Orono board adopts legislative platform emphasizing local autonomy and fully funded mandates

The Orono Public School District board voted to adopt the district’s Orono Action legislative platform, a three-principle framework the district says will guide its advocacy this legislative session.

The board approved the platform after members of the Orono Action Committee presented the document and described how committee members will monitor bills and indicate which ones the district “supports” or “doesn’t support” based on those principles. Wendy Lundsgaard and Tim Usit, members of the Orono Action Committee, told the board the approach is intended to give legislators tangible guidance rather than broad statements of priorities.

"The principles we decided upon this year, number 1 was local autonomy," Tim Usit said, reading the platform’s priorities. The platform also lists "fully funded mandates" and "collaborative advocacy" as central tenets.

Committee members said the Metropolitan School Boards Association’s government-relations team reviewed the approach and responded positively. "They thought it was a fantastic idea," a committee member told the board, describing MSBA’s feedback.

Board members asked how the platform would be used to hold legislators accountable. Tim Usit said the committee plans to "find bill alignment" and then communicate support or opposition; the district will track how legislators vote on bills brought to the floor and use that tracking to inform future communications.

The board moved to approve the Orono Action Legislative Platform and the motion carried by voice vote with all members saying "aye." The board did not record roll-call vote counts in the meeting transcript.

The committee asked the board to share feedback with committee members and indicated it will report back after the session with outcomes and legislators’ responses.