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Month Day, 2009 Jay Finegan, 287-1445
Rep. Dianne Tilton Named to Prominent National Leadership Committees

AUGUSTA – Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree has named Rep. Dianne Tilton to two influential committees at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The appointments, which take effect immediately, will bring Rep. Tilton into contact with state legislators from around the nation to share approaches and solutions to environmental and economic development issues.

Rep. Tilton (R-Harrington) will join the NCSL’s Standing Committee on Environment and the Standing Committee on Labor and Economic Development. “I’m honored by these appointments and by the opportunity to represent Maine at the national level,” she said. “Sharing information with legislators from other states can be very constructive in dealing with problems here in Maine.”

Rep. Tilton, a first-term lawmaker, serves on the Marine Resources Committee in the Legislature, as well as on the Committee on Maine’s Energy Future.

NCSL’s Environment Committee educates Congress and federal agencies as to state concerns regarding a variety of issues, such as air quality, water management and cost-benefit analysis of environmental regulations. Its jurisdiction extends to a diverse group of environmental issues, including natural disasters, waste disposal, pesticides, alternative energy and nuclear waste.

The Labor and Economic Development Committee covers state and federal issues related to labor, employment, workforce and economic development, international trade and cultural affairs. The Committee’s jurisdiction also includes pensions, Social Security, employment training and right-to-work laws.

In June, Rep. Tilton was selected as one of only 50 state legislators in the country to participate in the 2009 Program for Emerging Political Leaders, sponsored by the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

The NCSL, based in Denver, is a bipartisan organization that advocates for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies.

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