Shenna Bellows, Democrat

Shenna Bellows

Democrat

Candidate’s Links:

Office Sought: Senator – District 14
Age: 41
Occupation: Small Business Owner – Nonprofit Consulting
Education: Ellsworth High School, Middlebury College
Family: Married to Brandon Baldwin
Hometown: Manchester

Political experience

I have been a longtime advocate for civil rights and civil liberties. As Executive Director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, I developed a track record of building unusual, bipartisan coalitions to pass groundbreaking privacy laws. I co-chaired the 2011 statewide campaign to restore same-day voter registration, and I was a key leader in the successful 2012 marriage equality campaign. I was the 2014 Democratic nominee for US Senate.

Why are you running for office?

I want to make a positive difference in people’s lives. I’ve seen firsthand in my business working with non-profits how the decisions made in Augusta have a significant impact on people’s lives. I will work hard to build coalitions of Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike to get things done. I will fight to make the state pay its fair share of education funding to lower property taxes and ensure that every child has equal access to quality education.

Income Tax: Gov. LePage would like to lower Maine’s income tax rate and eventually eliminate it, by increasing the state’s sales tax and expanding it across a broader range of goods and services. Do you support this proposal?
- No
  High property taxes are hurting seniors, families and small businesses. It’s the number one issue for voters in my district. I oppose lowering or eliminating income taxes without a clear plan for lowering property taxes and sustaining critical funding for education and infrastructure. While I strongly support eliminating some of the sales tax exceptions that have been put in place by special interests, I think we need to carefully analyze the cumulative impact on small businesses in our state before we raise or expand the existing sales tax.
Background Checks: Do you support background checks for privately sold firearms in Maine?
- Yes
  I support background checks for private sales because we should try to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and people with serious mental illness. At the same time, family members should not have to conduct background checks on one another just to share a gun while hunting. If Question 3 passes, I will work hard to preserve exceptions for families and temporary transfers during hunting and other recreational activities.
Minimum Wage:
In light of the ballot question facing voters this fall, do you support raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour by 2020?
- Yes
  I support raising the minimum wage because people who work full-time should be able to put food on their table and pay their bills. An artificially low minimum wage that keeps workers in poverty really benefits the Walmarts and McDonalds of the world. We, the taxpayers, are subsidizing the profits of fast food chains and big box retailers when their workers are forced to go to the food pantry to feed their families. One of the best ways to grow the economy is to put money in workers’ pockets to spend locally. Raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do, and it will grow our local economies.
Marijuana: Do you support legalization of marijuana for recreational use?
- Yes
  I support marijuana legalization. We need to end the war on drugs and reform our criminal justice system. We incarcerate too many people in our state and our country for non-violent offenses. Our limited public resources would be much better spent investing in drug treatment facilities and community education in a regulated system that promotes community health and safety. At the same time, we need to ensure that Maine’s successful medical marijuana system is preserved. If Question 1 passes, I will work hard to make sure the legislature protects medical marijuana caregivers and patients in the implementation process.
Addiction/Overdoses: Do you believe the state is doing enough in response to the rise in heroin/opiate addiction and overdoses? If not, what else should be done?
- No. The opiate and heroin epidemic is shattering families and devastating our communities. Drug treatment programs continue to close in our state because the state has been incredibly slow in dispersing funds that the legislature already appropriated to treatment providers. As a result, families are having a very difficult time finding treatment for loved ones. We need to increase pressure on the administration to support funding for service providers who are struggling to meet the demand. Furthermore, we need to expand MaineCare, so that low income adults can access existing treatment options.
  We also need to support funding for law enforcement to hire the personnel they need to adequately patrol more rural areas in our state. This should not be a partisan issue. The crisis is affecting everyone. I will work hard with Republicans, Independents and Democrats alike to support the coalitions of law enforcement, non-profit providers, medical professionals and families that are struggling to address the problem in our local communities.