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Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine Democrats drop opposition to 'red flag' hearing
Jun. 10—Under intense pressure — and threats of a lawsuit — from Republicans and gun rights groups, Democrats reversed course and agreed to hold a public hearing on a citizens initiative that would make it easier to temporarily remove access to firearms from people who are in a crisis. Republicans announced the public hearing shortly before 11:30 p.m. Monday — only moments after Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, told state senators to expect an additional public hearing to soon be announced, though she didn't provide details. The hearing, scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, will focus on a citizen initiative for extreme risk protection order, also known as a 'red flag law," which would allow a family member to petition a court to temporarily remove access to firearms of someone deemed a danger to themselves or others. Maine currently has a "yellow flag" law, which can only be initiative by police, who can only seek a court order after taking that individual into protective custody and provided them with a mental health evaluation. Republicans have been pushing for a public hearing ever since Democrats, who control both chambers, decided not to hold a hearing, citing a hearing on a similar bill last session that did not get a floor vote and the fact that it would ultimately be decided by voters. Republicans accused Democrats of violating a state law, enacted in 2019, requiring a hearing on any citizen initiative that is received when lawmakers are in session. "I'm relieved that my Democrat colleagues finally realized they could not get away with silencing the voices of Maine citizens to limit criticism of this radical gun-control proposal," Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, said in a written statement Monday night. "Even the most rabid gun-control activists realized that breaking the law to silence their opposition was not an acceptable way to move their agenda forward." The citizens initiative came forward in the wake of the mass shooting in Lewiston in October 2023 and is certain to generate intense debate over gun rights and restrictions ahead of the November vote. Tensions over the call for a public hearing escalated during a late-night session in the Senate last week in which Republicans tried to force the issue through a series of floor votes. The votes fell along party lines with Republicans voting to move forward with a series of motions aimed at forcing action on a public hearing while Democrats voted against them. Democrats resisted holding a hearing, saying it's not required in the Maine Constitution. And last week, Daughtry said that a law enacted by a prior legislature could not bind the current group of lawmakers, which Republicans decried as "a dangerous ruling." The National Rifle Association announced last week that it was joining a planned lawsuit with the Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine and the Gun Owners of Maine. In a fundraising appeal, SAM speculated that Democrats don't want to hold a hearing because it will highlight opposition, including from Gov. Janet Mills, law enforcement and other Democratic lawmakers. Mills, a former attorney general, help negotiate the state's current "yellow flag" law and has opposed previous attempts to enact a "red flag" law, which exist in 21 other states. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After pleas from Republicans, last-minute hearing scheduled for red flag initiative
Hundreds of supporters and opponents of gun safety reforms rallied at the Maine State House on Jan. 3, 2024. (Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) After a push from Republican lawmakers, a public hearing for a red flag bill is scheduled for Wednesday. The Maine Legislature's Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing for LD 1378, which was born out of a citizens initiative process, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday — one week before the Legislature is set to adjourn for the session. Red flag laws, formally known as extreme risk protection orders, are a mechanism to temporarily confiscate one's firearms if they are deemed to be a threat by law enforcement or their family members. Maine's current 'yellow flag law' allows law enforcement officials to take away guns from someone considered a safety risk to themselves or others after an evaluation from a mental health professional. For several weeks, Republicans have been questioning why a public hearing was never scheduled for the proposal, which is already set to appear on the November ballot for voters to decide on. In a late night Senate session last Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) attempted four maneuvers to force a public hearing for the bill. He argued that they are obligated by state law to hold a hearing, but his attempts were unsuccessful at the time. Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) said the Judiciary Committee still had possession of the bill, essentially saying it is up to the committee to decide what to do with it next. However, after another late Senate session Monday, the Judiciary Committee sent out a public hearing notice. 'The 'red flag' bill isn't a referendum to change the state flag,' said Assistant Senate Minority Leader Matt Harrington (R-York) after the meeting was announced. 'It is a proposal that infringes on one of our most protected rights.' The red flag proposal was brought about after the Maine Gun Safety Coalition collected more than 80,000 signatures in about two months in support of the initiative. Similar legislation was introduced last legislative session, but it died without a vote in the full Senate or House of Representatives. The Judiciary Committee held a public hearing in April 2024 for last session's proposal amid criticisms of the state's yellow flag law, which has faced scrutiny since an independent commission found that it should have been utilized to remove firearms from Robert Card II, who perpetrated the October 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Standoff over red flag hearing continues in Maine Legislature, may go to court
