AUGUSTA — Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, received a perfect score from the Maine AFL-CIO’s 2021 Legislative Scorecard for his voting record to promote fair wages, safe work environments and support working families. President Jackson was one of 18 senators to earn a perfect score.
“Mainers work incredibly hard to make ends meet and provide for their families all while looking out for their neighbors and contributing to their communities. They should be able to expect the same from their elected officials,” said President Jackson. “It’s why I’m proud of my voting record to support the working men and women who keep our economy running day-in and day-out.”
As former chair of the Legislature’s Labor Committee, President Jackson has a long track record of showing up and fighting for Maine workers and families. This year, he co-sponsored legislation from Rep. Rebecca Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth, to increase access to affordable, energy-efficient housing and create good-paying construction jobs to build these units. President Jackson also advocated in favor of a bill from Assistant House Majority Leader Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, which requires the Legislature to consider racial impact statements alongside proposed legislation. A subcommittee of the Legislative Council will meet Wednesday to explore how to implement the pilot program outlined in this new law.
“Though we still have work to do, I’m especially proud of our efforts to create good-paying jobs as a part of our strategy to increase access to affordable housing and renewable energy,” said President Jackson. “These are the type of creative proposals that will help solve some of our state’s most pressing challenges while also supporting workers and their families. Everybody wins.”
The Maine AFL-CIO scored twelve initiatives considered by the 130th Maine Legislature. President Jackson introduced three of the scored measures all of which earned strong support in the Maine Legislature but ultimately did not become law. The proposals include a bill to prioritize the hiring of Maine workers and businesses for state contracts, a bill to protect Maine workers and ensure access to legal counsel in the face of workplace violations and a bill to promote good-faith negotiations in public sector-employment contracts.
Founded in 1956, the Maine AFL-CIO is a state federation of more than 160 local labor unions, representing more than 40,000 Maine workers and retirees. The organization works to improve the lives and labor conditions of not just its members but working people all across the state. The 2021 Maine AFL-CIO Legislative Scorecard and scorecards from previous legislative sessions are available at scorecard.maineaflcio.org.
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