The second regular session convenes Jan. 8. See the bills we’re tracking; find information about upcoming hearings, work sessions, and votes; learn how to submit testimony; and find links to other resources and legislative trackers in our Legislature Roundup<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This bill bills would expand\u00a0Maine\u2019s Earned Income Tax Credit<\/a>\u00a0(EITC), a tax credit that benefits low-income Maine workers by building on the federal EITC program. Nationwide, researchers say the EITC\u00a0lifts more children from poverty<\/a>\u00a0than any other federal program. Children in families that receive an EITC are healthier and do better in school. The program\u00a0reduces the need for public assistance<\/a>\u00a0and promotes wage growth for women. In 2017,\u00a05.7 million people<\/a>\u00a0living in poverty\u2014including 3 million children\u2014were aided by the federal EITC. Maine is one of\u00a029 states with a state EITC<\/a>, although at just 5% of the federal credit, it\u2019s the smallest EITC in New England. In 2016, Maine families received $212 million in federal EITCs and $10 million in state EITCs.\u00a0LD 1491<\/b><\/a>\u00a0would create a work tax credit by increasing the maximum state EITC to 30% of the federal level for people with children. It would also allow low-income college students and home caregivers to access the program; expand eligibility to families with children earning up to $55,000 and adults without children earning up to $27,000; and allow work tax credits to be distributed throughout the year instead of a single installment. These changes amount to an estimated $91 million tax cut for Maine workers. Learn more from Maine Center for Economic Policy in this\u00a0fact sheet<\/a>\u00a0and see if you\u00a0qualify for an EITC<\/a>. A public hearing was held May 2\u00a0(read submitted testimony<\/a>)<\/strong>. In committee, the\u00a0bill was amended<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in committee and is now a \u201cresolve\u201d to create a working group to study ways to streamline applications for tax credits for low-to-middle income Mainers to assist with the cost of basic necessities and to allow for those tax credits to be administered in advance. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ALL BILLS ARE DEAD.\u00a0<\/b>The Legislature defeated all 11 gun safety bills we championed this session,\u00a0part of a deal<\/a>\u00a0between the the governor and legislative leaders and the NRA, Sportsman\u2019s Alliance of Maine, and Gun Owners of Maine, who agreed to support a weakened\u00a0\u201cred flag\u201d alternative<\/a>\u00a0if all other gun safety legislation was killed in committee or on the floor. That bill,\u00a0LD 1811<\/a>, passed and has been signed into law.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n\u00a0<\/h3>\n
BILLS THAT PASSED<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/violence-against-women.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Justice for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse on tribal lands.<\/b>\u00a0LD 766, An Act Regarding the Penobscot Nation\u2019s and Passamaquoddy Tribe\u2019s Authority To Exercise Jurisdiction under the Federal Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 and the Federal Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.<\/a>\u00a0Sponsored by\u00a0Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross<\/a>\u00a0(D-Portland). Because of restrictions imposed by the Maine Indian Claims Settlement, tribal courts in the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe are not able to receive the benefit of federal laws designed to protect women from domestic and sexual abuse. This bill would amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement by transferring jurisdiction over tribal ordinance violations committed by either tribal members or non-members in accordance with federal law. It also grants the tribal courts the authority to set their own sentencing guidelines and specific criminal offenses related to violence against women as authorized by federal law. A public hearing was held May 13.\u00a0Read the testimony.<\/a>\u00a0The bill was tabled during a May 23 work session and again on June 11. No new work session has been scheduled.
PASSED:\u00a0<\/b>The bill passed the House and Senate by voice votes (no roll calls) and is headed to the governor\u2019s desk for signature!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/8265405611_337b629f7f_b.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Prescription drug reform package.<\/b>\u00a0This package of drug reform bills would\u00a0reduce prescription drug costs<\/a>\u00a0for Mainers. Americans are\u00a0spending much more<\/a>\u00a0on prescription drugs now than they did 50 years ago, with the average cost rising from $90 in 1960 to $1,025 in 2017. Rising drug costs force many to choose between paying for their medication and paying for housing or food. When faced with that choice, many adults\u00a0don\u2019t take their medication<\/a>\u00a0as prescribed. According to the\u00a0National Academy for State Health Policy<\/a>, 28 states passed bills last year to address prescription drug costs. This year, every state in the country is considering at least one bill on the issue.\u00a0\u00a0LD 1162<\/a><\/b>, sponsored by\u00a0Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D-Sagadahoc)<\/a>, builds on a bill\u00a0passed last year<\/a>\u00a0to promote drug pricing transparency by requiring drug manufacturers to disclose the costs of research, development, marketing, and advertising, as well as the actual cost consumers pay.\u00a0LD 1504<\/b><\/a>, sponsored by\u00a0Sen. Heather Sanborn (D-Cumberland)<\/a>, is a recommendation from the Legislature\u2019s Health Care Task Force that would require transparency in drug pricing among manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and consumers. PBMs yield\u00a0enormous power<\/a>\u00a0over prescription drug coverage by deciding which drugs will be covered by insurance plans and which will be excluded.\u00a0LD 1272<\/b><\/a>, sponsored by\u00a0Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Speaker of the House Sara Gideon (D-Freeport)<\/a>, would create a state-administered program to safely import prescription drugs from Canada at wholesale prices. The program would be designed by the Department of Health and Human Services via a public rulemaking process and approved by the Legislature, and would require federal approval for implementation.\u00a0LD 1499<\/b><\/a>, sponsored by Pres. Jackson and Speaker Gideon, would create a 5-member board with the authority to set payment rates on prescription drugs and to require drug manufacturers to justify drug prices deemed excessive. Maine would join at least\u00a09 other states\u00a0<\/a>that have passed or are considering legislation to create state prescription drug review boards. Board members would serve 5-year terms. The Senate President would appoint 2 members, the Speaker of the House would also appoint 2 members, and the governor would appoint 1 member and name the board chair.\u00a0Public hearings were held April 16-17 and the Health Coverage committee voted that the bills OUGHT TO PASS.
