Representative Sheila Lyman

Weekly E-News from Rep. Sheila Lyman Weekly E-News from Rep. Sheila Lyman Maine House Republican Office sent this bulletin at 01/05/2024 10:46 AM EST The Second Regular Session of the Legislature Began This Week The Second Regular Session of the Legislature began on Wednesday, January 3rd at 10 am. Joint House and Senate Committees are...

Welcome to 2024!! 🎊 I would like to wish everyone an amazing New Year!! We are just beginning our second session of bill work carried over from last year. There is a great deal of work to be done for our state especially concerning the economy, education, protecting parental rights and valuing family! I look forward to doing everything I can to honor the citizens of Maine’s values embraced within a favorite quote, “Maine, the way life should be.” ♥️🇺🇸

It’s Friday and the office phone STILL isn’t working! 😑 To get ahold of us at the office to schedule appointments please call my cell at 207-320-0589! So sorry for the inconvenience. Please share this if you see it, a week of no customers being able to reach us is getting very frustrating for both you guys and us!
-Kendra

“On Tuesday, I attended a meeting of the Maine Automobile Dealers Association at CMCC. A great deal of alarming information was discussed in regard to electric vehicle mandates that could be coming to Maine citizens. My initial testimony to the board at the public hearing expressed huge concern with the fact that the Maine people have been left out of this upcoming vote.

In my opinion, it is not okay for a board of 7, assigned by the governor, to make a law that leaves the voices of Maine people silent. I believe 100% in “my car, my choice.” At the very least, such a mandate should be placed before elected officials, the legislature.

Recently, the Democratic Governor of Connecticut withdrew this California rule in his state. Connecticut is much more urban than Maine and yet the Democratic Governor realized that these rules are not possible for his state either. Why then are we having this forced upon us by unelected bureaucrats.

Please share your concerns with the Governor’s office. Your willingness to express your individual position regarding EVs is crucial for assuring a greater representation of our state’s citizens!”

Weekly E-News from Sheila Lyman Weekly E-News from Sheila Lyman Maine House Republican Office sent this bulletin at 11/30/2023 09:45 AM EST Food Pantry Donations Needed Countless Maine families are struggling to make ends meet as crippling inflation, wage stagnation, and economic uncertainty grips our nation. Unfortunately, many o...

Here is my letter to the editor I submitted.

Last session, I sponsored a bipartisan bill to help save the lives of students. LD 1263 “An Act to Require Certain School Identification Cards to Include the Telephone Number of a Su***de and Crisis Hotline,” adds the 988 su***de hotline number to school ID cards that are already provided to students. If put into law, it would simply require all public and charter schools and all public and private universities that already issue students IDs to include the 988 number on them.

The number would be put on ID cards for sixth grade through college age students. Maine CDC shared data showing that since 2017, 13,782 teenagers (19 and under) have gone to the emergency room because they demonstrated intent to commit su***de. Supporters of this legislation believe every student needs access to vital support and council in a live threatening situation. It establishes one more critical opportunity to save a life by offering another way of addressing mental health challenges.

Any individual that calls the 988 number will be routed to their closest area code and find immediate HELP. The life-saving contact will have minimal, if any, local implementation costs. New Hampshire passed a similar law in 2022.

This bipartisan bill passed unanimously passed through committee and the House and Senate. In a time when politics have become so partisan, my colleagues and I were able to work together on this. The American Foundation for Su***de Prevention supports this bill. Their testimony stressed the need for increased mental health programs and resources that are available for students who may be struggling. The Maine Education Association, the Maine School Superintendents Association, the Maine School Board Association, and MADSEC all testified in support of this bill. I am proud of my work and the efforts of my colleagues across the aisle on this common sense bill intended to save lives.

Currently, the bill sits on the Special Appropriations table and will be carried over to the next session. I look forward to finishing the work on this bill, so that we can focus on saving the lives of people all across Maine. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to continue to support this life saving bill and work with me to finish the job. Call your local Representative and Senator to insist it gets moved forward.

https://dailybulldog.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-988-su***de-hotline-bill-close-to-becoming-a-reality/?fbclid=IwAR1m6Gp1sG7sMz2b4GQFkc9SYhKZsjKjly4lhB-8UJIn_-ucVx1305xphlQ

House Republicans want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.🦃

Today I had an amazing day spending time with my daughter and son-in-law at Popham Beach! With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I especially felt grateful for my family and this amazing state with all of its outdoor glory. I reminisced about teaching my students….
“Oh Pine Tree state….
Your woods, fields and hills…
Your lakes, streams and rock
bound coasts….
Will forever fill my heart with
thrills!
And though we search far and
wide…
Our search will be in vain….
To find a fairer spot on Earth
than Maine…Maine…Maine!”

