In many ways, the end of the legislative session is like being on one of the longest family road trips I’ve ever taken. By this point, everyone is asking if we’re “there yet.” Legislators are tired, spend long hours sitting in one place, and subsist on not-so-healthy convenience foods. But despite the strong desire to get home to our families, you can feel the excitement in the air from what we have accomplished.

As I write this article in the wee hours of the morning, we’re still not there yet. But the end is in sight. We have already passed a proposal that resolves the use of a revenue bond to help fund the state budget, and are now waiting for more work from the Senate. Passing the new budget plan really shows me just how different my life has become since being elected as a citizen legislator.

When I worked in the mill, there was always a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. You always knew exactly where you were in the process, what had been done, and what needed to be done. Moving a legislative agenda forward is extremely different. There are far more variables in a given day, and anything can be changed along the way.

The budget is a great example. Like our budgets at home, the state budget is a fluid document that is adjusted with the conditions of the state. With decreased bond ratings and the potential loss of 12,000 jobs as a result of the Pentagon’s BRAC list, we needed a new plan, and that meant painful budget cuts.

Our Appropriations Committee did an amazing job finding ways to make cuts without crippling our most vulnerable population. Health care was one of the main areas where more cuts were proposed, but thankfully the committee worked to mitigate the impact on our state’s health care system. I could not have come home to our district knowing that my vote had thrown 40,000 people off the health care rolls as one of the proposals suggested-especially not coming home to my number one supporter, my wife Diane, a nurse at Maine Medical Center.

Budget concerns and tax reform have dominated the news of this session, and I think we’ve taken some important steps on those issues. We hear a lot about those big picture issues, but it’s also good to remember that the Legislature considered over 2,000 other pieces of legislation that have a day-to-day impact on Maine people.

When I was elected, I had about one month to fully prepare the bills I wanted to submit. I worked very hard to talk with as many constituents as possible, and review the notes I made going door to door to develop the proposals I thought would matter most to our area. Several of my proposals, including the ban on Alcohol Without Liquid, allowing the transfer of hunting permits, and providing free park passes and fishing licenses to returning veterans, were successful.

With seven months of legislative service behind me, I am even more interested in what I can accomplish for Windham and Gray next session. My duties as a legislator don’t stop simply because the Legislature has recessed for a few weeks. I hope you’ll continue to contact me on issues that are important to you or if I may be of assistance on any state issue affecting you or your family. Feel free to call me at home at 892-6591 or e-mail me at RepMarkBryant@yahoo.com.

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