PASSED:\u00a0<\/b>The House and Senate have passed LD 1162\u00a0(roll calls)<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0 LD 1504\u00a0(roll calls)<\/strong><\/a>, LD 1499\u00a0(roll calls)<\/strong><\/a>, and LD 1272\u00a0\u00a0(roll calls)<\/strong><\/a>, and they are headed to the governor\u2019s desk for signature!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Plaent-B.jpeg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Climate action bill.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1679, An Act To Establish the Maine Climate Change Council To Assist Maine To Mitigate, Prepare for and Adapt to Climate Change<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Sen. David Woodsome (R-York)<\/a>.
This bill was introduced by Gov. Janet Mills and would require an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Maine by 2050 and require the state to obtain 100% of its power from renewable sources by 2050. It also establishes a\u00a0Maine Climate Council<\/a>\u00a0to revise the state\u2019s Climate Action Plan and devise strategies to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reductions and conversion to renewable energy sources. The council would include members of the governor\u2019s cabinet as well as representatives from the state\u2019s fisheries, forestry and agriculture industries, climate scientists and mitigation experts, manufacturers, organized labor, the energy sector representatives, and tribal governments. The council\u2019s first charge with six working groups, whose first duty would be to write a new Climate Action Plan to replace the state\u2019s outdated 2004 Climate Action Plan. The bill incorporates many of the elements of another bill we\u2019ve advocated for, LD 797, which was voted ONTP to allow LD 1679 to move forward. A public hearing was held May 17\u00a0(read the testimony)<\/a>\u00a0and the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted unanimously that the bill OUGHT TO PASS.
PASSED:\u00a0<\/b>After passing the Senate by a voice vote (no roll call) and the House 107-29\u00a0(see how your rep voted)<\/strong><\/a>, the bill is headed to the governor\u2019s desk!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/school-bus.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Make school buses safer<\/strong>.\u00a0LD 19, An Act To Require Public School Buses To Be Equipped with School Bus Crossing Arms<\/a><\/em>. Primary sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Jay McCreight (D-Harpswell)<\/a>.<\/em>
This bill would require all Maine school buses to be equipped with a crossing arm that extends 8-10 feet from the front of the school bus. The arm forces students to walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus, reducing the risk that students will be struck while walking in front of the bus. The exact number of front-of-the-bus accidents is unknown, but they have been reported nationwide,\u00a0including in Maine<\/a>. A public hearing was held Feb. 7. Read the testimony\u00a0HERE<\/strong><\/a>. The\u00a0Committee on Transportation<\/a>\u00a0voted that the bill OUGHT TO PASS as\u00a0amended<\/a>.
PASSED:\u00a0<\/strong>The bill passed the House and Senate on voice votes (no roll calls) and is headed to the governor\u2019s desk for signature.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/dentist.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Expanding preventive dental care.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1453, An Act To Improve Dental Health for Maine Children and Adults with Low Incomes. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook)<\/a>.
Maine\u2019s Medicaid program currently provides preventive dental care for children but offers\u00a0emergency-only<\/a>\u00a0coverage for adults. LD 1453 would change that by adding adult preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dental services for adults 21 years and older. Dental disease was the\u00a0most common reason for ER visits<\/a>\u00a0for people age 15-44 who receive MaineCare or who are uninsured. Preventive care is far less expensive than emergency treatment, suggestion adding dental services to MaineCare could actually reduce health care spending. Bill sponsors estimate the\u00a0federal government would pay between 67-90%<\/a>\u00a0of each dental visit. The bill would also create a financial incentive program to encourage dental care providers to increase the number of MaineCare patients they serve. A public hearing was held April 17 and the HHS Committee voted unanimously that the bill OUGHT TO PASS as amended. The House and Senate passed the bill unanimously, but it was placed on the Special Appropriations table, where it was amended to just create a working group to design an adult dental benefit in MaineCare.
