Matt’s Top Legislative Priorities:

Gun Safety

In October 2023, an assault weapon was used to shoot 31 people in Lewiston, killing 18. Every year Maine women are killed in domestic violence murder suicides and too many young people take their lives with guns. We like to believe that Maine is immune from gun violence, but, sadly, we are not. As your state representative, I voted in the Judiciary Committee and on the House floor to pass every gun safety bill that was brought before us. Although we made progress by expanding background checks and instituting a three-day waiting period for gun sales, there is still more than can and should be done. I will make passing I will make passing an assault weapons ban, a ban on “bump stocks,” and a real Red Flag law among my top priorities. Under no circumstances should second amendment rights outweigh the right of people in our communities to feel safe.    

Housing Affordability

Many workers in South Portland and, frankly, in communities around the state, can’t afford to live here. They are either forced further from where the jobs are  or they spend too much of their income simply trying to keep a roof over their heads. Just to keep up with current needs, we need to build thousands of units of housing in the Greater Portland area, including South Portland. That is why I support a housing bond to create a variety of housing options to rent or purchase for low-to-medium income earners and those on fixed incomes. We must also continue and expand our support for the statewide Housing First initiative that was launched last year and restore our historic legislative commitment of general assistance to municipalities to help shelter unhoused people. I am committed to working to find solutions to this dire crisis in our state.  

Jobs and the Economy

Labor Unions helped build the American Middle Class and remain the best way to ensure economic justice and equality in the workplace. For the last seventeen years, I spent my career fighting for working people to get fair wages, have safe workplaces, and to receive the training they need to support their families. But right now, we have an economic crisis forcing working class families to work multiple jobs just to pay their rent and feed their families. We must strengthen laws to protect workers who want to organize into unions or enter into qualified apprenticeship programs. We must oppose all anti-union legislation including efforts to make Maine a so-called ”Right-to-Work” state. We must raise the minimum wage to a livable wage. South Portland’s strength is our working class core, and I will fight for them every day I am in Augusta.

Abortion Rights

Overturning Roe v Wade endangered women and pregnant people across America. All choices related to a person's reproductive freedom and gender healthcare should be determined by that person in consultation with their doctor. Period. Thankfully, we have Democratic Party leadership and a Governor who have stood strong in the face of anti-abortion reactionaries by passing laws to empower women and pregnant people to make their own personal reproductive healthcare decisions, including a law that allows a person to decide whether to have an abortion later in a pregnancy. I voted in favor of an amendment to the Maine Constitution that would further protect personal reproductive autonomy. Unfortunately, it failed to gather the votes it needed to be placed on the Maine ballot. I also voted in favor of the new shield law to protect healthcare providers from being sued by other states for providing lawful healthcare here in Maine.    

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

Mental health struggles and substance use disorders have affected my family directly. But I know my family is not unique. So many in Maine, and right here in South Portland, are sharing in this struggle. But we will never turn the tide on this scourge until we fully commit to addressing substance use disorders as a public health crisis, and not as a law enforcement problem. As your voice in Augusta, I pledge to support any and all legislation that helps bring this terrible crisis to an end in Maine.  

Climate Crisis and Environment

The climate crisis and rising sea levels present an imminent threat to South Portland. Our city’s aging oil industry’s infrastructure could be inundated by storm surge, threatening our coastline and the surrounding neighborhoods. Air quality issues surrounding the oil tanks are an ongoing public health concern. In recent years and even months, as our planet has warmed at alarming rates, we’ve seen an increase in the frequency of storms which threaten our safety and well-being. As your representative, I will vote to reduce carbon emissions by requiring greener buildings, incentivizing green energy, and calling out polluters who put profit ahead of our environment. At the same time, we must make sure that our workers and communities have a just transition to a greener future and don’t bear the full burden of these necessary changes. From banning chemical pesticides to promoting renewable energy and sustainable transportation, you will always find me on the side of protecting our planet so our kids have a healthier state in which to raise their families.  

Healthcare is a Human Right

Every person in Maine has the right to high-quality affordable healthcare regardless of income and/or where they live. That is why I support a national “Medicare for All” program. However, until that becomes a reality, Maine must expand MaineCare to as many families as possible and increase eligibility. I am committed to an affordable health care system that works for everyone. It’s a matter of life and death.