As the 130th Session of the Maine State Legislature kicks off, PenBayPilot.com has reached out to each area state legislator to see what is at the forefront of the minds for each of them.

As an independent politician affiliated with no party, House District 95 Representative Bill Pluecker, I-Warren, finds himself “uniquely qualified” to easily work with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, while representing the interests of his constituents from across Appleton, Hope, Warren and a portion of Union. 

“Because I don't have a party, I have no agenda besides the strengthening of my community,” he said in a Jan. 4 email. “I am not there to make one side look good and the other bad. My work is the work of my community and those who elected me to this office.” 

Elected to his first term as a state legislator in 2018, Rep. Pluecker will be serving, once again, as a member of the Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry committee, where he has been focused on finding opportunities for farms by securing local markets, and creating programs allowing them to earn income and provide assistance to the food insecure.

He additionally will serve on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee to work on arising issues in the state’s correction facilities.

During the 129th legislative session, a notable accomplishment of Rep. Pluecker was having the bill he introduced to ensure accuracy in the labeling of Maine’s meat and poultry signed by Governor Janet Mills. 

Other areas Rep. Pluecker sought to have addressed through legislation, that did not appear on the governor’s desk for her signature, tackled reforming the pay of correctional officers, supporting local fruit and vegetable purchasing and require ingredient lists at certain retail food locations. 

The first priority of the 130th Session of the Maine State Legislature must be ensuring the State government is an active partner in the COVID-19 economic recovery, according to Rep. Pluecker. 

“People are out of work. People are getting sick, and our small businesses are shutting down,” he said. “The legislature has not been active in addressing these concerns for the last eight months. It is time that we step up to begin addressing the long term effects of the crisis and getting back to work.”

Among the list of pieces of legislation Rep. Pluecker requested in December to be considered for the upcoming legislative term are bills supporting farmers, addressing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and supporting correctional officers at the Warren correctional facilities. 

“As always, the strength of local farms and agriculture is an area of great importance to me,” he noted. “Farmers have had to make drastic changes in how we market in order to compensate for the closing of restaurants. Support for farmers is always at the top of my mind in my work on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry committee. As people are put out of work, feeding the hungry and helping our local farmers to sell to programs that help feed the food insecure is also part of the legislative work I am doing.” 

Addressing the reported dangers of PFAS, which he said causes cancer and reproductive harm, Rep. Pluecker stated: “PFAS contamination is putting farmers out of business, as well as being an issue that we are having to deal with at a contaminated site in Warren.” 

Warren’s correctional facilities, and the people working within those facilities, was also on his mind as he crafted his legislative bill proposals. 

“I have a couple bills in dealing the with the hazardous conditions at the prisons in Warren that the Correctional Officers and other staff have had to deal with during the COVID crisis,” he said. “If we expect these folks to report to work, putting themselves, their families, and communities at risk, they need to be properly compensated for the tough work they are doing.”

With President-Elect Joe Biden poised to place more emphasis on combatting climate change, Rep. Pluecker said the state is in a position in crease its agricultural production to feed all of New England instead of shipping in produce from the west, which is challenged with droughts and fires. 

“The climate work we do in the state is about finding economic opportunity for our rural communities,” he said. “Climate change is putting pressure on our fishing communities. It is going to cost money for towns to rebuild to withstand rising seas and worsening storms. We need to make sure that we are building our economy to create the green jobs that will give us the economic resiliency to withstand these challenges.” 

As a veteran legislator, Rep. Pluecker shared some general advice for incoming group of legislators, which includes the Midcoast’s Valli Geiger (House District 93; Owls Head and Rockland) and Glenn “Chip” Curry (Senate District 11; Waldo County). 

“Talk to your community. Be in your community,” he said. “The work of the State House should always take a second seat to the real life concerns and successes from your district.”