Maine House 73

Social media accounts:
Facebook: John Andrews for Maine House

Occupation:
Stay-at-home parent; vice chairman of Paris Board of Selectmen

Education:
Bachelor of Arts, University of New Hampshire.

Community organizations:
Paris Board of Selectmen; Paris Economic Development Committee; Paris Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization; Buckfield Economic Development Committee adviser; Buckfield Old Church on the Hill Committee adviser; Buckfield Community Day Committee adviser; Pink Feather Foundation; Nezinscot Valley Community Players; Oxford Hills youth football coach; Paris T-ball coach; member of Oxford Lodge No. 18 and the Kora Shrine; Norway-Paris Fish and Game Club; Waterford Fish and Game Club.

Personal information (hobbies, etc.):
Competitive pistol shooting, fly fishing, hunting, coaching youth sports, family time.

Family status:
Married with two young children.

Years in the Legislature:                                                                                      None.

Committee assignments (if elected):
None.

Q&A

1) What legislation do you support, if any, to address the state’s opiate crisis?
I support bills that involve diverse stakeholders, focus on real-world solutions and early-stage prevention. Bills like LD 1646 seek to prevent the cycle of addiction before it starts.

2) What legislation do you support, if any, to address failures in the state’s child abuse prevention system?
The Legislature recently passed four bills and appropriated $22 million to DHHS for new caseworkers and software to help protect vulnerable children. This is a good start to be monitored.

3) Should schools continue to push forward with proficiency-based diplomas? Why or why not?
Schools should be allowed to use what works best for them. My job as a legislator should be to listen to teachers and hear what they are saying. They will tell you what works in the classroom.

4) Are you in favor of some type of universal health care for Maine residents? Why, or why not?
Universal health care was tried on a state level in Vermont in 2011. It was abandoned by 2014 because of the extremely high cost in taxation to fund it. Maine should not make the same mistake.

5) Do you support Question 1 (the 3.8 percent tax to fund the home care program)? Why, or why not?
I join all four candidates for governor in saying that Question 1 is a bad idea. I will be voting “no” on 1. At its core it is a 3.8 percent tax increase on our professional working families in Maine.

6) Are you frustrated by the political sniping, exaggeration and even lies between the parties and their supporters that have threatened progress usually reached through respect and reasoned compromise? If so, what will you personally do to make the situation better? 

Too often people are more concerned with making something an issue to campaign on instead of actually working to fix it. Legislators should be more concerned with how something affects their district.

7) Tell voters something about yourself that they don’t already know, and might surprise them.
In my early 20s I was an AmeriCorps member for a year. I taught literacy and reading comprehension skills to at-risk youth to help them improve their academic performance. It was a great experience.

Speed Round

Should voters be required to show ID at the polls?                                                  Yes.