Jun. 6—A partisan standoff over whether to hold a public hearing on a citizen-initiated red flag referendum is likely to stretch into next week's legislative sessions and could wind up in court. Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, tried late Thursday to force Democrats to schedule a public hearing on the referendum, proposing a series of floor motions in the Senate, all of which were rejected. He said Friday that he intends to introduce additional motions next week if Democrats still haven't agreed to hold a hearing on the initiative. "I don't think this thing is over yet," Stewart said. "If I had to wager a bet, there are some other motions I'm intending to make when we get back next week, assuming they still haven't done the right thing." The red flag proposal, if passed by voters, would make it easier to confiscate the guns of a person in crisis by allowing family members to initiate the process and by removing a required mental health evaluation. The proposal came forward in the wake of the mass shooting in Lewiston in October 2023 and is certain to generate intense debate over gun rights and restrictions ahead of the November vote. Meanwhile, the impasse over a public hearing on the proposal has added to tensions at the State House as lawmakers are in the busy final days of the legislative session. Republicans point to a 2019 law that requires public hearings for citizen initiatives that are headed toward statewide referendum votes, unless lawmakers formally vote to waive the requirement. Such hearings have been held on other citizen proposals, but not all: A 2021 citizen initiative never received a hearing or the required waiver and was still sent to referendum and passed by voters. Democrats have so far not backed down, arguing in part that the Maine Constitution does not require the hearing and also citing legislative rules. Gun rights supporters who are opposed to the referendum proposal are pointing to the state law and threatening legal action against Democratic leaders, with one top advocate saying Friday that they have attorneys drafting a lawsuit. "When there's a state law on the books the Legislature can't just ignore it, so that will be the basis for the challenge," said David Trahan, executive director of the Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine, an advocacy group for gun owners and sportsmen that is working on the lawsuit. Nacole Palmer, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, which initiated the citizen's referendum, said in a written statement Friday that the group is "happy to debate this issue any time" and accused Republicans of playing "political tricks" by waiting until the end of the session to raise questions. "Now the National Rifle Association has joined them, parachuting into our state to muddy our Democratic process," Palmer said. "While they are doing that, we are focusing on the next five months, where we will be having this conversation publicly, talking to voters throughout the state, and in November every Maine voter will have the chance to make their voices heard." Citizens initiatives are brought forward by voters though a signature-gathering and application process. While the Legislature can choose to enact the proposals, they typically send them to statewide referendum votes. Maine's Legislature held a public hearing last month on the only other citizen initiative currently pending. That proposal would require photo identification prior to voting in Maine and put new restrictions on absentee voting. It also is headed for a fall referendum vote. Lawmakers also held a public hearing last year on the only citizen-initiated referendum they received in 2024, LD 2232, to limit contributions to political action committees that make independent expenditures. All four citizen initiatives in 2023 also received hearings. Legislative records, however, show that no public hearing or vote to waive the hearing was held for an initiative in 2021 that was aimed at stopping the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line through western Maine. At a committee work session on that initiative, a legislative analyst did not address whether lawmakers needed to hold a public hearing but did note some unique circumstances. Two weeks after the initiative was handed to the Legislature, lawmakers adjourned and the bill was carried over to a special session. Sen. Dick Bradstreet, R-Vassalboro, the sponsor of the 2019 law to require public hearings, said Friday that the circumstances of the 2021 case were different because lawmakers are supposed to hold the hearing in the same session in which they receive it and in that case they had just received the proposal when they ended up adjourning. He said the reason no hearing was held in 2021 was "kind of a technicality." LD 1378, the bill resulting from the red flag citizen initiative, was transmitted to the Legislature on March 27, during the current session that's scheduled to end June 18. "You really can't compare the two because