By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

During his four terms in Augusta, Rep. Stephen Beaudette got quite the education.

Beaudette, who was first elected in February 2004 to finish the term of another legislator, said the experience of representing his hometown allowed him to learn more about statewide and local issues and meet people from all corners of the state.

The owner of a small limousine company, Beaudette said he is unsure if he will pursue political office again. He sat down last week to reflect on his experiences in Augusta.

Why did you decide to become a state representative?

Primarily I wanted to have input into state policy. I’ve always been involved with economic development, so that was the area I was most interested in. I was fortunate enough that when I went in halfway through another rep’s term I was named to the Business, Research and Development Committee. I was lucky to get the committee assignment I wanted right from the get-go, which was very nice.

What did you find most valuable about your time in the Legislature?

It was a very good educational experience. You have the opportunity to interact with a number of very talented people and their expertise, their knowledge, which rubs off on you as you work with them.

What was a day like for you in the Legislature?

It depends on what your assignments are. The activity that takes up most of your time is your committee work, and there’s more time involvement if you chair a committee. Not only do you have to be well-versed in the topics coming before the committee, but you have to mediate sometimes, you have to be a facilitator, or doing hands-on work. During my last term I chaired the State and Local Government Committee.

What does that committee do?

The State and Local Committee deals with county and municipal issues, administrative procedures of state government, state contracts. It’s the committee that has oversight over the unorganized territories. There are a number of different things that fall into that category. My previous three terms I served on the Business, Research and Economic Development Committee. That was primarily overseeing business regulation and economic development.

What else does a state representative do?

Constituent service is a big part of it. It could be as simple as picking up state flags for a local nonprofit or trying to get information on a constituent’s complaint on how the Department of Health and Human Services has dealt with them. As far as the Legislative work of being on the House and on a committee, there’s a lot of research that needs to be done on the bills that come before you and the bills you sponsor yourself. There is an advocacy role. As well as there are lobbyists in the Statehouse, representatives lobby because they are trying to gain support for the bills they have introduced or are co-sponsors of. There’s a lot of mediation and advocacy that goes along with all that activity as well.

What bills did you sponsor that stick out in your mind?

For bills I cosponsored, I think the most significant was the statewide uniform building code and also expanding the historic tax credit. Those have particular impact with what’s being worked on in the mill district in Biddeford today or any mill district in other parts of the state. It provides a lot more incentive for developers to renovate these historic properties. Then, of course, with the uniform building code you have one set standard, so it’s much easier for developers to work on buildings of any type because it’s one set of rules no matter what municipality you’re in. That really helped development, those two particular bills.

As a Biddeford native, what do you think of everything that’s going on with the mills here?

Obviously it’s very pleasing to me. Living here most of my life I’ve seen the good times when I was a kid, I’ve seen the bad times when a lot of the mills closed down. There are vacant storefronts now, but nothing like it was a few years ago. Having the mill buildings now become a center of development and kind of bringing the visibility of that district back again is a major economic engine for the city. Actually, both cities, Biddeford and Saco. It’s really very positive, very heartwarming to see it all coming back again.

What in your mind are the biggest things you saw change while you were in Augusta?

Probably the item that took the longest to process was tax reform. We passed the tax reform package last year and, of course, it’s up for a citizen’s veto up or down in June. That is a very significant piece of legislation, especially for small businesses. Most businesses in Maine are smaller, thereeither LLCs or small proprietors or partnerships, getting a 2 percent reduction in their income tax, or a 1.5 percent reduction if their income is over $250,000, is a big, big plus for small business. Plus there’s a reduction in the capital gains rate. Granted, the sales tax has been broadened, but Maine traditionally has had more exemptions than most state. The net gain, regardless, of whether it’s an individual or a business,will see a tax reduction.

Do you feel like you’ve gotten to know Maine in a different way than you did before?

Certainly I have a much broader perspective because you work with so many people from very different parts of the state, particularly the people you work with in committee. Those are the folks you work with more than anyone else, both parties, very wide geographic distribution in most cases. You gain a better understanding of the issues that are in other parts of the state so you have a better perspective on what is best for the state as a whole when you look at pieces of legislation. Obviously, representing Biddeford, I try to affect as much positive change in this area as much as I can. But my obligation is to the state as a whole, so I have to make sure I take that into consideration in getting to understand what other people’s challenges are. It makes it much easier to see where you need to go.

How closely did you work with other legislators from this area?

I tended to work more with the more moderate Democrats in the area because we actually have a moderate caucus. (Saco Rep.) Don Pilon, (Saco Rep.) Linda Valentino, (Rep.) Gary Connor from Kennebunk, they’re all more moderate Democrats. As well as working on legislation particular to this area, we’d meet because of our similar philosophical backgrounds.

Overall, how do you feel about the time you spent in the Legislature?

It was an excellent experience for me, a great educational experience. My interpersonal skills, my negotiating skills, my mediation skills are much stronger than they were six years ago, no question. It’s been a privilege to serve and represent the people of this area. It’s been very enjoyable. It’s not a thankless job because there’s time you help someone out and they will thank you.