Westbrook, Maine - Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett issued the following statement on the State Senate’s passage of a drug pricing transparency bill and a student loan bill of rights, both authored by Democratic Senator Eloise Vitelli:
“Improving access to high-quality, affordable health care and ensuring that every Maine students receives a good, affordable education are cornerstones of our Democratic agenda to support Maine people.
“With the passage of Senator Vitelli’s bills today, we are one step closer to protecting Maine students from crippling loan debt and one step closer to protecting Maine seniors from surging prescription drug prices. We extend our gratitude to Senator Eloise Vitelli for leading the charge and to her Democratic colleagues in the Senate for supporting these two important measures.
“At the same time, we are disappointed to see that Senator Mason, a Republican candidate for governor, did not believe that a student loan bill of rights was in the best interest of Maine students. With Maine facing a very serious issue of attracting and retaining young people, it’s sad to see him not get behind this bill, but it’s likely indicative of the approach he would take if elected governor.”
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