AUGUSTA, Maine — Legislative council members met in Augusta on Thursday to sift through more than 200 bill requests as lawmakers prepare for the upcoming legislative session.
Awaiting the fate of his proposed bills, Sen. Henry Ingwersen was hopeful his "Act to Address Food Insecurity by Helping Maine Residents Access Locally Produced Food" would be accepted.
The bill looks to fund the Farm Fresh Rewards and Maine Harvest Bucks programs from earlier this year. With over 15,000 Mainers using the programs, Ingwersen said ongoing funding would allow that success to continue.
"I'm confident and hopeful that the ongoing funding will be a piece we can get in," Ingwersen said. "[The programs] provide food security, it supports local agriculture and it promotes healthy outcomes."
Representing Cumberland County and part of Portland, Sen. Ben Chipman also is rooting for two potential bills that touch on addressing mental health and its ties to substance use disorder and housing insecurity.
One of which asks for a $50 million investment into affordable housing.
"There's hundreds of people across the state who are homeless, and we need to do more than we're doing," Chipman said. "What I'm looking to do is bring together stakeholders from all across the state, experts who work in the fields in this area."
With housing insecurity being seen statewide, Chipman said he's confident both bill requests will be pushed through.
One already approved request introduces what sponsor Rep. Vicki Doudera is calling an "innovative suicide prevention approach."
Also known as Donna's Law, if passed, the bill would allow those going through a mental health crisis to voluntarily, confidentially, and temporarily waive their firearm rights.
"Allowing folks to voluntarily and confidentially add their names to the system and prevent future gun purchases when they themselves know they're in a crisis ... it might reduce our suicide rates in Maine," Doudera said.
Other state leaders are also on board with mental health legislation, with Rep. Austin Theriault pushing for the passing of Rep. Laurel Libby's "Act to Increase Availability of Mental Health Care Facilities in Maine," in a statement sent out on Thursday.