There are many issues to be considered during this most disturbing election cycle and we all have our favorites. One of mine is local food sovereignty. As Rockland considers its Local Food and Community Self-Governance Ordinance (LFCSGO), I want to say that Jonathan Fulford, running for the Maine Senate, is a supporter of local food and the farmers who produce it.

I spent many hours preparing and testifying for the “food bills” that the 127th legislative session considered. One in particular, LD783, proposed a referendum item to amend the Constitution of Maine to guarantee Maine’s people the right to obtain and consume foods of our choosing. Despite the fact that the MAJORITY of the Agriculture Committee members recommended LD783 Ought To Pass (OTP) and the fact that the bill passed the House with a 97/45 vote, the Senate, under the guidance of Mike Thibodeau, chose to accept the Committee MINORITY Ought Not To Pass (ONTP) report and reject the bill. Even when the House insisted on Senate acceptance of the committee’s OTP report, the Senate again chose to adhere to its acceptance of the MINORITY ONTP report—without discussion or a roll call. 

At a recent forum, I questioned Sen. Thibodeau about the Senate’s action and he responded inaccurately saying that the bill didn’t really pass the House because it needed a 2/3 majority. This is wrong because the bill was only to put the question on the ballot for the people to decide. He stated that the “concern” was unregulated raw milk sales and that Maine needed to protect its dairy industry. Statistics do not support this concern, but the corporate lobbyists in Augusta do. 

That’s why I am voting for Jonathan Fulford. We, the people, need legislators who represent us and not special interests.

Richard King lives in Liberty