Supporting Mills for governor

I’m a big supporter of gun safety legislation and I’m supporting Janet Mills for governor. Here’s why:

I served with Janet in the Legislature and I worked with her on a lot of bills, including domestic violence bills and criminal justice reforms. She has always worked for the best interests of the people and she has a good record on gun issues. I should know. I sponsored most of those bills.

I was very disappointed that a lobbyist, William Harwood, recently claimed that Janet Mills voted “wrong” on a couple of bills more than a dozen years ago. I want to set the record straight.

One of those bills was mine. That bill turned out to be not very workable and did not get a good vote in the committee, so I didn’t push to get it enacted. Janet ended up voting the same way as 112 other House members, including Democrats Sean Faircioth, John Patrick and John Richardson. Her vote on that bill is a total non-issue.

The other bill Mr. Harwood mentioned was enacted under a different title after Janet spoke out against an NRA proposal then successfully crafted an amendment on police liability. Janet and I both voted for the bill which became law which requires police officers to notify victims whenever a domestic abuser tries to buy a gun.

Being the primary sponsor of much of the gun safety legislation the last eighteen years, and having served with Janet, I’m here to tell you Janet Mills was a supporter of victims rights and public safety long before she was elected attorney general. Her whole career has been about standing up for Maine citizens and for vulnerable people in our state.

I have known Janet for many years and have seen her work across the aisle to get important bills passed, including laws that take guns away from domestic abusers. Mr. Harwood was simply wrong about her record.

I stand by Janet Mills and hope she becomes our next governor. I know her and trust her.

Stan Gerzofsky,
Brunswick

Vote Carson

Brownie Carson epitomizes service and dedication.

We in the 24th State Senatorial District are lucky that our Senator Everett Brownie Carson is running for re-election. Brownie’s life has been one of service to his community.

He interrupted his education at Bowdoin in 1967 to enlist in the Marine Corps, where he led a platoon in Viet Nam. On completing his duties in the Marines, he continued his studies at Bowdoin, and went on to take a degree in law from the University of Maine Law School.

While many of his classmates went on to lucrative positions in law and business, Brownie continued his dedication to serve his community as a lawyer for six years with Pine Tree Legal Assistance. From there, he served as executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, retiring in 2011 after twenty-seven years. Brownie and his family then moved from Brunswick to Harpswell, where he has served as a volunteer ambulance driver with Harpswell Neck Fire and Rescue.

His passion for public service led him to his successful run for the State Senate in 2016. He is seeking re-election in order to continue his efforts to strengthen protection for our environment, broaden educational opportunities for all, and build a strong economy for Mainers. He has shown a desire and ability to work constructively with his colleagues, regardless of political party, to make real progress on behalf of all of us.

For these and many more reasons, we are delighted to support Brownie in his effort to return to the State Senate.

Polly and Dan Harris,
Brunswick