Sen. Claxton 4/26 Update

Legislative Update from Senator Ned Claxton

Dear friend,

I continue to be amazed by the many joys and challenges of being a state legislator. It is a great honor to be representing the good people of Auburn, Mechanic Falls, Minot, New Gloucester and Poland. With that honor comes a great responsibility. I appreciate the many phone calls, emails and in-person conversations (though I apologize for any delays in getting back to you, as we are busy working in Augusta). Your opinions help me as I make decisions and research each piece of legislation before me. I hope to represent you well as I work hard to make the most informed decisions on your behalf. Please continue to reach out to me with your questions, comments and concerns.

Read on to learn more about office hours, Earth Day, updates on legislation and recent visitors to the State House.

As always, you can contact me by emailing me at ned.claxton@legislature.maine.gov or calling my office at (207) 287-1515.

Sincerely,

Ned

Office hours in Auburn

I appreciate the conversations I have with residents as I hold local office hours around the district. My next office hours will be in Auburn.

Auburn: May 24 from 6 pm to 7 pm at the Auburn City Hall, 60 Court Street.

Talking with residents during local office hours.

Please feel free to drop in with any questions, comments, concerns or just to say hello. All are welcome.

Additional dates and locations for public office hours throughout Senate District 20 will follow. Senate District 20 includes Auburn, Mechanic Falls, Minot, New Gloucester and Poland.

Legislation I submitted to fight for homeowners

Yesterday I was happy to introduce legislation to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. LD 1327, "An Act To Require Residential Mortgage Loan Servicers To Act in Good Faith in Dealing with Homeowners" will hold mortgage servicers to the same standards that banks are held to.

Maine's rate of foreclosure is higher than our national average and Androscoggin County continues to see foreclosure rates above Maine's average. Everyone knows someone who has gone through the difficult process of foreclosure. It is often a complicated process in part due to the inability to work out problems with the entity the homeowner chose for their mortgage. Requiring mortgage servicers to act in good faith before and during mediation is one step we can take to help homeowners resolve problems with their mortgage before foreclosure is imminent. My bill also allows the courts to step in if a mortgage lender is not acting in good faith.

Fighting to make prescription drugs more affordable: an update

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, a package of bills to help make your prescription drugs more affordable subject of public hearings in front of a Legislative committee. It was so powerful to see people turn out to testify in support of this important effort. This is a huge issue for constituents all over the state. In the U.S., one in four Americans struggles to pay for their prescription medication while one in ten Americans does not take their medicine as prescribed to stay afloat.

Protecting our environment is everyone's job

Earth Day was Monday, April 22. One of Maine's greatest assets is its natural beauty. Protecting our environment for future generations is one of my top priorities. In the State House, my colleagues and I are working on several bills that would help protect Maine's natural resources.

Senator Cathy Breen, D-Falmouth, has introduced a bond that would make a substantial $95 million investment in Land for Maine's Future and Maine state parks. The bill, LD 911, is cosponsored by 104 legislators.

Further, my colleagues in the Senate, Mark Lawrence, D-Eliot, Dave Miramant, D-Camden, and Heather Sanborn, D-Portland, have all submitted bills to promote solar power projects in Maine. And earlier this month, the governor signed into law a bill that eliminated gross metering, promoting fair energy billing across the state.

Visitors at the State House

I was honored to welcome Reverend Doctor Jodi Hayashida of First Universalist Church of Auburn to the State House on Tuesday. Rev. Dr. Hayashida gave the opening prayer in the Maine Senate before the start of the day's legislative session. Local clergy have offered blessings and inspiration to legislators at the beginning of the day since the first days of the Maine Legislature in 1820. Once the prayers are offered, they are entered into the official Senate Record. 

With Rev. Dr. Jodi Hayashida and Honorary Pages Tessa and Kaia Hayashida in the Senate Chamber.

I was also excited to welcome Rev. Dr. Hayashida's daughters, Tessa and Kaia, to the Maine Senate as honorary pages for the day. The Honorary Page program gives students a unique chance to participate in and observe the State's legislative process. As honorary pages, students deliver messages, distribute documents within the Chamber, interact with the senators, and most importantly take part in a real world, legislative learning experience. 

Students wishing to learn more about the Honorary Page program and religious leaders who are interested in offering a prayer should contact Sen. Claxton's office at (207) 287-1515.

Beware of scams targeting new homeowners!

The Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection has released a new guide to help protect Maine homeowners from scams. A growing number of scams are specifically targeting people who are in the process of buying a home. To read the guide, click here. To read more advisories from the bureau, click here.