Sen. Gary Plummer Welcomes The Windham Eagle to Community

I would like to congratulate the owners and staff of the Windham Eagle for the successful launch of this new publication. It is very exciting to have a new source of news and other information for people in the Windham area, and I am certain that we will be hearing a lot about this newspaper in the years ahead. I am also impressed with the positive articles and tone expressed in the Windham Eagle.
 
I thought this would be a good forum for me to introduce myself to those who don’t know me. I am State Senator Gary Plummer. I am a lifelong resident of Windham and have deep roots in the community, having been a schoolteacher in Standish and Windham for 33 years. I also served on the Windham Town Council and was a Cumberland County Commissioner.
 
In 2004, I was elected to the Maine House of Representatives where I served the people of District 111 (Windham) for eight years. Last year, I was elected to the State Senate, and currently represent the people of District 12.
 
There are significant differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has 151 members, each of whom represents a single district that is made up of one or more communities, depending on the population distribution in the district. The Senate has 35 members, each of whom represents a much larger geographical area.  Senate District 12 includes the Cumberland County communities of Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, Standish, and Windham, as well as the York County town of Hollis.
 
As with the United States Congress, most state representatives and senators have committee assignments. I am the ranking Republican on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. There are 16 joint standing committees. Each committee has three state senators and 10 members of the House of Representatives. Once bills are submitted, they are referenced to a committee, where they receive a public hearing. In most cases, after deliberating on the proposed legislation, the committee gives the bill an “ought to pass”, a “ought not to pass” or an “ought to pass as amended” vote, and the legislation moves to the House and Senate for final disposition.
 
House members and senators serve two year terms. The first session, which we are currently in, is the longer of the two, and typically runs from January to June. The second, shorter session usually runs from January to April.
 
My party affiliation is Republican, but I consider that secondary to my more important role of representing everyone- Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Greens-who lives in Senate District 12. I consider it an honor and a privilege to serve as your senator, and I will do everything in my power to assist you. If you have a question or concern about what is happening at the State House, I would encourage you to contact me or my staff at (207)287-1505 or e-mail me at geplummer@aol.com.
 
As we move through the session, the Legislature will consider approximately 1,700 bills. I always welcome your input or opinion on any of these proposed new laws.
 
Spring, with all of its promises of new beginnings, seems an appropriate time to welcome a new voice into the community. I would like to wish the staff of the Windham Eagle the best of luck with their new endeavor, and I look forward to reading the next issue!
 
Senator Gary Plummer represents Maine Senate District 12, which includes the Cumberland County communities of Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, Standish, and Windham, as well as the York County town of Hollis.