AUGUSTA – Yesterday, Representative Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, urged lawmakers on the Legislature’s Transportation Committee to pass legislation that would make school buses safer for Maine students. The measure, LD 2159, was introduced by Rep. Valli Geiger, D-Rockland, following two recent school bus accidents in Rockland and Standish that claimed the lives of Maine children.
The measure would require that all school buses be equipped with a crossing arm and mandate that drivers activate the crossing arm when the bus is stopped, so students can enter and exit safely.
“We owe it to the families who have lost children, to the children who have survived accidents and to every parent who puts their child on the bus each morning to take action to make school buses safer,” said Golek. “This creates a path towards protecting every child who steps onto a school bus in the state of Maine.”
Golek’s advocacy for enhanced school bus safety measures began in 1997 after her 7‑year‑old son, Michael, was run over by his bus when the driver pulled forward before he had fully crossed the street. He survived but suffered severe trauma.
In 2019, Golek testified as a parent in support of LD 19, which sought to require all school buses to be equipped with crossing arms. The bill passed but was amended to apply only to new buses due to a lack of funding.
In 2023, Golek introduced successful legislation, LD 62, after two Maine children were dragged by school buses in Buxton and Auburn. That bill required anti-pinch sensors to be installed on school buses manufactured starting in 2025.
Governor Janet Mills recently announced a proposal to fund $4.3 million to retrofit Maine’s existing school bus fleet with crossing arms and anti‑pinch door sensors. The Governor’s announcement specifically referenced the earlier legislation championed by Golek.
“We have an opportunity today to do what we could not do in 2019 or 2023. The funding is finally here. The need is undeniable. Our children’s lives depend on us moving quickly,” Golek said.
The Transportation Committee will hold a work session for the bill in the coming weeks.
Golek is serving her second term in the Maine House of Representatives, representing Harpswell and part of Brunswick. She is a member of the Housing and Economic Development Committee and the Marine Resources Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Golek) | 305-965-2744