A brief overview of what's happening right now.
If you're interested in learning more about the legislative process and navigating the Maine legislative to follow topics and bills of interested, join us for our legislative tutorial on Zoom with Stephanie Anderson on Tuesday, April 25th or Thursday, April 27th.
Criminal Justice
April 27, 1:00 – public hearing on LD 1364 – Safe heroin injection sites
Education and Cultural Affairs
April 16, 10:00 – guns in schools _ LD 52, allowing school employees to carry firearms, LD 518 – to allow armed security at schools, and LD 1557 – allow people with concealed carry permits to possess handguns on school property
LD 394 – legislative review of rule allowing social workers to diagnose and treat children and provide gender transition treatment – Work Session April 27, 1:00
These just in - LD 1741, sponsored by Rep Bagshaw of Windham, would allow more charter schools and LD 1798, sponsored by Sen Libby of Cumberland, would allow funds to follow student for use in private schools or home schooling or on-line schooling.
Energy, Utilities and Technology
LD 1623 – prohibit state subsidies for EVs – public hearing April 27, 1:00
New Bill – LD 1778 – would eliminate net energy billing
Health and Human Services
April 24, 10:00 public hearings on Vaccines
LD 59 – prohibit including Covid 19 shot in the universal immunization program – LD 601 – remove vaccine requirement for EMS.
LD 1448 – prohibit state from mandating covid 19 shot,
LD 1598 – exempt health care workers from immunization requirements for vaccines approved under emergency use authorization
April 26, 10:00 Work Session on LD 199 – Mainecare coverage for undocumented
May 5, 10:00 public hearing on whole bunch of welfare reform related bills
182 – time limit on GA benefits for able-bodied adults
183 – time limits TANF
268 – 45 day municipal residency for GA
364 – can’t use GA to replace other resources
454 – 180 day state residency for GA
Judiciary
April 27, 1:00 – public hearings to unravel criminal convictions
LD 720 – Constitutional Amendment for expungement of criminal records
LD 848 – Act to Expunge certain crimes and
LD 1550 – Act to expunge records of non violent crimes.
LD 1647 – vacate sentences, unravel cannabis-related offenses.
LD 1412 – Constitutional Amendment to establish that all Maine residents have equal rights under the law – Public Hearing April 24, 9:00
LD 1663 – An Act to Add Political Affiliation as a Protected Class to the Maine Human Rights Act – public hearing April 25, 1:00
State and Local Government
Public hearings April 25, 1:00
LD 1356 – increases percentage required to submit local referendum question to 25%
LD 1432 – racial impact statements
Public hearing April 26, 9:04 – Amend FOAA by including charitable orgs which receive more than 50% of income from government
LD 1007 – ban tick tok on all state devices– Work session April 27, 1:00
New bill – LD 1758 requires towns to pay $100 per day per person for persons delivered or released to a homeless shelter to that homeless shelter
Veterans and Legal Affairs
Public Hearings April 26, 9:00
LD 1653 – constitutional amendment to allow persons under guardianship for mental illness to vote –
LD 1690 – ongoing absentee voting – automatically receive an absentee ballot
LD 1698 – clean election candidates no longer have to get seed money or qualifying contributions – they just promise to follow the rules and automatically receive (for contested elections) - $2MM for Governor, $60 K for state senator, and $15K for House candidate.
LD 1320 – allow unenrolled voters to sign petitions for party candidates – Public hearing April 28, 9:00
New Bill -LD 1578 – Adopt interstate compact to elect president by popular vote and use ranked-choice voting. (Republican Senator Matt Pouliot is a co-sponsor on this one)