Dec. 4 marked one year since I was sworn in for my second term in the Maine State Senate. Time really does fly! In honor of the new year, I would like to reflect on this past year as your elected official in the State Legislature.

This past session, I remained focused on lowering everyday costs for Mainers in District 13. There were many bills with this goal, and I narrowed my focus to making child care more affordable, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and protecting mobile home communities.

Making child care more affordable is a top priority for me. As a working mom, I know firsthand how hard it is to find child care in Lincoln County – let alone affordable child care. Far too many families are getting by through a patchwork of family and friends, or even having to cut their work hours. To tackle the issue of access to affordable child care, I was proud to sponsorLD 1736, An Act to Increase the Supply of Child Care Services Through the Use of Contracts, which has now become law. This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to directly contract with child care providers to hold slots for children 3 or under, children with disabilities, and children in underserved geographic areas. This approach accomplishes two important things: It allows families with the greatest need to access care, and gives our local child care businesses more stability in budgeting and hiring staff. 

Seeing many families in Lincoln County struggle with the ever-rising cost of prescription drugs, I sponsoredLD 697, An Act to Direct the Maine Prescription Drug Affordability Board (MPDAB) to Assess Strategies to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs and to Take Steps to Implement Reference-based Pricing. Through a few different ways, this bill aims to strengthen the MPDAB to address the high costs of prescription drugs. This bill passed through both bodies of the Legislature and was held by the Governor, meaning that when the Legislature returns to session for at least three days, the Governor would have the option to veto the bill or allow it to become law without her signature.

Affordable housing is an issue all across Maine, but especially here at home in Lincoln County. We need more housing for all income levels and, equally important, to preserve the reasonably priced housing we have. That’s why I introducedLD 1016, An Act to Establish the Manufactured Housing Community and Mobile Home Park Preservation and Assistance Fund, which makes permanent the Maine State Housing Authority's Mobile Home Community Preservation Fund. This fund has successfully assisted park residents in purchasing the land beneath their homes, creating resident-owned communities. I also sponsoredLD 554, An Act to Encourage Resident-owned Communities and Preserve Affordable Housing Through Tax Deductions which creates a tax incentive for mobile home park owners to sell the parks to the residents. Both LD 1016 and 554 are now in effect and will help give residents the leg up they need when trying to purchase the land under their homes and invest in the future security of their community.

The 132nd Legislature's Second Session will convene on Jan. 7, 2026. I know these policies will not magically fix everything — wouldn’t that be great! There is still a lot of work that needs to be done, and I want us to keep making progress towards protecting our future. If you have questions, comments, or need help navigating a state agency please email me at Cameron.Reny@Legislature.Maine.gov.