And so to ALL of you, I wish you and all your loved ones an incredible Thanksgiving!!

My brother, Senator Timberlake, drafted an informative guide on Tuesday's referendum election. I hope this helps you as you make your decision on Tuesday.

www.maine.gov

Just want to send out a huge thank you to all that joined us at our 4th Annual Trunk or Treat! It was so much FUN greeting close to 400 trick or treaters! Everyone was so polite and appreciative.
On another note…. Please notice the announcement in regards to my family’s decision, especially my brother, Peter Ricker, for extending Wallingford’s Fruit House Haunted Trail for 2 more nights with every ticket purchase going directly to the families that lost loved ones in the Lewiston tragedy. We express our deepest sympathy and pray for strength and comfort as everyone moves forward ♥️🙏♥️ Feel free to share!

It’s that time of year again! It’s almost Halloween, that means it’s time for our annual Trunk or Treat! Please join us on Halloween(Tuesday, 10/31) from 4:00pm-6:00pm at the Ken’s Appliance parking lot! (99 Main Street, Jay) As in years past, this will be a drive through event. Enter via the southern driveway, drive around the back of the building and exit via the northern driveway. Can’t wait to see all the ghost, goblins and ghouls! 👻

If you are a business, organization or individual interested in setting up to pass out candy please give Kendra a call at the shop-207-897-5104.

https://dailybulldog.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-transparency-in-education/

"Recently, a representative from the Maine Department of Education briefed the Education Committee on the ESP Formula for School funding. As a member of that committee, I had the opportunity to ask questions on behalf of my district and Maine citizens concerned with how our school dollars are spent and the impact on student learning. Specifically, I questioned the department’s claim that local school districts have complete control over the funds they receive.

As a teacher of 36 years, I know that the department gives directives on curricular outcomes. I worked with the department on this very issue while I was teaching. To claim that local districts have complete control is not true. As a State Representative, and member of the Education Committee, I will continue to fight for transparency in our educational system and hold the department accountable for their statements regarding local control. I want state funding that results in higher educational outcomes for students. In most cases, that means ensuring that the money goes to teachers and students, not bureaucratic overhead. We need to focus more on what is truly important to our children’s academic achievement."

Rep. Lyman discusses the questions she raised about local control over DOE funding at their briefing today. #mainehousegop #mepolitics #local #briefing #report #education #school #mainedepartmentofeducation #schoolfunding #teacher #maineschools

https://mainehousegop.org/contact-us/

For those that would like to hear about my work being done and other news happening in Augusta, please sign up to recieve my E-News.

Contact Us – Maine House Republicans Contact Us House Minority Office Room 332, State House 2 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333-0002 (207) 287-1440 Sign up for House Republican Emails Email(Required) Name(Required) First Last Town/City of Residence(Required) Email News Opt-in(Required) I consent to receive email updates from the...

I had a wonderful time at the 2023 Great Falls Balloon Festival!

This past Thursday, I testified in front of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection rulemaking board to discuss my concerns for the proposed routine technical rule changes Chapter 127-A: Advanced Clean Cars II Program and Chapter 128: Advanced Clean Trucks Program. These rules would require that dealers must have 43% of their inventory be zero emission vehicle (ZEV) for model year 2027 and increase that percentage to 82% by model year 2032.

This rulemaking procedure was initiated by a petition of only 150 signers, pursuant to 5 M.R.S.A., Section 8055. 5 M.R.S.A., Section 8055 states, “Whenever a petition to adopt or modify a rule is submitted by 150 or more registered voters of the State, the agency shall initiate appropriate rulemaking proceedings within 60 days after receipt of the petition.” The Natural Resources Council of Maine collected the signatures and forced the department to hold a public hearing to consider these changes.

I have great concern with procedure. Let me make this clear, I do not dislike ZEVs. It is the choice of the consumer. My concern lies with the fact that only 150 signatures is all it took to make what I believe is a substantive rule change that will greatly affect the people in the district that I proudly serve, with the majority of Mainers being left out of the conversation. It takes over 68,000 signatures to initiate a referendum, yet only 150 trigger this hearing. This is wrong. This subverts the legislative process and the Majority of people in Maine.

My next concern is with how this will significantly affect the people of my district. My district is a rural district. Many people cannot afford these expensive vehicles, and most do not have access to charging stations nearby. The fact that my constituent would be given no choice, but to purchase these expensive and impractical vehicles gives me great apprehension over this rule change. This is why I provided testimony in opposition to this measure. The needs of my constituents come first.

