On the Issues
Throughout my three terms in the House, I have leveraged my legislative appointments and a passion for community stewardship to deliver meaningful results for the people of Maine. I’ve brought my scientific background and commitment to sustainability to the Joint Standing Committees on Environment and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Beyond my committee assignments, I have focused heavily on being a powerhouse coalition builder within the State House. As a founding leader of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, the Progressive Women’s Caucus, and the Jewish Legislators Caucus, I have consistently organized my colleagues to advocate for worker protections, human rights, and deep cultural inclusivity. Whether collaborating on the Maine Climate Council Working Lands Working Group or building interfaith bridges through the Circle & Star Caucus, my focus has always been on collaborative leadership—and it is that exact approach that paved the way for the landmark legislative accomplishments highlighted below.
Landmark Legislation
Protecting the Environment
Standing Up to Fossil Fuels:
LD 99: An Act To Require the State To Divest Itself of Assets Invested in the Fossil Fuel Industry
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The Impact: This landmark legislation positions Maine as a bold leader in the fight against climate change. By requiring the state to divest its public assets from fossil fuels, it ensures that state taxpayer dollars and retirement funds are no longer backing the industries driving global warming, shifting resources toward a sustainable future.
Confronting PFAS Contamination Head-On:
LD 1600: An Act To Investigate Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Contamination of Land and Groundwater
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The Impact: Protecting Maine’s natural resources requires aggressive action against toxic "forever chemicals" (PFAS). This bill established critical mechanisms to investigate and map contamination in our soil and groundwater, taking a vital first step toward protecting our agricultural sectors and securing clean, safe drinking water for families.
Investing in Maine’s Agricultural Future
LD 437: An Act To Establish the Maine Healthy Soils Program
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The Impact: This bill directly supports Maine's local farmers by focusing on long-term climate resilience. By establishing a dedicated program to improve soil health, carbon draw-down, and water retention, it helps local agricultural ecosystems thrive while building a more sustainable and resilient regional food supply.
Diverting Food Waste and Reducing Emissions
LD 1065: An Act Regarding the Reduction and Recycling of Food Waste
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The Impact: Organic waste rotting in landfills is a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative tackled the issue directly by creating frameworks to significantly reduce food waste and scale up community recycling, cutting down on landfill use and promoting a cleaner environment.
Powering Up Clean Energy Access
LD 1133: An Act to Allow Electric Vehicle Charging Stations by Condominium and Residential Associations
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The Impact: Transitioning to clean transportation only works if people have the infrastructure to support it. This bill broke down major local barriers, ensuring that Mainers living in condominiums and community associations have the legal right to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, accelerating the adoption of green technology.
Fostering Public Health and Human Services
Protecting and Expanding Reproductive Freedom
LD 1619: An Act to Improve Maine's Reproductive Privacy Laws
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The Impact: In a shifting national landscape, this historic piece of legislation fiercely defended reproductive rights. It updated state law to ensure that deeply personal medical choices later in a pregnancy are made safely between a patient and their trusted medical professional—free from government interference or outdated criminal penalties.
Saving Lives Through Harm Reduction
LD 1364: Resolve, to Study Methods of Preventing Opioid Overdose Deaths by Authorizing Harm Reduction Health Centers
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The Impact: Facing a persistent opioid crisis, this initiative prioritized public health, compassion, and data-driven solutions. By authorizing the study of community-based harm reduction health centers, it laid the groundwork for medical interventions designed to prevent overdose deaths and connect vulnerable individuals with recovery resources.
Guaranteeing Emergency Medication Access
LD 1776: An Act To Allow Pharmacists To Dispense an Emergency Supply of Chronic Maintenance Drugs
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The Impact: No Mainer should face a life-threatening gap in care just because they can't get an immediate doctor's appointment. This bill provided a vital safety net by allowing pharmacists to dispense emergency supplies of critical, everyday medications (like insulin or asthma inhalers) to ensure continuity of care.
Strengthening the Public Health Safety Net
LD 1078: An Act to Support Maine's Public Health Objectives by Increasing Access to Hypodermic Apparatus Exchange Programs
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The Impact: A pillar of infectious disease prevention, this legislation expanded access to clean syringe exchange programs across the state. It reduces the transmission of blood-borne diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C while opening paths to counseling and substance use treatment.
Improving Access to Psychiatric Care
LD 2083: Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services to Establish a Stakeholder Group to Study Timely Access to Psychiatric Medication Management Services Across the State
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The Impact: Mental health is public health. This initiative took aim at systemic bottlenecks in Maine's mental healthcare system, driving a targeted effort to find solutions so that individuals experiencing psychiatric crises can access medication management services without devastating delays.
Standing Up for Human and Civil Rights
Advancing Tribal Self-Determination
LD 2007: An Act Regarding the Criminal Jurisdiction of Tribal Courts
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The Impact: This represents a major milestone in restoring inherent rights to the Wabanaki Nations. By expanding the legal authority of Tribal courts to prosecute certain crimes on their own lands and empowering the Penobscot Nation to manage its drinking water, this bill made meaningful progress in tribal sovereignty and collaboration.
Keeping Native Families Together
LD 1970: An Act to Enact the Maine Indian Child Welfare Act
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The Impact: This crucial civil rights legislation enshrined the safeguards of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act directly into Maine state law. It ensures vital protections are permanently in place during child custody and welfare proceedings, respecting tribal culture and preventing the historic, forced separation of Native families.
Protecting Workers from Workplace Surveillance
LD 949: An Act to Protect Workers from Employer Surveillance
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The Impact: In the modern digital age, privacy is a fundamental right. This forward-looking labor bill protected the privacy and dignity of everyday Maine workers by establishing clear boundaries and restrictions on how employers can monitor and surveil their staff during the workday.
Strengthening Wabanaki Studies in Schools
LD 1474 & LD 1642: An Act to Strengthen the Teaching of Wabanaki Studies in Maine Schools
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The Impact: True equity begins with accurate education. This legislation provided the resources and structural support needed to ensure that the rich history, culture, and governance of the Wabanaki people are taught accurately and robustly across all Maine public schools, enriching our shared history.
Expanding Safe Voting Access for All
LD 886: An Act to Allow Clerks to Issue Absentee Ballots After the 3rd Business Day Before Election Day to Voters with a Physical or Mental Disability and Certain Voters' Caregivers
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The Impact: Protecting democracy means ensuring every voice can be heard. This bill expanded voting access by removing restrictive deadlines for absentee ballots for voters experiencing physical or mental disabilities, as well as their dedicated caregivers, ensuring they aren't disenfranchised by rigid timelines.