AUGUSTA – On March 17, Rep. Mike Ray, D-Lincolnville, introduced LD 736, which seeks to address staffing shortages within the Maine State Ferry Service by supporting a workforce development scholarship program at Maine Maritime Academy.  The Education and Cultural Affairs Committee  held a public hearing Monday on the bill, An Act to Improve Ferry Service Reliability by Providing Scholarships at the Maine Maritime Academy.

“Under Coast Guard regulations, if a ferry vessel isn’t fully staffed, then it cannot leave the dock,” said Ray, in a news release. “I have heard from Islesboro residents as well as those on the mainland about the frequent cancellation of ferry trips and the disruptions this causes to people’s daily lives – folks can’t get to work, fuel doesn’t get delivered and medical appointments get cancelled. Not to mention the disruption to businesses and tourism, which hurts our coastal economy.” 

LD 736 directs MMA’s Center for Professional Mariner Development to create the Workforce Development Scholarship Program to assist students in earning the initial credits necessary to work at a ferry service operator located in the state. As written, scholarship amounts would not exceed $1,250 per student, and the scholarship is to be made available to, at minimum, 115 students enrolled at MMA to ensure they have the financial support necessary to pursue this training.

“Ferry services are a critical lifeline for Maine’s island communities,” said Rep. Holly Eaton, D-Deer Isle, who represents several unbridged islands. “Ongoing workforce shortages in the maritime industry threaten the reliability of these services. I fully support this proposal, because a steady pipeline of trained ferry operators is good for the ferry service and, by extension, the well-being of our island communities.”

The bill also directs MMA to consult with the Maine State Ferry Service, or other relevant stakeholders, in the development and implementation of the Workforce Development Scholarship.

A work session on the bill will be scheduled in the coming days.

Ray is serving his first term in the Maine House and represents Appleton, Islesboro, Liberty, Lincolnville, Montville, Morrill and Searsmont. He is a member of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee.

Eaton is serving her second term in the Maine House and represents the communities of Brooklin, Deer Isle, Eagle Island Township, Frenchboro, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Swan’s Island, Tremont, Isle au Haut and Vinalhaven. She serves as a member of the Marine Resources Committee and the Transportation Committee.