in this case they're choosing not to have the hearing, even though the legal requirements are there," Bradstreet said. "Before, they could say they weren't in the same session. ... Now they're kind of flouting the law." Bradstreet said he didn't recall any outcry over the lack of a public hearing on the 2021 measure, but said there was less knowledge of the relatively new law at the time. He said he put forward the bill in 2019 because of a handful of initiatives that had been put forward around that time that were generating a lot of advertising. DISCERNING FACT FROM FICTION "I thought, 'How can people discern fact from fiction?'" Bradstreet said. "The only way to do that would be some type of hearing where people could question what the initiative does and what some repercussions would be, and where both sides would have a chance to present their arguments without the propaganda." In a late-night session Thursday, Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, rejected a proposal from Stewart to consider a formal waiver of the public hearing requirement to comply with state law, saying that his proposal was "not properly before the body." Daughtry said the Legislature's rules take precedence over statutes passed by prior groups of lawmakers regarding legislative proceedings and that Stewart's motion was asking for lawmakers to take an "unnecessary vote" on the citizens initiative. Daughtry also noted that the initiative was still before the Judiciary Committee, where she said it could have further action. A spokesperson for Daughtry and Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, the Senate chair of the committee, said Friday that they would not comment on the calls for a public hearing. Rep. Amy Kuhn, D-Falmouth, the House chair of the committee, did not respond to a voicemail message or email. Trahan, from the Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine, said his group in conjunction with Gun Owners of Maine and the National Rifle Association will focus their lawsuit on the 2019 law and argue that lawmakers need to either hold the hearing or vote by a two-thirds majority to waive it. The group is also fundraising to support the effort. Trahan said that just because lawmakers "got away with" not holding a hearing on the 2021 initiative, it does not mean it's not required in the law. "Why don't they just make this easy and hold the public hearing?" he said. "There's nothing to hide. Good public discourse adds to the debate." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Maine Republicans, gun rights groups try to force hearing on 'red flag' proposal
Jun. 5—AUGUSTA — Republicans and gun rights groups are ramping up pressure on Democrats to hold a public hearing on a so-called red flag proposal that's headed for a statewide vote in November. Republican lawmakers are accusing the majority of violating state law by refusing to hold the hearing because it will undermine their campaign to pass the law. If approved by voters, the citizens initiative would make it easier for family members to have firearms temporarily taken away from people who are in crisis and may pose a danger to themselves or others. Sen. Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, said at a press conference Thursday that if Democrats don't reverse course and hold a hearing, Republicans will try to force the issue through a series of floor votes. And the National Rifle Association said Thursday that it will join a planned lawsuit over legislative Democrats' refusal to hold a public hearing. Stewart said Senate Republicans plan to offer a flurry of proposals to put Democrats on the record as opposing a chance for the public to weigh in. "It doesn't matter how you break this one down," Stewart said. "There needs to be a hearing. It's abundantly clear they're in violation of Maine law. Once again, (we're) giving them an opportunity to do the right things here. But if by today that is not the case (and) that has not yet happened, you're going to see a flurry of orders put forward by Republicans in the Senate." Democrats, who control both chambers and control committees that conduct public hearings, say they don't need to hold a hearing because the question will be decided by voters. Gun safety groups collected signatures to force a fall referendum on the red flag law, which would allow family members to directly petition a court to temporarily confiscate firearms. Maine currently has what is known as a yellow flag law, which was negotiated by Gov. Janet Mills, gun rights groups and gun safety groups. It can only be initiated by police and requires a mental health evaluation before a court petition can be filed to confiscate a person's firearms. A state law requires that a public hearing be held on statewide referendum questions, unless that hearing is waived by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. And hearings have been routinely held for other referendum questions, including a recent hearing on a referendum to enact a voter ID requirement and additional restrictions on absentee voting. Lawmakers have three options when receiving a qualified citizens initiative: Enact it without changes, send it to voters, or send it to voters with a competing measure. Democrats have made clear this initiative will be sent to voters without an effort to pass it in the Legislature. Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, who co-chairs the Judiciary Committee, said she believes a state law requiring a hearing conflicts with the state Constitution, which doesn't mention the need for a public hearing. And since lawmakers have signaled they don't plan to enact the proposal, a hearing isn't necessary. Carney also noted last week that a hearing on a similar red flag proposal was held last session. But opponents of the referendum are clamoring for a hearing. The Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine issued an action alert this week, arguing that Democrats don't want to hold a hearing because it will highlight opposition, including from Gov. Janet Mills and other Democratic lawmakers. Mills came out against a red flag bill proposed last session, but the bill was never brought forward for a floor vote after an hours-long public hearing that drew a divided crowd. "Under Maine law, all ballot initiatives MUST receive a public hearing before going to the Maine voters," SAM's alert states. "But Judiciary Chairs and Maine Gun Safety Coalition allies are blocking that hearing. Why? "Because Michael Bloomberg and the progressive gun-control lobby know it could END their campaign. This is because a massive bipartisan coalition of Mainers, including Governor Janet Mills, law enforcement, and lawmakers, will discuss the dangerous and potentially deadly realities of this extreme law." Aids more Mills did not respond to a question about whether Mills would personally testify before the committee, which would be a rare and dramatic moment, or if her administration would testify on her behalf, which usually occurs. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislative recap for Tuesday, June 3
Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) stands with other lawmakers during the official swearing in of the 132nd Maine Legislature on Dec. 4, 2024. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) After the Maine House of Representatives worked until 10 p.m. on Monday, when the Senate reconvened just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday there were bets on how long it would take to get through the remainder of the chamber's work. It ended up being one hour, four minutes and 32 seconds. 'Take that, two-hour camp,' Senate President Mattie Daughtry joked. A lot of consequential decisions were packed into that last hour, pushing legislation closer to its final disposition than just hours earlier. Here are some takeaways from Tuesday: As the chambers move through votes, they often pause as lawmakers interject to voice opinions or request clarity on an issue or bill. One such request came Tuesday from Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) regarding LD 1626, which would establish annual training requirements for schools to provide education technicians and support staff. 'The reason we tabled this — I don't even know what day we tabled it on, yesterday, they all blend together — was because the fiscal note currently reads that there is the potential for a mandate,' Stewart said, referring to the requirement such a change would put on schools. The fiscal note of the bill currently states that, as written, this would be an unfunded mandate. So, if passed, the bill will inevitably land on the appropriations table, where bills backed by the full Legislature are placed to vie for remaining funds after the budget is set. While the bill initially passed the Senate and House without a roll call vote, Stewart said that support was with the expectation that a more complete funding picture would be available before enactment votes. The bill was tabled without enactment. Sometimes enactment votes are crucial, most often with emergency legislation, which needs a two-thirds vote in both chambers. For example, while the House enacted LD 1323, an emergency measure to prohibit the use of neonicotinoid pesticides and the use and sale of neonicotinoid-treated seeds, the Senate failed to enact it with a 22-9 vote. This leaves the bill in nonconcurrence, meaning it will bounce between the chambers until they can agree, or not and then the bill dies. Other nonconcurrent matters after Tuesday's votes: The House voted against LD 544, aimed to create parity in the taxation of medicine by exempting sales of cannabis for medical use, bucking the committee recommendation. But Sen. Craig Hickman, co-chair of the committee, moved that the Senate accept the majority report and pass the measure. His motion prevailed 17-15, which now sends the bill back to the House in nonconcurrence. Another example is a bill (LD 723) that would direct the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to study the feasibility of establishing a nonresidential law enforcement training program. The House failed to finally pass the bill on Tuesday, while the Senate did finally pass it. While the lower chamber attempted again on Wednesday to secure enough votes for final passage, it failed to do so with a 71-74 vote. The chambers also failed to agree on LD 1255, which would limit eligibility for the free community college program, which Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R-Fairfield) described as placing a one-year 'guardrail' on free community college, and argued 'it's protecting the taxpayers of Maine.' The House insisted on its position rejecting the bill, which the Senate supported. In revisiting a matter that had sat unfinished for almost a month, the House rejected LD 588 — a move that goes against the recommendation of the Labor Committee. The bill seeks to grant agricultural workers the right to engage in concerted activity. The bill then headed back to the Senate in nonconcurrence, as it had passed the upper chamber 21-13 in late April. Later Tuesday evening the Senate insisted on its position. Current law prohibits the sale of a beverage to a consumer in a container composed of one or more plastics if the basic