PenBayPilot.com has circulated questions to candidates seeking office in Midcoast Senate and House District. As candidates return their responses, we are posting them on the Pilot's front page, and then they will reside on the Elections 2024 Voter Resource Page, which also includes letters, opinions, stories about state and local referendum questions, and more.

Stephen J. Hemenway, R-Northport, is seeking the House District 39 seat. The district comprises Belfast, Belmont and Northport. He is running against incumbent Janice Dodge, D-Belfast.

Please provide a short biography of yourself, and explain why you are running for office.

I’m Stephen J. Hemenway and I’m running for the office of Maine State House Representative for District 39: Northport, Belfast and Belmont. 

 I am a retired Deputy Sheriff of 32 years.  I write “The Slouch in the Couch” series of children’s learning books, write and record music and produce a national public access educational television program called “The Children’s Corner,” which is also on YouTube via: the “slouchman” channel. 

I am running for office to help pass legislation that will help Mainers, not hurt them like the passed legislation indicated below.  

What are the most pressing issues facing the state and how would you like to see them resolved?

Maine’s electric bills are going through the roof and continue to climb!  The destruction of thousands of acres of beautiful Maine with the replacement of toxic and caustic solar farms is a huge problem.  

Besides being responsible for our electric bills, they are contaminating farmland, displacing our wildlife and affecting our tourism dollars. 

In 2019, LD 1494 was passed.  This law put all our electric power in a toxic basket, stating that 80% of our electricity shall be produced from solar and windmill farms and 100% by 2050.  

This has been a windfall for solar farm companies, that know we have to pay for their expensive electricity whether we want it or not.  They can produce this electricity for as low as 5 cents a kilowatt, then sell it to us for up to 20 cents a kilowatt. 

We need to repeal LD 1494 and diversify where we get our electricity.  I support hydroelectric power which is green power and affordable.

We are currently facing a $500 million deficit.  Why?  

When legislation is passed and requires funding, it’s supposed to go through the Appropriations Committee to determine if there is money to pay for the law.  Such laws have been passed in current years, however, have gone around appropriations and given directly to the department that implements the law.  

Maine law states that any legislation passed by Congress and presented to the indicated department to be implemented, shall implement it.  These pieces of unfunded legislation have led to our current deficit.  

I support legislation that mandates all legislation requiring funding, to go through the Appropriations Committee to avoid state deficits in the future. 

Are there any specific issues affecting your particular district that you want to address in the Legislature?

The cost of energy and property taxes to start.  

Given the cost of health care, how would you address increasing access to affordable and high-quality healthcare for all?

I will support proposals that increase price transparency, lower costs, increase access,  and allow people to choose their own physician. I do not believe a government run system can do that. We need to focus on making people healthy again.  

Property owners throughout most of Maine are watching their property tax bills increase on an annual basis, some dramatically. What would you do, as a legislator, to help relieve the financial load on property-owning taxpayers?

Maine is a small state and definitely not a rich state.  However, our property taxes are going through the roof, causing grief for home owners and renters. 

In 2023, LD 258, Maine’s state budget for 2023 – 2025 was passed.  This budget included the repeal of LD 290, the popular “Property Tax Stabilization Act for Senior Citizens” and repealed our “Increases in Homestead Exemption.” 

 In March of this year, LD 2102 passed.  This was “An Act to Support Municipalities by Repealing the Law Limiting the Municipal Property Tax Levy.” 

This law supported municipalities and did not support Mainers.  I support reinstating these three laws that our current Representative voted to repeal as a starting point to reducing our incredibly high property taxes and helping Mainers.

Do you endorse net energy billing (solar power subsidies) that are designed to help Maine move further toward renewable energy, despite the increase in power bills for Maine power customers?

I support the right of a private citizen to put solar panels on their house or property if they so choose.  I do not support solar panel farms or subsidizing them.  Keep in mind, solar panels are not green!  They are filled with caustic and toxic chemicals and nobody knows how to dispose of them properly.  Burying them seems to be the current answer, however, that could present a problem down the road with the contamination of our ground water.

Besides being responsible for high electric bills, solar farms are contaminating farmland, displacing wild life (increased bear sightings in our communities) and affecting our tourism dollars. 

In 2019, LD 1494 was passed.  This law put all our electric power in a toxic basket, stating that 80% of our electricity shall be produced from solar and windmill farms and 100% by 2050.  This has been a windfall for solar farm companies, that know we have to pay for their expensive electricity whether we want it or not.  

