GOV REJECTS IMPROVED STEM EDUCATION
Vetoes funding for council he previously supported
AUGUSTA – On Monday, Governor Paul LePage vetoed a bill to strengthen education and job training in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
“It is disappointing the governor doesn’t see the value of this initiative,” said Senator Emily Ann Cain (D-Orono), the sponsor of the bill. “The STEM industry is growing and these are the jobs of the future. Allowing this bill to die is bad for business and bad for our state.”
The measure provides $27,000 over a two-year period to the STEM Council to hire an executive director to advance science and math education, create career awareness campaigns, and spearhead internship opportunities for high school and college students in these fields.
“The funding will ramp up as the position grows from part time to full time, and the Council has also been seeking funding through public-private partnerships,” added Senator Cain. “We must not miss this opportunity to improve STEM education in Maine.”
The STEM Council was established through an emergency bill initiated by Governor LePage in 2011 to develop strategies to enhance STEM education from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary education. It received overwhelming bipartisan support from the legislature and the governor last session.
According to the Department of Labor’s Maine Employment Outlook to 2018, Maine’s fastest growing occupations will be in the field of health care. Computer-related occupations are also growing at a faster than average rate, and the Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Workforce and Economic Future has identified strengthening education in the high-demand STEM disciplines as key to Maine’s economic future.
The bill, LD 1132, “An Act To Achieve Economic Growth by Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education and To Meet Workforce Needs,” passed unanimously under the hammer in both the Senate and the House. The Senate will take up the veto of the bill later today.
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