August 7, 2015
Paul R. LePage, Governor
State of Maine
1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Dear Governor LePage:
Thank you for your letter outlining your concerns about Maine’s drug crisis and the explosion in overdoses from heroin and other opiates. We cannot simply sit back and watch this tragedy unfold. Lives are being lost and families are suffering. This is not an issue we can leave up to individual towns and cities to tackle. Tragedy is striking in municipalities all over the state, regardless of population, location, or affluence. Maine needs a comprehensive, statewide effort that includes law enforcement efforts and effective treatment. It is not acceptable to ignore this growing epidemic and it must be addressed.
Convening a summit to further study this issue is an excellent step forward, and I appreciate your work to bring people together for this purpose. Assembling experts and advocates from all sectors of society is key to understanding the scope of the problem and the most effective solutions for combatting it. It would certainly be beneficial for the Maine Senate to be involved in the summit and to hear directly from the experts about what policy initiatives may be best suited for battling the drug epidemic. As details of the summit come together I would encourage you to invite participation from Senate members, especially those who serve on committees that are dealing with the effects of these drugs.
I have always been and remain committed to advocating for additional state resources to be directed toward fighting the drug scourge. In standing with you and Commissioner Morris to discuss this very issue earlier this year, I spoke candidly about my support for your initial funding proposal to support law enforcement in their anti-drug efforts. This Legislature did secure funding for two new drug court judges and four new drug agents in the recent biennial budget, but certainly more needs to be done.
I am happy to sponsor and/or encourage the passage in the Senate of any viable recommendations or solutions that come forward from the summit or other sources. Please let me know of your thoughts and ideas as to how I can help address this issue.
In order to make a difference we must seek constructive solutions – lives are literally depending on us doing so. I would encourage you and your administration to engage with legislators to tackle this epidemic. Working together, we can achieve great things.
Sincerely,
Michael Thibodeau
Senate President
cc: Mark Eves, Speaker of the House