Rep. Dan Ankeles

It looks like the Town Council will be voting next Monday on whether to set a public hearing on June 1 to consider a data center moratorium.  I don’t typically weigh in on specific Council proposals, but I would strongly encourage people’s support for this particular measure. A locally-generated patchwork network of timeouts is the only way to buy enough time for my colleagues and I to adopt a statewide regulatory framework that properly lays out the conditions under which a data center could open here in Maine. And again, this is not saying no. It is saying “hey, you need to wait until we can guarantee that people don’t get taken advantage of and that our resources don’t get exploited without proper restitution or restoration efforts.” My advice to the Council is to have the moratorium sunset itself roughly when the sunset in LD 307 would have taken place. Then take a second look at the issue once the rules are in place, and people can weigh the costs and benefits on those terms. 

Good evening Brunswick! Tonight the legislature adjourned its session for the year. I will have a lot more to say on all of the things we worked on (both good and bad) in future posts, but suffice it to say I am really really looking forward to spending more time with all of you, with our family, and with Olive, our new legislative Labrador retriever.

I might have mentioned this before, but I’ve got a big old spreadsheet for bill ideas for the next legislature, which convenes in December, and I would love you all to help me build it and refine it through conversation and communication. It takes months of meetings and research to get these bills into shape, so it’s never too early to start.

The staff members who work with me will also be available as always to help with constituent questions and navigating any part of state government.

Thank you to everybody this winter and spring who advocated for and against bills you care about. If I missed getting back to you, I do apologize. Please feel free to nudge me again.

The work does not end (which, is OK because I don’t get tired), and it remains an honor to represent you all in the House. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.