enlarge 2008 Press Herald file

State Sen. Philip Bartlett says the challenge for the next legislative session will be to cut spending while protecting vital services for the needy.

State lawmakers who were elected to serve in the next Legislature will have the daunting task of trimming hundreds of millions of dollars from Maine's budget, and Sen. Philip Bartlett, D-Gorham, will be one of the leaders in the effort.

Bartlett, who's entering his third term, was recently elected by the Senate Democrats to the role of majority leader.

He joins Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell of Vassalboro and Assistant Floor Leader Sen. Lisa Marrache of Waterville in the majority leadership. On the Republican side, Sen. Kevin Raye of Perry was elected minority leader, and Sen. Jonathan Courtney of Springvale was elected assistant minority leader.

Budget cuts will be the primary issue for the winter 2009 session. The state faces about a $150 million shortfall for the current fiscal year and is looking at a minimum of $500 million to $600 million shortfall for the next biennium.

Legislators will be sworn in Dec. 3 and will immediately begin working on committee assignments and getting information to members so work can begin as soon as the session starts on Jan. 6.

"Right out of the gate, our committees will be meeting much earlier and much more (often)," he said.

The challenge will be to make cuts while protecting vital services to vulnerable populations, said Bartlett. The Legislature will also look to preserve core investments for the future, he said, such as funding for higher education.

Mitchell and Raye said every legislator is focused on the need to make cuts. It overshadows everything, said Raye.

"When you talk to any legislator anticipating this session, it's the same thing on all of our minds, in terms of how can we come to grips with it," said Raye.

Mitchell said it would take "bipartisan leadership to work very hard and make very tough decisions, but to be sure to make them in a way that does the least damage in the future."

Bartlett, 32, returned to his hometown of Gorham in 2001 after earning undergraduate degrees in economics and political science at Tufts University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

He worked on Chellie Pingree's unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign in 2002 and learned about the many Mainers who wanted to stay in the state or return here, but struggled to find jobs. That led him to run for the Legislature, said Bartlett.

"I felt it was a good time to get involved," he said.

He lives in Gorham with his wife, Susan, and their 18-month-old daughter, Abigail. Bartlett is a lawyer who mainly represents employees in workers' compensation cases.

Besides cutting the budget, Bartlett said decreasing Maine's dependence on foreign oil is a top priority for the session. Bartlett was chairman of the Utilities Committee and said he wants to expand alternative energy in the state.

Another goal would be to work on tax reform, said Bartlett. Ideally, the change wouldn't cost the state anything but would help shift the tax burden from residents to visitors – through lodging and meals taxes and other mechanisms, said Bartlett.

Bartlett said his experience as a lawyer should help in his new leadership role. He knows how to represent the interests of his caucus in negotiations, while bringing his side to compromise, said Bartlett.

Raye said he anticipates a "very good relationship" with Bartlett. Republicans and Democrats aren't always fighting, said Raye.

"I know it often appears to the general public that we're always at odds," said Raye. "The truth of the matter is there are a lot of areas where we agree, and there are other areas where we can work through our differences and achieve consensus."

Staff Writer Matt Wickenheiser can be contacted at 791-6316 or at:

mwickenheiser@pressherald.com