If you would like to submit testimony, please do so at https://www.maine.gov/dep/rules/ until Augusta 28th. Your voice matters!

Please go to https://www.jay-maine.org/stay-in-the-loop/ to receive regular updates regarding Jay's roads!

❗️❗️ ATTENTION JAY AREA RESIDENTS ❗️❗️

Governor Mills and Maine Congressional Delegation have announced President Biden's Approval of Major Disaster Declaration for Severe Spring Storm

This is an ongoing situation and I will do my best to keep each of you informed as it continues to unfold.

To see the full press release go to: https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/governor-mills-and-maine-congressional-delegation-announce-presidents-approval-major-disaster

It has been a busy week here at the State House. I hope that you will take a moment to read my most recent e-News Update!

e-News Update from Rep. Sheila Lyman e-News Update from Rep. Sheila Lyman Maine House Republican Office sent this bulletin at 06/09/2023 09:12 AM EDT Maine's Moose Hunting Permit Drawing is coming up this Saturday, June 10! Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in conjunction with the City of Augusta will hold the annual mo...

Here is my latest e-News Update. I hope the information is informative. Have a Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

e-News Update from Rep. Sheila Lyman e-News Update from Rep. Sheila Lyman Maine House Republican Office sent this bulletin at 05/12/2023 12:11 PM EDT 2023 Maine Moose Permit Lottery Applications for the moose permit lottery will be accepted online only. To apply online, go to mefishwildlife.com and fill out the online moose permit appl...

I hope that you will take a moment to read this week's e-News Update!

e-News Update from Rep. Sheila Lyman e-News Update from Rep. Sheila Lyman Maine House Republican Office sent this bulletin at 04/19/2023 01:11 PM EDT How to Find the Fishing Regulations for the Water You Want to Fish General Fishing Laws apply to all inland waters. See General Fishing Law Seasons and Bag Limits and General Fishing Laws...

Good Morning….Just want to say thank you for all the folks that participated in our tri town community forum on education last night. We had such diversity from our community members…parents, grandparents, teachers, board members, local leaders, and some wearing multiple hats. We started the meeting sharing celebrations about RSU73. Community members praised the students, caring staff, and the ambundance of talented teams (robotics, athletics, drama, band)…just to name a few. Following that our guest speaker, Representative Heidi Sampson, a former member of the State Board of Education and a current lead on the state’s Education and Cultural Affairs committee, talked with the forum members about significant challenges facing our state’s schools. We also listened to the voices of community members as they asked questions and expressed concerns. We closed the meeting reviewing positive steps that can be taken to build the partnership between home and school. After all, for most of our children, parents and family are their children’s first and life long teacher! ♥️

It was such an amazing morning at the Capitol. We welcomed Leeds Central School’s third and fourth grade classes. Fun! Fun! They were able to visit the House of Representatives and the Senate Chamber. The Speaker of the House announced their presence in the gallery. That was followed by a standing ovation from all members in the House as we all clapped in their honor. My amazing aide, Tyler Washburn, took them on a tour of their Capitol. We shared lunch around the Maine animal exhibits, Thank you to Representative Morris and Senator Timberlake. My ♥️ is full once again. The students and staff were amazing! Leeds Central will always be very dear to me!!

Today I presented my bill (LD 1263), An Act to Require School Identification Cards to Include the Telephone Number of a Su***de Prevention Hotline.

Every student deserves equal access to vital support and counsel in a life-threatening situation. This bill would establish one more critical opportunity to save a life. It offers another way of addressing our mental health challenges. If this bill saves a single life, it is worth it!

So yesterday I visited my “♥️” school. My home away from home for 36 years. Here’s the part where my emotions overflowed! I went into my former classroom, met the 4th graders coming to visit the Capitol, and the teacher that took over my position. I even sat in the rocking chair that I left behind. Yes, it was the one where the students would always gather around while I read to them. Words can not express the joy I experienced walking through those halls again and sharing hugs with so many of the staff that I was honored to work with for so many years!! I am sincerely looking forward to their trip to our state’s Capitol in just a few weeks!! Thank you to their teacher for reaching out

I hope that you are having a great day. Please take a moment to read my latest e-News Update!

e-News Update from Rep. Sheila Lyman e-News Update from Rep. Sheila Lyman Maine House Republican Office sent this bulletin at 03/22/2023 04:09 PM EDT Maine Maple Sunday Maine Maple Sunday is a long-standing tradition where Maine’s maple producers open their doors to their sweet operations for a day of educational demonstrations, suga...