Last month, some local credit unions hosted a forum, and I served as one of the panelists. An audience member asked the group to describe ourselves in just one word; a question which I often struggle with so you can imagine my stress when I was handed the mic to answer the question first. After some hemming and hawing, I finally said “resilient.”

At first, I regretted this choice as other panelists gave what I thought were superior answers. But the more I’ve thought about this moment, the more I stand by it – and the more I believe it extends beyond myself.

Building resilience in our communities is a broad goal of mine as I look to the next two years. I am honored and grateful that the people of Biddeford re-elected me, and I take very seriously the responsibility which comes with that vote.

It should come as no surprise that I am worried about actions the federal government may take or fail to take in the coming months and years. Many of these concerns are linked to decisions which could negatively impact funds Maine receives to provide services to people, particularly when it comes to health care. This will present the state with budget challenges and force the Legislature to be disciplined in how we prioritize funds and policies.

With this in mind, we must focus on protecting folks’ access to health care and enhance their ability to afford it. A healthier community is a more prosperous community. We must lock in the progress we’ve made in patient access to necessary care, and maintain important consumer protections against price gouging and arbitrary insurance company denials. In this vein, we must do what we can to strengthen our state’s mental health care system; an issue that is deeply personal to me. I am proud of the progress we have made funding crisis response centers, but we must do more to recruit more providers, ensure coverage and invest in preventative and ongoing mental health treatment which can help improve folks’ health before a crisis emerges.

Additionally, my colleagues and I must do all that we can to prioritize initiatives that will put money back in Mainers’ pockets. Property taxes are out of control and threaten the ability of both seniors and working class families to remain in their homes. Some of this is due to overly restrictive state policies, including those that are embedded in our state constitution, that prevent cities from being able to shift the tax burden away from residents. This issue can also be attributed to the state’s ongoing and widespread housing crisis. No matter what, tackling high property taxes must include protecting revenue sharing and the state’s commitment to fund 55 percent of the cost of K-12 public education.

Additionally, the Legislature needs to work together to bolster our state’s infrastructure so that our communities can be resilient in the face of increasingly severe weather. These storms have impacted both coastal communities like Biddeford and inland communities in central and western Maine – presenting a statewide problem. A commission just completed its study of these challenges and released its report. It is imperative that we implement their recommendations.

Finally, the Legislature must continue to stand up for our most vulnerable neighbors and protect the freedoms of all Mainers. I have heard from constituents who are afraid of what the actions of the incoming Trump administration will mean for them. Fortunately, we have strong laws on the books protecting access to reproductive health care (including abortion) and protecting the civil rights of LGBTQ+ Mainers. I will fight to ensure that we do whatever we can to strengthen these protections where needed and will vocally oppose efforts to roll back protections we have passed.

The national political climate is toxic right now, and we’ve already seen disturbing rhetoric from cynical politicians who believe they have a mandate to spread hate and division against immigrants, women and trans people. They don’t. Personally, I do not respect politicians who obsess about books, bathrooms and the genitals of high school athletes rather than helping folks afford to feed their families and pay their bills. Such politicians are a minority here in Maine, and we will not let them divide us no matter what we hear coming out of Washington.

I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to build a more resilient Maine. Let’s get to work.

Rep. Marc Malon is serving his first term in the Maine House, representing a portion of Biddeford. He serves as a member of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee and the Labor and Housing Committee. He can be reached via email at marc.malon@legislature.maine.gov.