LEGISLATIVE RECORD - SENATE, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008 STATE OF MAINE _________________________________ ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE FIRST REGULAR SESSION The Following Senate Communication: S.C. 1 JOURNAL OF THE SENATE STATE OF MAINE In Senate Chamber Wednesday Office of the Secretary of State December 3, 2008 December 3, 2008 Pursuant to the Provisions of the Constitution and the laws of the State of Maine, the Senators-elect of the One-Hundred and To Joy J. O’Brien, Secretary of the Senate in the One Hundred Twenty-Fourth Legislature convened in the Senate Chamber and and Twenty-third Legislature: were called to order by Joy J. O’Brien, Secretary of the Senate of the One-Hundred and Twenty-Third Legislature. I, MATTHEW DUNLAP, Secretary of State, pursuant to the provisions of Title 3 MRSA, Section 1, hereby certify that the _________________________________ following are the names and residences of the Senators-elect to the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Legislature, in accordance Prayer by Paul B. Cates, Vassalboro Friends Meeting. with the tabulation submitted to the Governor on November 24, 2008: MR. CATES: May we pray together. Dear God, we are gathered here on a very auspicious occasion, which is also in a very DISTRICT 1 PETER B. BOWMAN, Kittery difficult time. Due to a worldwide financial crisis, the Maine State DISTRICT 2 RICHARD A. NASS, Acton Legislative bodies are faced with severe budgetary constraints, DISTRICT 3 JONATHAN T.E. COURTNEY, Sanford while at the same time the need for State services is increasing DISTRICT 4 NANCY B. SULLIVAN, Biddeford day by day. How good it would be if, as in the story in the book of DISTRICT 5 BARRY J. HOBBINS, Saco Genesis, we could walk with You at evening in the garden and DISTRICT 6 PHILIP L. BARTLETT II, Gorham hear Your words of advice about how best to deal with the DISTRICT 7 LAWRENCE STEVEN BLISS, South Portland challenges we face. This privilege is not available to us, but as DISTRICT 8 JUSTIN L. ALFOND, Portland one of many in this room who have tried to walk with You daily in DISTRICT 9 JOSEPH C. BRANNIGAN, Portland our lifetime, it seems pretty clear to me what Your advice would DISTRICT 10 STANLEY J. GERZOFSKY, Brunswick be to Maine citizens and their legislators. 'I have given you DISTRICT 11 GERALD M. DAVIS, Falmouth intelligence and the power of creativity, especially to Mainers who DISTRICT 12 G. WILLIAM DIAMOND, Windham I have given a great measure of common sense. All these DISTRICT 13 DAVID R. HASTINGS III, Fryeburg powers and more are available for you to use in solving the DISTRICT 14 BRUCE S. BRYANT, Dixfield problems faced by Maine and its citizens.' DISTRICT 15 DEBORAH L. SIMPSON, Auburn Forgive me, dear God, for almost wanting to say, out of our DISTRICT 16 MARGARET M. CRAVEN, Lewiston frustration, 'But you don't understand the extent of our problems.' DISTRICT 17 JOHN M. NUTTING, Leeds Of course You understand, but with the freedom given to us in DISTRICT 18 WALTER R. GOOLEY, Farmington prayer I would still like to speak further about the challenges we DISTRICT 19 SETH A. GOODALL, Richmond face. DISTRICT 20 A. DAVID TRAHAN, Waldoboro Last year was a tough budgetary year for Maine, yet through DISTRICT 21 EARLE L. MCCORMICK, West Gardiner heroic efforts, our legislators managed to keep within budgetary DISTRICT 22 CHRISTOPHER W. RECTOR, Thomaston limits while maintaining the essential services that make Maine DISTRICT 23 CAROL WESTON, Montville such a great state. This year's challenge threatens to be much DISTRICT 24 ELIZABETH H. MITCHELL, Vassalboro greater. What might be Your reply? 'As you use your DISTRICT 25 LISA TESSIER MARRACHE, Waterville intelligence, your power of reason, your creativity, and common DISTRICT 26 S. PETER MILLS, Cornville sense in the service of Maine and its people, I will be with you.' DISTRICT 27 DOUGLAS M. SMITH, Dover-Foxcroft Dear God, we give You sincere and heartfelt thanks for these DISTRICT 28 DENNIS S. DAMON, Trenton much needed words of assurance and we, the citizens of Maine, DISTRICT 29 KEVIN L. RAYE, Perry are deeply grateful for the dedication of our legislators, who will DISTRICT 30 ELIZABETH M. SCHNEIDER, Orono be using all their God given powers as they face the problems in DISTRICT 31 RICHARD W. ROSEN, Bucksport these times. They will use all these powers and a good measure DISTRICT 32 JOSEPH C. PERRY, Bangor of old fashion Downeast determination. With public servants DISTRICT 33 DEBRA D. PLOWMAN, Hampden such as these in this Chamber, and with Your presence and DISTRICT 34 ROGER L. SHERMAN, Hodgdon support, all things are possible. We come to You this morning on DISTRICT 35 TROY DALE JACKSON, Allagash behalf of Maine and all its