Issue Position: Working to End Domestic Violence

Issue Position

We all hear about it in our towns and cities. Too many violent Maine crimes are directly connected to domestic violence. It scars children and it scars our greater community. As a child Governor LePage faced homelessness after he left home because of terrible domestic violence. He knows all too well that to solve the problem we must take action.

Once again he has proven action speaks louder than words. Both out front on the issue and quietly, daily, working on the issue behind the scenes from the Governor's office, Paul LePage is committed to making a Maine a leader in eradicating domestic violence.

The Governor has said we must protect the women, kids, and other victims affected by Domestic Violence.

Beyond personal intervention work to help affected families, Governor LePage has also taken the following actions:

-Provided funding to keep domestic violence programs funded after other budget cuts.

-Saw that the crime of Sexual Assault was added to the Maine Code of Military Justice.

-Signed legislation to ensure that victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking are notified when their abuser is released from jail.

-Signed legislation to add sex trafficking as a crime under Maine law.

-Reduced the turnaround time for hearing Gross Sexual Assault cases from 18 months to 4 months.

-Signed an Executive Order which creates a taskforce to develop electronic assistance to provide safety for domestic violence victims.

-Introduced and passed legislation that prevents judges from waiving the penalty that abusers pay into the Victims' Compensation Fund.

-Worked with the Department of Labor to produce educational tools for private companies when dealing with domestic violence.

-Championed legislation that amends the Maine bail code in order to protect the victims of domestic violence, ensuring a judge must determine the bail for felony domestic violence offenses and violations of a protection from abuse order.

-Supported legislation that deals with the risk assessments involved with abusers.

-Signed an Executive Order directing domestic violence training for state employees be developed.

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