structure of the container, exclusive of the closure device, also includes aluminum or steel. LD 1582 seeks to establish a definition of 'closure device.' The House passed the bill but on Tuesday the Senate voted it down. The chambers also can't agree on a bill submitted by the the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (LD 402), which would move the Natural Areas Program from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, among other technical tweaks. The House passed the bill with one amendment, while the Senate passed it with another. The House followed the Senate by passing LD 598, which would require some pay for employees who report to work and the employer cancels or reduces the number of hours in their scheduled shift. But the bill is now in nonconcurrence because the House further altered it with a floor amendment introduced by Rep. Gary Drinkwater (R-Milford). Though Drinkwater said he was skeptical of this bill when it was introduced to the Labor Committee, he said he received a call from a relative who is employed by the local public works department who said he could benefit from it because he is often called in on nights and weekends. The amendment, which committee co-chair Rep. Amy Roeder (D-Bangor) said she likes, would add an exception to the definition of 'employee' for an employee of a public employer who is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. The chambers also can't agree on LD 277. The bill originally sought to repeal restrictions on certain places of business from being open on most Sundays but an amended version is being considered that would instead alter restrictions for grocery stores on Thanksgiving Day. The following bills been initially approved by both chambers, but have not been fully enacted: LD 1898: An Act to Correct Outdated References Regarding the Maine Human Rights Act LD 46: An Act to Establish a Grant Program to Increase Postsecondary Educational Opportunities for Students with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder LD 197: Resolve, to Direct the Governor's Energy Office to Conduct a Study Regarding the Future of Electric Transmission Infrastructure in the State LD 1664: An Act to Repeal the Dirigo Business Incentives Program LD 405: An Act to Define 'Solitary Confinement' for the Laws Governing Jails and Correctional Facilities LD 1184: An Act to Require Municipal Reporting on Residential Building Permits, Dwelling Units Permitted and Demolished and Certificates of Occupancy Issued LD 1117: An Act to Strengthen Maine's Workforce Through Certified Preapprenticeship Training Programs LD 1754: An Act to Provide for the Direct Shipment of Spirits to Consumers LD 1226: An Act to Protect Consumers by Licensing Residential Building Contractors LD 1653: An Act to Develop Maine's Credentialed Workforce LD 34: An Act to Increase the Minimum Salary for Teachers LD 896: An Act to Provide Young Children Stable Access to Health Care LD 1736: An Act to Increase the Supply of Child Care Services Through the Use of Contracts LD 589: An Act to Make Agricultural Workers and Other Related Workers Employees Under the Wage and Hour Laws LD 1366: An Act to Amend Certain Provisions of the Drug Laws Related to Cocaine Base LD 1979: Resolve, Directing the Department of Corrections to Convene a Working Group to Examine the Establishment of a Program to Award Earned Time Credit for Educational Achievement to Persons Who Are Incarcerated LD 324: An Act to Increase Reading Proficiency in Public Schools LD 1653 An Act to Develop Maine's Credentialed Workforce LD 1179: An Act Regarding Safety from Fire for Recreational Vehicles LD 1366: An Act to Amend Certain Provisions of the Drug Laws Related to Cocaine Base LD 1979: Resolve, Directing the Department of Corrections to Convene a Working Group to Examine the Establishment of a Program to Award Earned Time Credit for Educational Achievement to Persons Who Are Incarcerated LD 324: An Act to Increase Reading Proficiency in Public Schools LD 137: An Act to Expand the 1998 Special Retirement Plan to Include Employees Who Work for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner LD 799: An Act to Report Gender Wage Gaps LD 1003: An Act Establishing the Retirement Benefit Improvement Fund LD 1105: An Act Concerning Displaced Civilian Federal Firefighters in Maine LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees LD 1034: An Act to Decriminalize Personal Possession of Therapeutic Amounts of Psilocybin for Adults LD 1554: An Act to Require Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Restaurant Employees LD 1523: An Act to Improve Perinatal Care Through Expanded Access to Doula Services LD 970: An Act to Support Affordable Housing Development LD 1170: An Act to Make the Maine Redevelopment Land Bank Authority Responsible for the Transfer and Development of State-owned Surplus Land LD 1245: An Act to Create a Fund to Spread Awareness of Maine's Working Waterfronts LD 1500: An Act to Establish the Maine Community Development Financial Institution Fund to Support Small Businesses, Rural Economic Development and Affordable Housing LD 1812: An Act to Establish the Loans for Trade Tools Program LD 1623: An Act to Amend Certain Fish and Wildlife Laws Related to Landowner Representation Regarding Abandoned Property LD 640: An Act Requiring That Certain Fees Charged by the Courts for Court-ordered Payments Be Capped and Paid by the Defendant LD 654: An Act to Increase the Maximum Small Claim Limit LD 1085: Resolve, Directing the Judicial Branch to Perform an Inspection and Study of the Rumford Courthouse Building LD 1706: An Act Regarding Notification of Appointment