They can produce this electricity for as low as 5 cents a kilowatt, then sell it to us for up to 20 cents a kilowatt. We need to repeal LD 1494 and diversify where we get our electricity.  I support hydroelectric power which is green power and inexpensive.

Are you in favor of developing an offshore wind port in Searsport? If so, do you want it sited on Sears Island or Mack Point, and why?

No.  I am not a fan of windmills and even if I was, I wouldn’t put a windmill port in historic Searsport.  Windmills give off a hum which people can hear and a hum that we can’t hear.  That hum, even off shore, can be heard by our whales.  This hum disorients them, making them unable to find their birthing grounds. This is a big reason our whale population is going down.  

Should abortion be a constitutional right in Maine?

No.  First off, abortion should not be a political subject.  It’s between a mother, her doctor and her God (if she has one), not a politician.  That said, we had a very fair abortion law which gave a mother six months to make up her mind on what she wanted to do.  However, that law, LD 1619, was changed this year to full term abortions of healthy babies.  Also, the criminality of a person performing an abortion who is not a licensed medical professional, was taken out of the law.  This opened up the abortion procedure to anybody who wants to perform one.  There’s no need to waste precious time on a constitutional amendment.

Are Maine’s gun laws strict enough? If not, what do you propose? 

Yes.  Laws affect law abiding citizens, not the criminals they are intended to deter.  If a criminal wants a gun, he’s going to get one.  I know this as I am a retired peace officer.  There are a lot of civilians that don’t understand this.  There’s nothing wrong with gun safety laws but we must be weary of stomping on law abiding citizens constitutional rights.

What legislative committees would you like to serve on and why?

Criminal Justice and Public Safety.  Public safety was my profession before retirement.
Environment and Natural Resources.  I want to protect the beauty of Maine.

What is your opinion on each of the Nov. 5 statewide referendums?

I support a $5,000 limit for giving to political Action Committees.
I support a General Fund Bond Issue for Research and Development.
I support a General Fund Bond to restore historic buildings.
I support a General Fund Bond for our trails' maintenance and development.
I support the Pine Tree Flag as the official flag of the State of Maine.

Is Maine doing enough to prepare and protect infrastructure for rising ocean levels and increased precipitation?

No.  Recent storms did damage to the coastline in District 39.  Property owners attempting to repair their shorelines before more storms hit, have been plagued by red tape, expensive fees and regulations.  The State of Maine needs to step up to the plate and make it easier and less expensive for the repair and shoring up of our coastline.  These repairs need to be performed in a timely manner before more storms hit and cause additional damage.

What issues are emerging from your conversations with the public as you go about your campaign, and what solutions do you envision?  

High electric bills and high property tax bills are big issues in our District.  The electric bill situation can be fixed with a repeal of LD 1494 and replaced with new legislation that gives us diversity and competition.  Property taxes can be addressed with reinstating the three laws that were repealed with additional tax relief legislation to follow.  

How would you define "good state government?”

A good Maine state government looks after the people of Maine, to make their lives more affordable and enjoyable.  It’s not the governments job to fund people from other countries or States, or appease special interests. Mainers should always be first!

What are the qualities and attributes of Maine that you want to enhance and cultivate?

I support our lobsterman and want to ensure Maine continues to be the lobster capital of the world.  I also want to stop the destruction of thousands of acres of land for solar farms and return Maine to its natural beauty.

Is there any other topic or issue you'd like to talk about here? Have at it!

All of us as voters, tend to vote for people we know or like, without having any clue how they are affecting our lives with their Legislative votes in the Maine State House.  

In District 39, all of the legislation I have discussed above, from full-term abortion to the repeal of three property tax relief laws, received a “yes” vote by our current Representative of six years, the honorable Jan Dodge, D-Belfast.  

In addition to higher property taxes, LD 1578, the “Popular Vote Interstate Compact,” was another law our Representative also supported.  This law joins us with 16 other states, to give away our four electoral college votes to whoever wins the popular vote in a presidential election.  

Approximately five states out of 50 have the majority of the population in the United States and would determine our President every time, with Maine losing all representation.  We need to repeal this compact before it becomes effective and we no longer have the right to vote for the presidential candidate, we want our electoral college votes awarded to. 

 In the next Congress, Governor Mills “Home of New Americans” legislation will be reintroduced.  This law proposes using tax payer money to support, house, educate, etc., non-U.S. persons under the guise of needing them for workers.  If they’re working, why don’t they pay their own living expenses like the rest of us?  Six years with the same representative is long enough.  It’s time for change.  

I would be grateful for the vote from the District 39 voters, this November.