A snowy day and freezing night did not deter a large group from attending the Lincoln County Democratic Committee’s Jan. 18 meeting, which featured Senator Chris Johnson speaking about Project HOPE and efforts to bring it to Lincoln County.

Jim Torbert, Chair, opened the meeting with words of homage to Martin Luther King Jr. before turning to committee business. At the top of the agenda was the 2016 Democratic caucus scheduled for March 6. Anyone wishing an absentee ballot for caucus voting can go online to mainedems.org, and click on “Request an Absentee Ballot,” which is in the top right of the screen in one of the two alternating displays.

Young voters who turn 18 on or before Nov. 8, Election Day, and want to vote at the caucuses can do so if they register to vote on or before Feb. 18. The time and locations of caucuses will be announced in the coming weeks.

Before introducing Senator Johnson, Torbert spoke of the failures of government under the LePage administration. “Many functions are being dismantled because positions are not filled, programs are not funded, and millions of dollars of available federal funding are not accepted. For example, the LePage administration refused federal money to test drinking water for lead contamination; and the state repeatedly and erroneously claims that applications for food assistance were never received.”

He then turned the floor over to Senator Johnson, who was approached recently by a constituent advocating for a program like HOPE in Lincoln County. HOPE is proving to be highly successful in dealing with the rising severity of drug addiction, drug-related deaths and crimes, and the impacts of addiction on families. Its focus is on getting addicts into treatment, not jail.

Johnson contacted law enforcement and health and treatment agencies to learn about what resources were and were not available in Lincoln County for detoxification, counseling, and related support networks. Finding strong interest in HOPE, Johnson brought these agencies together, organizing a series of ongoing meetings in which they are working together to develop coordinated policies for the entire county.

Lincoln County’s municipal police chiefs, sheriff, and the Addiction Resource Center are committed to getting HOPE running locally and to getting addicts into treatment when they come forward, not days or weeks later. More individuals and organizations are coming forward each week to join the effort.

Johnson added that Officer John Gill of Scarborough, where HOPE was first implemented in Maine last fall, and Stephen Cotreau of Portland Recovery Community Center, would speak about how they made their program work and answer questions. As of Jan. 17, Scarborough had 103 addicts placed in treatment, including some from northern Maine.

“One of our challenges now is how to tap out-of-state resources, particularly for detoxification,” Johnson said, adding “The total number of drug-treatment beds available in Maine currently is far from adequate.” He noted that last year Maine lost several drug-treatment beds at Mercy Hospital and in southern Maine because the LePage administration’s failure to expand MaineCare coverage meant these facilities were not getting paid and they could not the associated level of charity care.”

Johnson then described the bipartisan work on Maine’s Bill LD 1537: An Act To Combat Drug Addiction Through Enforcement, Prevention, Treatment And Recovery, stressing how important the treatment and recovery components are to successful implementation of HOPE. [Note: LD 1537 passed the Maine Senate and House unanimously on Feb. 19  and was signed by the governor.]

The meeting concluded with Torbert announcing that representatives of the Clinton and Sanders campaigns are scheduled for the Democrats next meeting, which will be on Feb. 15.

An Italian Night pasta and meatball supper is planned for Saturday, Feb. 20 in Boothbay at American Legion Post 36. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available.

Torbert thanked those who brought food donations, which will be added to others and delivered to a local food bank. He announced that the Damariscotta River Association recently plowed two fields to grow fresh, organic produce for local food banks.

For more information about the Lincoln County Democratic Committee and its upcoming events, please visit its website, www.lincolncountydemocrats.com, or Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/lincolncountydems.

For more information about Senator Johnson, please go to his website, senatorchrisjohnson.org, or Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/StateSenatorChrisJohnson.