State Senator Beth Edmonds
Remarks of Maine State Senate President Beth Edmonds, Opening Day, December 1, 2004
Good morning and welcome, Senators, to the First Regular Session of the 122nd Maine Legislature. I thank each of you for your commitment to the great State of Maine and I applaud your steadfast determination to serve.
What an extraordinary group of people -- we bring to this Senate Chamber an impressive and broad array of experience, unique talents, and an unbending desire to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. I am both honored and humbled to stand before you today as Senate President. Thank you, Senator Rotundo for nominating me. I am grateful for the honor bestowed on me and the confidence placed in me and I intend to work very hard to achieve the confidence and trust of each member of this body. I am particularly honored to be the second female Senate President in Maine history. My predecessor, Beverly Daggett, is a remarkable woman who has been a friend and a role model. I'd like to acknowledge the citizens of Senate District 10. Their support over the past four years has been a constant source of inspiration; and, I am particularly grateful to everyone at the Freeport Community Library
Today, the first day of the 122nd Legislature, is a special day for each of us. Before we begin the important work ahead of us, we need to thank the people who have brought us to this moment -- our friends and families. Please join me in welcoming and thanking all of these special people for their love, encouragement and support. I want to thank my husband, Dan Nickerson, for his unfailing love and support. Dan more than I placed confidence in me and knew what I was capable of. Dan has always said his greatest contribution to humanity is that he can always get me to laugh. Thank you, Dan. Senator Brennan helped me write this speech and as you can imagine, kept saying "and one more thing"
Where did my journey to the State House begin? I come from a very small town in the most rural, mountainous part of northern New York State. Miss Frederica Mitchell, the minister of the Keene Valley Congregational Church was the person who first inspired me to a life of public service. Seeing Miss Mitchell at the pulpit every Sunday morning gave me the idea that a woman could be a leader -- that I could be a leader. More than that, however, were the lessons she taught me. Miss Mitchell always preached the gospel of love. "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs in the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth and Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God" The clear message has always been -- we have to look out for everyone. This is what we all, in our hearts want. I challenge us to find and attend to the common ground between us. I challenge us to work together to create a vibrant economy, a healthy citizenry, a clean and protected environment, a fair tax structure and good educational opportunities for our children. I challenge us to build bridges, not only across rivers but across regions, and backgrounds and political perspectives. And we can. All of us know that we have been sent a clear message to provide reasonable property tax relief. Soon.
That is why I hope this legislature will, later today, approve the creation of a Joint Select Committee on Property Tax Reform. Such a Committee will bring together some of the best minds of the Legislature, from both parties and from a variety of standing Committees, to fashion a bi-partisan proposal to provide Maine people with the tax reform they need and the tax relief they deserve. We will do this while meeting the commitment to increase funding to local schools.
This is a challenge we must and will meet. My Republican colleagues, Senator Davis and Senator Westin and I have already met to begin the job of keeping the lines of communication open. We have to look out for everyone. We must keep our home districts in mind and simultaneously keep the well being of all of Maine in mind. That will require the generosity of spirit that the people of Maine deserve. Those of us who represent the more urban areas of Maine need to keep our friends and neighbors in the rural areas in mind as we deliberate.
Conversely, those of us who live in the country will need to understand the pressures being faced by those of us who live in the cities. As representatives of our districts we will need to model for our constituents the ability to think beyond ourselves and for our state as a whole.
Our role as Senators is necessarily to address the challenges that our state faces. We cannot build solutions to our state's challenges without a clear picture of our strengths and the good we have already done.
Many of our policies, such as making health care widely available for pregnant women and infants, are working. Maine is among the leaders nationally in preventing teenage pregnancy, with a rate less than half the national average. Our infant mortality rate of 5.7 per 1,000 births is among the nation's lowest. Our K-12 students continue to perform at levels that place them among the highest in the nation. Thanks in part to our investments in the Maine State Housing Authority; we have the highest rate of home ownership in the country. Our economy is showing signs of improvement, with T Mobile's commitment to First Park the most significant recent evidence.
Maine incomes rose faster than the national average last year. Our tax burden, which is a continual cause of complaint from some, is coming down. Many Maine citizens are rightly concerned about the large number of talented young people leaving our state, but that should not blind us to the fact that Maine has a net in-migration of people. Our quality of life, with a gorgeous coastline and rugged mountains, is attractive to many. A recent study ranked Portland the 14th best place to live in the country. Our natural resources define Maine for most of us, and one of our obligations is to protect the best of Maine for future generations. This year we must pass a major bond issue for the Land for Maine's Future Program. We must also provide additional bond funding to protect drinking water and improve sewage treatment facilities.
Our environment is too precious to be left to chance. We need to address the problems of rural Maine so that real opportunity is available to all Maine residents. Even in areas where the economy is strong, not all workers have access to jobs that pay a livable wage.
In the long term, an educated workforce is the solution. That will require measures to expand access to higher education and support the Maine Community College System, Maine Maritime Academy, and the University of Maine System. Another part of the solution is strengthening and expanding the creative economy. Bright, innovative people can work where they choose, and why not Maine? The rising cost of health care, including prescription drugs, continues to be a problem. Maine can be proud of the many steps we have taken to date, from Maine RX to Dirigo Health, but we cannot rest there. This is work that we must do and we can.
These are visions that we all share. This is what we all want.
We must take the rich diversity we find among ourselves and craft solutions that satisfy the majority. Those of you who served with me on the Labor Committee or on a legislative study commission know that I always seek consensus. The legislature is at its best when we set partisanship aside and strive, simply, to do what is best for Maine people. In that spirit, my door is open to all of you. The voters have entrusted us with an important job. We can and we will rise to the challenge.
Thank you.