Commentary

Commentary
By Rep. Mark Bryant (D-Windham)
Representing Part of Windham and Part of Gray

The state's major newspapers spent much of last week talking about inside politics at the State House, and the divided numbers of the Maine House of Representatives. On paper, it sounds very divisive to see the parties so close in number but far apart on the issues. But as your State Representative, I can assure that the numbers are not what they seem.

As this session progresses, there will be days when I spend more time with my so-called political adversaries than my own family-except, of course, for the hours spent in hearings and work sessions on the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee with Sen. Bruce Bryant, the committee's chair and my younger brother. While Bruce and I are both Democrats, the rest of our eight siblings and parents have more conservative views.

Growing up around a supper table with so many different perspectives was an excellent training ground for our experience in the Maine Legislature. Besides learning to listen to a multiplicity of perspectives in our household, we also gained a skill we never knew would be valuable as legislators-fishing.

Each year, legislators from both parties and legislative bodies meet on a Saturday morning for a catch, measure and release bass fishing tournament. While the contest only takes place for the morning, the bragging goes on year-round. The winning team takes back $1,000 for the charity of its choice, and the glory of possessing the tournament cup for the next year. Caption below.

When I say that bragging rights for this trophy matter, I mean it. In the House, we take the tournament pretty seriously, making careful considerations on recruiting the best fishing men and women in the chamber, regardless of party, to participate in the contest.

For the last several years, the House has done very well in the contest, uniting across party lines to defeat the Senate. Though we lost this year, we proudly handed over the trophy to the Senate for a well-fought win. Governor Baldacci presided over the hand-off, just to make certain everything was in order. The prize money went to Maine's chapter of the Children's Miracle Network.
Now, if House members can work together on something as relatively insignificant as a fishing tournament, you can believe that cooperation stretches across the aisle when it matters most to Maine people.

When it comes to dealing with the major issues in our state, there's much more common ground than there is division. We all agree on what we need to do to move Maine forward: create new and sustainable jobs, lower health care costs and increase access to quality health care, provide a good education for our children, protect our environment, and do whatever we can to make life easier for working families living paycheck to paycheck.

It's not the numbers that matter. What matters is how we come together to make decisions to help put Maine people first.

I may be contacted for more information, or other state matters at my home by phone 892-6591, email, repmarkbryant@yahoo.com, or through my legislative Web page, mainehousedems.org/mbryant

Photo caption:
The House was in passing off the Trophy to the Senate because the House had won last year and the Senate was the winner this year.The Winner gets to keep the Trophy for the year.

From Left to right Rep Mark Bryant, Member of the IF&W Committee, Rep Tom Watson, House Chair of the IF&W Committee, Senator Bruce Bryant, Senate Chair of the IF&W Committee, Senator Chandler Woodcock, Member of the IF&W Committee, Governor Baldacci, IF&W Commissioner Dan Martin, Assistant House Majority Leader Bob Duplessie.