For the sake of Maine’s present and future well-being, it is important that voters check the backgrounds of those whom we elect.

For example, Republican state Sens. Trey Stewart and Matt Harrington voted “no” on Gov. Mills’ emergency energy relief bill as heating oil prices skyrocket. Both are members of the American Legislative Exchange Council, funded by right-wing corporations.

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wish lists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC’s operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces, where corporate lobbyists and special interest representatives vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy’s ALECexposed.org.

Casting “no” votes along with Stewart and Harrington was state Sen. Eric Brakey, a libertarian who came to the state in 2012 as director of Ron Paul’s unsuccessful presidential campaign. Since then, Brakey has garnered a lot of out-of-state money to run for a number of elected offices, including the nomination to unseat U.S. Sen. Angus King. With more money than his opponent, Brakey was elected, this year, to his third nonconsecutive Maine Senate term.

The failure of Republican Sens. Jeff Timberlake and Matthew Pouliot to show up for the vote gave Stewart’s, Harrington’s and Brakey’s votes more power for the emergency fuel assistance bill to fail.

Beware, folks, more obstruction to come.

Patrick Eisenhart
Lewiston