Regarding Patti Mikkelsen’s letter, printed April 4, the proposed legislative bills (LDs 31, 108, and 144) for the size of the Legislature and public funding for elections represent concrete initiatives to reduce the cost of Maine government. Sadly, none of these bills seeks to address the increasingly contentious divide in Maine government between the interests of more populous counties in the south and the less populous counties in the north, east and west.
Reformers should look to the U.S. Constitution for inspiration. The Constitution provides a model for equal representation by population (the House of Representatives) and by state (the Senate). This model has worked effectively for more than 200 years to ensure that the rights of all citizens are fairly represented in the U.S. Congress.
Concurrent with efforts to reduce the cost of the Maine Legislature, reform is needed so that senators are apportioned by county rather than by population, with one or two senators per county. Thereby, there would be a greater likelihood that passed legislation adequately reflects the interests and desires of all Mainers.
Peter Cipolloso, Oxford
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