BRUNSWICK

Lawmakers from the Bath/Brunswick area have received their committee assignments for the 128th Legislature.

Each senator or representative elected to the Legislature by their constituents is assigned to a Joint Standing Committee that deals with specific issues, such as transportation or energy. Each bill proposed by lawmakers for the 2017 legislative session is assigned to the most appropriate committee, which is tasked with reviewing it. The committees consider each bill, make desired changes and then make a recommendation on whether the Legislature as a whole should take up the bill. In Maine, the committees are made up of both senators and representatives jointly.

The Democrat senators elected from the Greater Bath/Brunswick region, Eloise Vitelli (Arroswic) and Everett “Brownie” Carson (Harpswell) were assigned to the Marine Resources and Insurance and Financial Services committees respectively.

“The men and women who harvest the bounty of our shores and waters often rise before the sun, and are some of the hardest-working people in our state,” said Vitelli in a press release. “Their products are iconic, and their work benefits all of us. They have contributed immensely to Maine’s reputation for high-quality food products and its growing status as a tourist destination. Safeguarding our marine resources for future generations ensures that these industries will endure and continue to contribute to Maine’s economy and its quality of place. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve on this important committee.”

“I’m honored to join my colleagues on the committee, and look forward to our work together,” said Carson in a press release. “I’m interested in supporting local, community banks that support Maine business enterprises and families with top-level services, and are accountable to their customers. We need to pass policy to support these institutions, while also enforcing regulations that protect Mainers from the excesses of big finance and banking firms. Consumer protection is a high priority.”

“Insurance exists to protect policyholders from financial ruin in the wake of the unexpected, whether that’s a cancer diagnosis or a car accident,” he added. “At a time of great uncertainty and high costs in the health industry, I will do my best to make health care accessible and affordable for all Mainers.”

Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, the Senate Majority Leader, was appointed to serve as the chair of the Veterans and Legal Affairs committee, a position he held in the 126th Legislature.

“The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee has a very wide-ranging area of responsibility over issues that affect all Mainers,” said Mason. “I have always believed that caring for our veterans needs to be one of our top priorities as lawmakers. It is also crucial to ensure that our elections are carried out in an orderly, transparent manner. I look forward to working with all members of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on the important work that is ahead of us in the 128th Legislature.”

House assignments

Members of the Maine House from the Bath/Brunswick area were appointed to the following committees:

District 46 Rep. Paul Chace, R-Durham: Health and Human Services

District 49 Rep. Matthea Daughtry, D-Brunswick: Education and Cultural Affairs

District 50 Rep. Ralph Tucker, D-Brunswick: Environment and Natural Resources

District 51 Rep. Joyce McCreight, D-Harpswell: Judiciary & Taxation

District 52 Rep. Jennifer DeChant, D-Bath: Energy, Utilities and Technology & the Government Oversight Committee

District 53 Rep. Jeffrey Pierce, R-Dresden: Environment and Natural Resources & the Government Oversight Committee

District 54 Rep. Denise Tepler, D-Topsham: Appropriations and Financial Affairs

District 55 Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham: Energy, Utilities and Technology & the Joint Select Committee on Joint Rules

District 56 Rep. Gina Mason, R-Lisbon: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

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