent State of the State Address, Gov. Janet Mills outlined a gun safety proposal that will help ensure firearms don’t fall into the hands of dangerous people who intend to cause harm. The proposal includes closing Maine’s background check loophole and enhancing our state’s extreme risk protection order law. During my time in the Legislature, I have consistently supported and voted for common-sense gun safety reform. These measures mark important progress.
While this proposal is a promising first step, there is still more that we must do to help keep our communities safe. I’m committed to advocating for additional sensible gun safety measures. This is one of my top priorities this year. I will continue to update you on our work.
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As always, it remains an honor and a privilege to serve you in the Maine House of Representatives. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with your questions, concerns or ideas.
Gratefully,
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Maggie O'Neil
Serving residents of Saco
590-1679
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Recently, Sen. Donna Bailey and I welcomed the SMS Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest winners to the State House.
SMS 7th-graders Aislyn Cassidy, Aaron Garland, Juniper L’Italien, Tucker Vincent, Spencer Pahigian, Natalie Chaplin, Abigail Cashin, Amara Doe, Charlotte Ramsay, and Eleanor Studtman are members of the team, coached by SMS teacher Ms. Lindsay Girard.
These bright students, under the guidance of their teacher, made an amazing design: biodegradable, sustainable, and refillable markers. The team shared that hundreds of millions of markers end up in landfills every single year. I am proud of their work to make an impact and wish them the very best as they advance to the national competition in the coming weeks.
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a national competition that challenges students in grades 6-12 to use their STEM skills to address real-world issues in their communities and affect positive social change.
The SMS team prevailed over their high school competitors and secured a $12,000 Samsung prize package, a video kit to assist in the national competition, and a designated Samsung Employee Mentor. The team will now advance to the national competition as the sole middle school among the six State finalists.
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MAINE’S NEW HOMESHARE PROGRAM |
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Legislation I passed to make it easier for older adults and empty nesters to rent an extra room to young people in need of affordable housing was recently highlighted in the Bangor Daily News.
I partnered with Jean Saunders of Age Friendly Saco on this project. Other states, including Vermont and California have offered programs like these for nearly 50 years. Those programs have resulted in positive intergenerational relationships and helped many older adults enjoy companionship and remain independent in their homes, while addressing the housing crisis. Across Maine, we have at least 500,000 empty bedrooms. If only 2,000 Maine homeowners rented a spare room in their home, it would make a huge difference for our housing crisis.
Read the article here and see the measure itself here. If you would be interested in hosting, please reach out to Age Friendly Saco for information at agefriendlysaco@gmail.com.
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SUPPORTING MAINE CAREGIVERS |
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Thousands of Mainers care for family members who are older, have a disability, or are not their biological child. Caregivers can also be neighbors extending a helping hand to an older adult, or someone with Alzheimer’s or related dementias. Respite for ME Grants, funded by the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, will allow caregivers to access respite care as well as other services not currently covered by existing programs. Eligible caregivers may receive up to $5,171 to access needed services.
Services that eligible caregivers may access include, but are not limited to:
- Respite Care
- Assistive Technology
- Self-Care
- Legal Consultation
Learn more about the Respite for ME Grants here.
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INVESTING IN MAINE INFRASTRUCTURE |
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The Maine DOT’s Three-Year Work Plan includes transformational investments in our state’s infrastructure.
Thanks to the Legislature’s historic 2023 Highway Fund budget and the bipartisan federal infrastructure law, the plan contains more than 2,600 projects totaling $4.74 billion. This funding will help address the current backlog of road projects in our rural and spread-out state.
To see a list of projects slated for our community and the entire state, visit www.maine.gov/mdot.
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Tax season is officially here, and CA$H Maine may be a helpful resource in your filing!
CA$H Maine is a collaboration of organizations across the state that work together to provide free tax preparation and other financial services for Mainers who meet income requirements.
For more information and to find out about services in our area, visit www.cashmaine.org.
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