McCreight’s compassion for constituents

Congratulations to State Representative Joyce “Jay” McCreight for being honored with the Maine Public Health Association’s Champion Award on May 31. She is the first person to receive the new MPHA award.

Jay is a tireless worker for every Maine citizen. She chaired a special task force on Maine’s opioid crisis. More than 400 people died from overdoses in Maine last year alone. Her committee issued a report calling for significant new efforts to prevent and treat opioid addiction.

Thankfully, both the House and the Senate last month voted to override Republican Gov. LePage’s veto of a bill that lets pharmacists dispense a drug overdose antidote that saves lives so people can survive to get the help they need.

Jay has long championed Medicaid expansion that was finally passed over the governor’s objections. As a member of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, she also worked tirelessly for priorities such as child safety, fair pay for direct care workers, preservation and expansion of mental health services. I’m thankful that I live in a district represented by someone as compassionate as Jay McCreight!

Connie Sage Conner,

Harpswell