Maine Democratic Party priorities in the next two years will be to advance progressive policies in the key areas of healthcare, early childhood education and renewable energy, says Speaker of the House of Representatives Mark Eves. He noted that strengthening policies and programs in these fields will require maintaining Democratic majorities in the legislature and winning the governorship in the November elections.

Speaking to Lincoln County Democrats Wednesday evening April 23 at the Edgecomb Town Hall, Eves said that although the Democrats have controlled the legislature the past two years, having a Republican governor and administration in place kept Democrats from accomplishing all they hoped for in these and other areas, but at least they were able “to hold back the floodgates.”

The 2014 legislative session ended April 18, with a final day for votes on Gov. Paul LePage vetoes scheduled for May 1. As of April 24, LePage had vetoed a record 146 bills approved during the session.

Sen. Chris Johnson of Lincoln County, also in attendance at the meeting, summed up the legislative session by saying that Democrats had sought, and achieved, common ground with their Republican colleagues in numerous areas, only to have many of the resulting bills vetoed. Eves in particular regretted that on a number of occasions Republican legislators who had supported these compromise measures then voted to uphold vetoes.

But Eves highlighted successes on a number fronts in the 2014 and 2015 budgets approved in the just-concluded session, including restored funding in support of higher education and early childhood education, increased funding to assist nursing homes with a high percentage of low-income residents, a partial restoration of the support levels provided under the “Circuitbreaker” (now called the Property Tax Fairness Credit) program that brings tax relief to homeowners and renters, and approval of $50 million in bonds, many to support job-supporting loan programs.

The legislature overrode a LePage veto of the 2014 budget, and was scheduling an override vote on the 2015 budget in coming days.

“One of the harder things to swallow,” in the session, Eves said, was not achieving an override of the governor’s veto of a bill that would have expanded Medicaid coverage to as many as 70,000 additional low-income Mainers. He noted a statement by Independent state senator Richard Woodbury that this was the “greatest lost opportunity” of the term. Eves pointed out that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Michaud said this is one of the first issues he would deal with as governor.

Speaking in addition to Eves and Johnson were Sen. Eloise Vitelli and Rep. Bruce MacDonald. Vitelli welcomed the package of bond measures approved by the legislature to support job-creating enterprises and develop cutting edge technical advancements. MacDonald, chairman of the House Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, is completing his fourth term in the House of Representatives and thus is leaving his seat. He deplored what he said were views on the part of the LePage administration that are inimical to public education. He said he supports making teacher evaluations more subject to local control. And he spoke of the volume of research pointing to the importance of early childhood education, and of his proposal to use four million dollars in tax money collected from casinos to strengthen early education programs.

Lincoln County Democratic Chairman Lisa Miller opened the meeting by pointing out major upcoming events, including the biennial Frances Perkins Award Dinner Saturday May 17 at Water’s Edge banquet venue in Edgecomb, and the annual lobster bake Saturday August 16, again this year at a waterside location in Walpole. Miller also announced that County Democrats will be opening a 2014 campaign office, probably in late June in Damariscotta or Newcastle.

For information on Lincoln County Democrats, go to www.lincolncountydemocrats.com.