Last year they were first-time Maine legislators. Now, they've returned for a second legislative session. As Irwin Gratz reports, the fledgling lawmakers returned a bit wiser about the legislative process, but still excited by it.
Republican state Rep. Abigail Griffin, of Levant, says she learned some important things last session: how to understand policy; how to interact with people from across the political spectrum.
But, she admits, it was tough. "I'm going to be very honest. I was very overwhelmed. It was a learning curve for me. And I did learn a lot."
And there was a lot to learn. Griffin, a retired school teacher, had little prior experience with the Legislature.
Democratic state Rep. Lori Gramlich, of Old Orchard Beach, also acknowledges gaps in understanding the ways of the Mainae Legislature. And she did have plenty of prior experience with it - as a lobbyist and a legislative staffer.
"I think those opportunities gave me a very unique perspective, perhaps different from my other freshman colleagues," Gramlich says. "But I realize that I still don't know everything and have a lot to learn."
Rep. Holly Stover, a Democrat who represents Boothbay, was impressed watching the machinery of lawmaking at work.
"The number of hours, the tremendous amount of thought that goes into every decision that's made and the way that people truly do collaborate to do the best that they can for their own constituency - those are all things that I witnessed, and were part of, and enjoyed a lot," she says.
All three, plus veteran state Rep. Ralph Tucker, of Brunswick, say that was true not only among legislators, but between legislators and the executive branch.
"We were better able to establish personal, direct trust between the legislators sitting on the various committees and their counterparts in the executive departments," Tucker says. "And it's that personal contact and trust that makes government work."
Not surprisingly, Tucker, a Democrat, credited fellow Democrat Gov. Janet Mills for improving the climate at the State House.
Legislating is often, at its heart, about making choices. Rep. Abigail Griffin said she learned about that from her work on the Health and Human Services Committee. There, she heard from "a lot of hurting people" - people, Griffin says, "you want to help."
"To be honest, having the money to be able to help them is a problem," Griffin says. "So, you want to help them, and so your heart just goes out to them, but there's only so much we can do."
Rep. Holly Stover learned a similar lesson as she reviewed many pieces of legislation. "Is it a 'want' or a 'need?'" she says. "And, a lot of times, 'wants' are things - we all have wants and we can't fulfill those. But often, these bills represent a serious need, some of them more urgent, and some of them just good common sense things for us to have in Maine."
As the Legislature made its choices, it left behind some disappointments. Republican Griffin had two big ones: passage of a bill to allow the terminally ill to seek assistance to end their lives, and another to remove religious and philosophical exemptions from the state's vaccination law.
Democrat Holly Stover was unhappy with the failure of what she called a "long shot bill" to provide better protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Democrat Lori Gramlich had a bill to protect beaches that she hoped would pass, but it was carried over to this year's session.
Despite setbacks, the three rookie legislators reported having a good experience working with members of the opposite party.
"A senator I'd worked with previously, Sen. Cyrway, and a House member from Lincoln, Rep. Sheldon," recalls Democratic Rep. Lori Gramlich. "And they actually both cosponsored my oral health bill, which was really cool."
But then there was last summer's special session, called to try and put together a bond package. It turned out to be a partisan struggle in which Republicans eventually succeeded in their desire to limit bond proposals to a single transportation issue.
"I guess for me it was a disappointment on a certain level," says Democratic Rep. Holly Stover, "because I found working together encouraging when we were able to come to some negotiated agreements. And on that day, there was not a lot of room for negotiation. And so we didn't get a lot done."
Veteran Rep. Ralph Tucker says the rookie legislators might find more of that partisanship in this year's shorter, second session.
"Well, we can anticipate more of a political spin on every issue," Tucker says. "Some people will be posturing. People will be lining up to decide whether to run for office, to run for leadership. And so there will be more focus on the political aspects of what happens."
Abigail Griffin, for one, is not deterred. She answers the question: "Will you seek re-election to a second term?" with a "Yes."
"No hesitation whatsoever?" I press.
"I've already started gathering my signatures and I'm excited to do it again," she says with a laugh.
In fact, all three rookies say they plan to seek second terms. "I feel as though I have a lot to offer to my community and my constituents," says Holly Stover. "I love this work. I love this state. And I love all the people."
Lori Gramlich said the lessons she'll carry forward in her future legislating are: do her "homework," check in with assumptions, and engage with stakeholders on the issues facing the Legislature.
Maine Public's Morning Edition Producer Willis Ryder Arnold contributed to this story.
Originally published Jan. 31, 3019 at 3:36 p.m. ET.
