Bettyann Sheats Cares: Her Record of Working for Mainers and for Maine

Bettyann Sheats is the Democratic candidate for the Maine State Senate to represent District 20 (Auburn, Poland, and New Gloucester). While she isn’t the incumbent for this seat, she is no stranger to politics, having served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives for District 64 from 2016 - 2020. Bettyann’s legislative record from that time speaks for itself. She voted consistently to protect:

Equality, women’s rights, reproductive freedom

  • Co-sponsored the Maine Equal Rights Amendment prohibiting discrimination based on sex (LD 433)

  • Added “gender identity” to protections of Maine Human Rights Act (LD 1701)

  • Required insurers, including MaineCare serving low-income individuals, to cover full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion services (LD 820)

  • Supported a ban on “conversion therapy” on LGBTQ youth (LD 1025)

Climate and environment

  • Committed to the role of renewables, expanded solar and reduce dependence on fossil fuels (LD1147, LD 1444, LD 1504)

  • Helped communities study climate change and plan for intensifying coastal storms and sea-level rise (LD 540, LD 1095)

  • Ensured sustainable management of Maine’s Public Lands (LD 586)

  • Eliminated single-use plastic bags and ban styrofoam containers (LD 1532, LD 289)

  • Sponsored and supported regional transportation solutions, including rail (LD 292, LD 743, LD535, LD 571, LD 1093, LD 1258 )

Support for Maine veterans and seniors

  • Sponsored a pilot program for transportation for Maine veterans (LD 171)

  • Supported bond for veterans’ housing (LD 873)

  • Supported affordable senior housing, affordable rural housing (LD 1645)

  • Sponsored a bill for transitional housing for women veterans and families (LD 792, LD 510)

  • Co-sponsored a property tax relief for veterans and for disabled veterans (LD 163, LD 1042, LD 1326)

Work and families

  • Safeguarded minimum wage, eligibility for overtime (LD 1757, LD 1769)

  • Provided earned paid time off, paid sick leave for employees (LD 369)

  • Helped reduce wage gap and pay inequity (LD 278)

Education and childcare

  • Supported planning to strengthen childcare quality and availability (LD 383)

  • Increaseed access to Head Start for school readiness (LD 230)

  • Co-sponsored bond for equipment and capital improvements for high school technical and career education centers (LD 859)

Health and well-being

  • Supported Medicaid expansion to cover low-income Mainers (LD 837)

  • Capped the cost of insulin and other medications (LD 2096)

  • Provided meals for homebound individuals (LD 472)

  • Required insurers to cover hearing aids for adults (LD 38, LD 192)

  • Reduced toxic chemicals in packaging (LD 1433)

Care for Maine’s most vulnerable

  • Supported survivors of sexual and domestic violence, support prevention (LD 1171)

  • Preserved the safety net for individuals and families in need (LD 33, 219, 220, 689, 1070)

  • Supported bridging housing assistance for people with mental illness (LD 1713)

  • Expanded housing support services for chronically homeless (LD 970)

Elections and access to the ballot

  • Supported automatic voter registration at Bureau of Motor Vehicles when getting or renewing license (LD 1463)

  • Supported creating an online voter registration system (LD 1126)

  • Preserved voter-approved ranked choice voting (LD 1625)