Midcoast Senators receive perfect scores on education records
AUGUSTA — Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, and Sen. Brownie Carson, D-Harpswell, earned 100 percent ratings from the Maine Education Association for their voting records on education issues during the second regular session of the 128th Legislature.
“Having spent the better part of four decades helping adults access the training and education they need to succeed, I know the value of a good education to our families and our economy,” said Sen. Vitelli. “I’m proud of my record supporting the teachers that put in the hard work every day to create positive learning environments for Maine’s children.”
The Maine Education Association is an organization representing 24,000 Maine teachers and is dedicated to supporting policies and laws to improve public education.
This year, Vitelli and Carson supported two successful bills to protect the health and safety of school children. The first bill, LD 1710, restored state funding for school-based health centers, which the Department of Health and Human Services unexpectedly cut last summer. The second bill, LD 1858, makes technical changes to the School Revolving Renovation Fund to prioritize essential upgrades for school security systems. Both these bills provide Maine schools with the resources necessary to best meet the needs of their students from funding school safety upgrades to proper physical and mental health care.
“While there is more work to be done, I am proud that we made progress to ensure the safety of our children in schools and to restore Maine’s crucial school based health centers,” said Sen. Carson. “I will continue to make teachers and students a priority in the Legislature.”
Sen. Carson also supported a bill sponsored by Sen. Vitelli to protect Maine students and their families from predatory student loan companies, who make it impossible to pay off student debt and get ahead. While LD 1507 initially passed both the House and the Senate, the governor unfortunately vetoed the bill. Another bill that failed to become law because of the governor’s veto was LD 40, to ensure drinking water in all Maine schools is safe from lead and other harmful elements.
Vitelli represents Senate District 23, which includes all of Sagadahoc County and the town of Dresden and Lincoln County. Carson represents Senate District 24, which includes the towns of Brunswick, Freeport, Harpswell, North Yarmouth and Pownal in Cumberland County.
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