of Legal Representation for Indigent Clients in Custody LD 1121: An Act to Ensure Equitable Access for All Caregivers to Diaper Changing Stations in State Buildings Open to the Public LD 1635: An Act to Streamline Municipal Referenda Recount Initiation The following bills have been passed to be enacted by both chambers: LD 1584: An Act to Establish Municipal Cost Components for Unorganized Territory Services to Be Rendered in Fiscal Year 2025-26 (Emergency) LD 494: An Act to Update and Clarify Certain Provisions of State Liquor and Lottery Laws (Emergency) LD 1406: An Act to Amend Certain Definitions in the Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act (Emergency) LD 1564: An Act to Delay Implementation of Certain Recent Changes to the Beverage Container Redemption Law and to Make Other Necessary Changes to That Law (Emergency) LD 1584: An Act to Establish Municipal Cost Components for Unorganized Territory Services to Be Rendered in Fiscal Year 2025-26 (Emergency) LD 269: Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 375: No Adverse Environmental Effect Standards of the Site Location of Development Act, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Environmental Protection (Emergency) LD 730: Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 132: Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Education (Emergency) The following bills have been rejected by both chambers: LD 1349: An Act to Require Legislative Approval for a Contract to Operate the Juniper Ridge Landfill LD 830: An Act to Protect Maine's Scenic Beauty by Requiring Solar Panel Fields to Be Hidden from View LD 1011: An Act to Change the Residency Requirements for State Funding for Student Tuition at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics LD 369: An Act to Grant or Extend Conditional Teaching Certificates Under Certain Circumstances LD 1716: An Act to Require Family Life Education to Include a Human Growth and Development Curriculum LD 132: Resolve, to Establish the Commission to Study the Constitution of Maine LD 660: An Act to Provide Transparency and Public Access to Public School Curricula LD 1759: An Act to Allow Firefighters to Be Eligible for State College Funding LD 741: An Act to Increase Preparedness for Solar Power Adoption in Maine LD 1324: An Act to Protect Maine Consumers Shopping for Electric Vehicles from Deceptive Advertising and Marketing Practices LD 1881: An Act to Ensure the Rights of Parents of Minor Children in Education LD 660: An Act to Provide Transparency and Public Access to Public School Curricula LD 1759: An Act to Allow Firefighters to Be Eligible for State College Funding LD 1538: An Act to Index Unemployment Benefits to the Unemployment Rate LD 594: Resolve, Directing the State Auditor to Audit All State Agencies LD 553: An Act to Assert State Sovereignty over Ocean Waters and Marine Resources up to 12 Nautical Miles off the State's Coast (Emergency) (Read about this bill here.) LD 1307: An Act to Suspend the Remittance Obligation for Paid Family and Medical Leave Private Plan Users (Emergency) LD 952: An Act to Exempt Agricultural Employers and Employees from the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program (Emergency) LD 1549: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Regarding the Use and Oversight of Transportation-related Revenues LD 1585: Resolve, to Direct the Maine State Housing Authority to Amend Its Rules Governing the Fuel Assistance Program Regarding Benefit Payments for Wood Fuel LD 406: An Act to Repeal the Laws Providing for Paid Family and Medical Leave and to Reimburse Taxpayers LD 509: An Act to Allow a Journeyman Electrician to Supervise 3 Helper Electricians LD 1273: An Act to Make Paid Family and Medical Leave Voluntary (EMERGENCY) LD 1372: An Act to Establish a Special Committee to Review Routine Technical Rules LD 851: An Act to Establish a Senior Retiree Lobster License LD 1790: An Act Regarding Lobster Measurement LD 1333: An Act to Make Changes to the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program LD 1553: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Require a Supermajority of the Legislature to Approve Raising Taxes LD 1067: An Act to Improve the Process for Mobile Home Owners to Purchase Their Mobile Home Park LD 1012: An Act to Fund the Operations of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Laboratory The number of bills on legislative 'tables' now abound. As mentioned earlier, the appropriations table, which is managed by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee that sets the budget, is where bills that need to be funded are placed for that committee to decide how to appropriate remaining money. For example, LD 820, which proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Maine to establish the right to hunt and fish, was placed on the table by the Senate on Tuesday after being supported by both chambers. Such a change would ultimately have to be approved by voters, and all ballot measures have associated costs. The House took back its initial vote against LD 331, which would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure timely MaineCare reimbursements for hospital cost reports. While the Health and Human Services Committee opposed the bill, the Senate passed it and the House on Tuesday receded and concurred. It also cleared enactment in the lower chamber, securing the two-thirds vote needed to pass as an emergency measure, but the Senate placed it on the table. Other bills placed on the table include: LDs 34, 366, 434, 496, 876, 896, 996, 1226, 1287, 1588, 324, 1279. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
