Issue Position: Protecting Maine Communities and Tackling the Opioid Crisis

Issue Position

Matt is well versed in the public safety issues facing Maine. He has worked in this area, in Maine, for nearly 15 years. He continued to serve Mainers as a full time police officer. Matt has championed and successfully passed many pieces of legislation to help Maine's first responders. Matt knows that Maine's Police Officers, Firefighters and Emergency Medical personnel need to have the equipment, training, manpower and other resources to safely and effectively do their jobs.

Maine's opioid crisis is tearing the fabric of our communities apart. We all know someone whose life has been affected by this tragic epidemic. This epidemic is not just a political talking point to Matt - this is personal. In his work as a police officer, he has seen the overdose deaths first-hand, administered medical aid to overdose victims, and looked into the eyes of family members after losing a loved one. Matt believes we must do more. This crisis requires a multi-faceted approach that requires aggressive enforcement, treatment, education and prevention. During Matt's first term in the House of Representatives, he supported a measure which added ten additional drug enforcement agents as well as $2 million in additional funding for treatment, in an effort to stem the harm caused by Maine's opioid crisis.

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