At the start of the full agenda at the Lincoln County Democrats’ Sept. 23 meeting, Committee Chairman Jim Torbert reminded those attending that the Government Oversight Committee is inviting public comment on the state funding for Good Will-Hinckley information brief. ‘

The brief was released recently by Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA).

“This hearing important and something that all citizens concerned about the governor’s actions should try to attend, or at least call their state legislators to share their concerns,” Torbert said. The hearing will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

Guest speaker David Boyer, campaign director of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol (Regulate Maine) gave an in-depth presentation of his group’s goal of replacing Maine’s prohibition of marijuana with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed. Regulate Maine is a national advocacy organization.

Boyer discussed what legalizing marijuana could mean for Maine’s economy and jobs, and concerns such as ensuring safety on roads, new testing mechanisms being developed, local control, and reasons why some in law enforcement are in favor of legalization.

Boyer also covered differences between Regulate Maine’s initiative and that of another group, Legalize Maine, a local, grass-roots organization based in Waldo County. These include limits on personal possession, cultivation, and number of retail stores; licensing, and tax revenue allocation. In addition, Regulate Maine proposes marijuana be regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, while Legalize Maine proposes the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry be the regulating agency.

Invited speaker Paul McCarrier, founder and director of Legalize Maine, was unable to be at the meeting.

Both groups are currently collecting signatures to put their initiatives on the ballot in November 2016. Dean Curran of Damariscotta pointed out that the Maine Democratic Party (MDP) Platform endorses marijuana legalization but does not go into the level of detail contained in the two referenda. The MDP is recommending Democrats vote yes on both initiatives in 2016, leaving it to the Legislature to iron out the details.

LCDC representatives elected to the 2016 Platform Committee were April Thibodeau of Westport Island, Quinn Gormley of Damariscotta and Lorraine Anderson of Newcastle; and Sandra Rumery of Boothbay was elected to the State Credentials Committee. Maine Democrats will caucus in towns on March 6, 2016 to choose their candidate for the Presidential nomination.

At this meeting and all Democratic gatherings, non-perishable food items or cash donations were collected and will be given to a local food bank during the holidays.

For more information about LCDC events, please visit the website, www.lincolncountydemocrats.com, or LCDC’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lincolncountydems.