Bill looks to give young Mainers a permanent voice in state politics
The bill looks to establish the Youth Impact Commission which would work closely with state government officials help influence policy important to Maine s youth Author: Sean Stackhouse (NEWS CENTER Maine) Published: 11:26 PM EDT April 22, 2021 Updated: 11:26 PM EDT April 22, 2021
AUGUSTA, Maine Young people in Maine may soon get a permanent role in state politics. Rep. Charlotte Warrer, D-Hallowell, has introduced a bill that looks to create a Youth Impact Commission for the state. The question of how we get young people to stay in Maine or to relocate and settle in Maine is a problem we ve been talking about for a long time, said Rep. Warren. It s time we talk to our young people in search of a solution to the problem.
Our View: Give young people in nation’s oldest state more input in Augusta
A new bill would create the Youth Impact Commission to inform and advise policymakers.
By The Editorial Board
Share
As all state lawmakers are certainly aware, Maine is the nation’s oldest state it’s a fact that plays a role in nearly every discussion at the State House, from housing and health care to education and workforce development.
Despite all the attention, however, the Legislature has had little success reversing this demographic decline.
Maybe they haven’t been hearing from the right people.
While Maine’s median age is around 44, the average age in the Legislature is much older in 2015, it was 55 in the House and 57 in the Senate. At the time, more than 70% of lawmakers were baby boomers or older.
Our View: Give young people in state with the oldest population more input in Augusta
A new bill would create the Youth Impact Commission to inform and advise policymakers.
By The Editorial Board
Share
As all state lawmakers are certainly aware, Maine is the nation’s oldest state – it’s a fact that plays a role in nearly every discussion at the State House, from housing and health care to education and workforce development.
Despite all the attention, however, the Legislature has had little success reversing this demographic decline.
Maybe they haven’t been hearing from the right people.
While Maine’s median age is around 44, the average age in the Legislature is much older – in 2015, it was 55 in the House and 57 in the Senate. At the time, more than 70 percent of lawmakers were baby boomers or older.
Massachusetts’ state government has long been one of the least transparent in the country.
Want to know how your representative voted in committee on a crucial climate change or police reform bill? Good luck with that. There’s no requirement the information be made public.
Curious about who testified before the committee before it took its top-secret vote? You’re going to have trouble with that one too.
And many of the documents that are readily accessible to the public in other states - e-mails, contracts, and memos at the heart of the people’s business - are off-limits here. Massachusetts has the dubious distinction of being the only state in the country where the governor’s office, the legislature, and the judiciary all claim they are exempt from public records law.