inhabitants. Amen. In Testimony Whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State _________________________________ to be affixed, given under my hand at Augusta this third day of December in the year Two Thousand and Eight. Pledge of Allegiance led by Senator-elect Philip L. Bartlett II of Cumberland County. S/MATTHEW DUNLAP Secretary of State S-1 LEGISLATIVE RECORD - SENATE, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008 The Honorable John E. Baldacci, Governor of the State of Maine, READ and ORDERED PLACED ON FILE. entered and addressed the Senate. (Amid applause, the Members rising.) _________________________________ GOVERNOR BALDACCI: Thank you very much. I'm very QUORUM CALL careful coming up here, having been a former member and seeing former members that I served with that are now current The Doorkeepers secured the Chamber. members because they know all the stories. I have to be careful. I don't want them to tell them out of school. The Assistant Secretary called the Roll with the following result: It certainly is an exciting day. I want to welcome all of the family members that are here, all the newly elected members that ROLL CALL (#1) are here, and the ones that are returning. It's an honor to serve in the State House. It's an honor to be able to represent the people PRESENT: Senators-elect: ALFOND, BARTLETT, BLISS, of Maine in your districts. We are very fortunate to have the BOWMAN, BRANNIGAN, BRYANT, COURTNEY, degree of public service and public servants in our state and also CRAVEN, DAMON, DAVIS, DIAMOND, to have the families that are here. I remember back when my GERZOFSKY, GOODALL, HASTINGS, HOBBINS, own family was with me when I was sworn into the State Senate JACKSON, MARRACHE, MCCORMICK, MILLS, a long time ago. It's an exciting day for them. They didn't sign on MITCHELL, NASS, NUTTING, PERRY, for it, but they end up being the recipient of a lot of our constituent PLOWMAN, RAYE, RECTOR, ROSEN, work, so it's good that they have a day to enjoy themselves. The SCHNEIDER, SHERMAN, SIMPSON, SMITH, First Lady and I are having a reception over at the Blaine House SULLIVAN, TRAHAN, WESTON and we invite all of you to attend that later today. Congratulations to all of you. 34 Senators-elect having answered the Roll, the Secretary It is a season of change and change is coming. It's not only declared a quorum present. going to be coming from Washington, but it's also going to be coming from Augusta and State Houses across the country. It's _________________________________ going to be difficult in challenging times, but I think it's going to be important that we work together across regions and across Out of order and under suspension of the Rules, on motion by parties and recognize the importance of the work that we have to Senator-elect BARTLETT of Cumberland, the following Senate do. We will do it because we're from Maine and that is what Order: Maine people do every single day of the week and of the year S.O. 1 and that is what they expect of us. I'm so fortunate to be able to work with all of you. I look forward to this session, as challenging Ordered, that a message be sent to Governor John E. Baldacci, as it's going to be. informing him that a quorum of Senators-elect is present in the If the Senators-elect would please rise and raise their right Senate Chamber, ready to take and subscribe to the oaths of hand. office required by the Constitution to qualify them to enter upon the discharge of their official duties. The Senators-elect took and subscribed to the oaths of office required by the Constitution. READ and PASSED. The Governor withdrew from the Senate Chamber. (Amid The Secretary appointed the Senator-elect from Cumberland, applause, the Members rising.) Senator-elect BARTLETT to deliver the message to the Governor. The Sergeant-At-Arms escorted the Senator-elect to _________________________________ the Governor's Office. ELECTION OF SENATE OFFICERS _________________________________ THE SECRETARY: Nominations are now in order for the Office Senate at Ease. of President of the Senate of the 124th Legislature. Senate called to order by the Secretary. Senator PERRY of Penobscot NOMINATED Senator ELIZABETH H. MITCHELL of Kennebec for the Office of _________________________________ President of the Senate of the 124th Legislature. Subsequently, the Senator-elect from Cumberland, Senator-elect THE SECRETARY: The Chair recognizes the Senator from BARTLETT reported that he had delivered the message with Penobscot, Senator Perry. which he was charged. Senator PERRY: Thank you, Madame Secretary. I am so _________________________________ pleased and proud to be able to stand today and nominate my good friend, Senator Mitchell, to be our next President of the ORGANIZATION OF THE SENATE Senate.