Decision 2010: The Grassroots Set the Pundits Straight

The legislative session is over in Maine. It came to a close in April, and while the session came to a close during one of the warmest springs on record, unfortunately lawmakers legislature left workers out in the cold. That’s because they once again failed to pass L.D. 1665, a bill that would have provided paid sick days for all Maine workers – a vital protection that 36% of the Maine workforce currently lacks.

As candidates hit the campaign trail, vying for a seat in the 125^th Legislature or executive office, L.D. 1665 is getting an awful lot of attention – and it isn’t all good. While a few pundits and editorialists speak out against the bill as “out of touch,” one cannot help but wonder who’s really out of touch with every day Maine people. A Lake Research Partners poll of 500 likely Maine voters found that 87 percent of respondents support legislation guaranteeing paid sick days. Now, I’m no statistician, but 87 percent seem to me as overwhelming support for a bill – especially because support remains high across political parties. Moreover, polls further indicate that voters are more likely to support candidates who promote paid sick days, so what’s going on in Maine?

Thankfully, the grassroots are setting things straight. (Click here to read the whole piece that we submitted to the Mom’s Rising Blog!)