Dear Editor:

From everything I hear, Representative Stephanie Hawke is a nice person with a record of community service. I have no reason to doubt that, and am pleased to have people like her in our community. At the same time, her record in the state legislature has left much to be desired. I limit my comments below to just this calendar year.

She opposed LD1560, which would have done much to facilitate the reintegration of ex-offenders into civil society.

She voted against LD1757 which would have provided economic stimulus by allowing the minimum wage to rise and supported LD1694, the stigmatization of low-income students, both adding to the economic burdens of her low-income constituents.

She supported the cruel Trump administration immigration policies by voting for LD1833 as well as a bill that served only to caricature Muslim immigrants (LD1904).

She opposed LD1444, which would have allowed community solar development.

Of great importance to me, and most people who wish the expansion of democracy, she opposed LD31, which supported the citizen initiative process and supported LD 1865, which restricted the citizen initiative process.

As a person who spend most of his life in health care research with a goal of making medical care more humane and responsive to the needs of patients, I am particularly concerned with her opposition to LD 1864, which would have helped keep patients in their homes, and LD8731, which would have expanded Medicaid, thereby helping stabilize rural hospitals and supporting medical care for those of us most in need.

Had Holly Stover been our representative in Augusta, I believe most of these votes would have gone differently. For me, that is reason enough to urge you to cast your vote for Holly Stover on Nov. 6.

Andrew C. Twaddle

East Boothbay