Learning the Legislature with Sarah Pebworth

On Monday July 13, we were so happy to host special guest speaker, Sarah Pebworth, a resident of Blue Hill and member of the Maine House of Representatives. Sarah represents District 133, which includes the communities of Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Sedgwick and Surry. 

We had a lot of questions for Sarah about how local and state governments work, and what her life as a State Representative looks like day to day. Scroll down below for a summary of our discussion with her!

What does a state representative do?

Maine legislators (representatives and senators) work together as problem solvers. They take input from the community on various issues, and then attempt to find solutions. 

State representatives introduce and vote on bills that represent the interests of their constituents (people who live in their voting district). They create new laws, modify or update old laws and serve on research committees within the legislative branch.

Sarah represents District 133, which includes the communities of Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Sedgwick and Surry. 

What are some recent issues that have come up in congress?

Recently, the Maine legislature drafted a bill that replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, to honor Native American communities. It was signed into law by Governor Mills last April. This legislation was drafted in response to the demands of the Black Lives Matter protests.

What does it mean when congress is “in session” or “on recess”?

Just like a school year or a seasonal job, congress members do their work when they are in session, and take breaks in between.  When congress is in session, members of the house and senate meet in the capitol to work on bills and cast votes. 

This doesn’t mean our representatives aren’t busy while on recess! Sarah represents 9000 people, and is always available for their questions and input.  

Is being a state representative a full time job?

In some states, like California, being a representative means representing hundreds of thousands of people, and working full time with a full staff. Here in Maine, there are smaller districts for each representative. This means the work is part time. Most members of Maine congress have other jobs and backgrounds that are in areas other than politics, which contributes to a diverse range of perspectives in our government. Sarah described Maine’s congress as a “citizen legislature.” For example, Sarah is an English major who has worked as a teacher and business owner. As another example, our local state senator Louis Luchini was a professional runner before running for political office. 

How long has Sarah been working as a representative? What made her decide to run for office? 

Sarah has served as a representative for 2 years. Sarah’s first term is ending - she is on the Democratic primary ballot in tomorrow’s election! While Sarah has no competition for re-election, she encouraged all of us to vote tomorrow if we haven’t already!

Sarah never saw herself running for political office before a friend suggested it to her. She has always enjoyed thinking through problems and finding solutions, a skill that she exercised when she owned and managed an inn in Blue Hill. Being a state representative allows her to keep problem solving, but on a larger scale and with a meaningful community impact. 

How does a state representative’s work look different in the pandemic?

The state legislature is still working out solutions to meeting in person during the pandemic. There are certain duties that cannot be carried out over Zoom. For example, the way they cast their votes is through secure machines that are located in the State House in Maine’s capital, Augusta. 

For now, when congress goes into session, they will still meet in Augusta using appropriate social distancing measures. However, it is currently difficult to enforce mask-wearing, as this has become a political issue.  Sarah expressed her hopes that the governor will take a stronger stance on this important public health measure. 

Any tips for staying active and healthy during the pandemic?

• Dancing in your home to your favorite music, both for exercise and stress management. It’s important to stay happy!

• Walking in nature. Keep your walks easy! If the weather is bad, try walking in place in your home, even while watching TV. 

• Set a timer for activities like playing video games or watching TV, so that you can enjoy these activities without losing track of time and spending your whole day on them. 

• Many of us when we experience stress have increased cravings for snacks. Try replacing some less healthy snacks, like chips and ice cream, with healthier options like carrots and hummus, at least some of the time!