PASSED:\u00a0<\/b>The amended version of the bill, to create a working group to study expanding MaineCare to cover adult dental services, passed and is headed to the governor\u2019s desk for signature.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/vote-1190034_1920.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Presidential primaries.<\/b>\u00a0<\/strong>LD 1626,\u00a0An Act To Implement a Presidential Primary System in Maine<\/a>.\u00a0Sponsor: Sen. Louis Luchini (D-Hancock)<\/a>.
This bill would eliminate Maine\u2019s party-run presidential caucuses in favor of a state-run primary system. Democrats and Republicans reported\u00a0widespread problems<\/a>\u00a0with the 2016 presidential caucuses, leading to broad bipartisan support for a law to switch to primaries that passed in both chambers last year,\u00a0but died on the appropriations table.\u00a0Supporters say primaries typically have larger voter turnout than caucuses and would cost\u00a0just under $1 million<\/a>, with local municipalities bearing the brunt of the cost. If passed,\u00a0presidential primaries would be held in Maine<\/a>\u00a0in March 2020 ahead of the November general election. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held April 26\u00a0(read the testimony)<\/strong><\/a>. before the legal affairs committee. The majority of the committee voted OUGHT TO PASS but there were two minority reports, including one OUGHT NOT TO PASS.
PASSED:\u00a0<\/b>After passing the Senate and House passed the bill\u00a0(see how your legislators voted)<\/strong><\/a>, the bill is headed to the governor\u2019s desk!\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/2.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Support for spousal caregivers.<\/b>\u00a0LD 84, Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services To Allow Spouses To Provide Home and Community-based Services to Eligible MaineCare Members. Sponsored by\u00a0Rep. Patrick Corey (R-Windham)<\/a>.
<\/b>Nearly\u00a0180,000 Mainers<\/a>\u00a0care for a family member at home, a full-time, unpaid job that allows many people with disabilities to remain at home instead of in a nursing home.\u00a0LD 84 would allow spouses<\/a>\u00a0of Section 19 MaineCare recipients to be hired and paid as personal support specialists (PSS), which children and siblings are already allowed to do under current law. Spouses would be hired by a certified home care agency, have to undergo background checks and skills assessments, and could earn around $11-12 an hour. According to\u00a0Disability Rights Maine<\/a>, the legislation would address direct care staffing shortages and ultimately save taxpayer money by keeping disabled persons out of nursing homes. A nursing home can\u00a0cost up to $100,000 per year<\/a>, and many residents\u2019 care is covered under Medicaid. Paying a spouse to be a PSS could run about $25,000 a year. The\u00a0majority of testimony<\/a>\u00a0at a Feb. 7 public hearing was in support of the bill and the HHS Committee voted that the bill OUGHT TO PASS.
PASSED:<\/b>\u00a0The bill passed both chambers by voice votes (no roll calls) and is headed to the governor\u2019s desk for signature.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Gayjustice.png?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
End the discriminatory \u201cgay and trans panic defense.\u201d<\/b>\u00a0LD 1632, An Act Regarding Criminal Procedure with Respect to Allowable Defenses<\/a>. Sponsor: Rep. Charlotte Warren (D-Hallowell).
This bill would ban the use of the\u00a0\u201cgay and trans panic defense\u201d<\/a>\u00a0as a defense for physically assaulting or murdering someone. Perpetrators who use this defense claim that their victims\u2019 sexual orientation or gender identity caused them to lose control and physically assault their victim. This defense was most notably used in the 1998 murder case of Matthew Shepard, who died after being beaten, tortured, tied to a fence and set on fire. The two men who murdered him used the \u201cgay panic\u201d defense to excuse their actions. Despite widespread public protest, the defense has been used to defeat or mitigate dozens of murder charges, as recently as\u00a0last year in Texas<\/a>. The American Bar Association passed a resolution in 2013 decrying the defense, and four states have enacted laws similar to the one proposed in Maine. Bills in the U.S.\u00a0House<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Senate<\/a>\u00a0would ban the defense nationwide, but are stalled amid Republican opposition. Among those testifying in Augusta on May 20 in support of the bill were\u00a0Mary L. Bonauto<\/a>, a Portland resident and civil rights project director for the GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). Read all the\u00a0public testimony<\/a>. The Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety voted that the bill OUGHT TO PASS.
THE BILL IS LAW:\u00a0<\/b>The bill passed the House and Senate, with only\u00a01 \u201cno\u201d vote<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in the entire Legislature, cast by\u00a0Rep. Chris Johansen (R-Monticello)<\/a>. Gov. Mills has signed it into law!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Voter_Registration_Card-1-520x360.png?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Automatic voter registration.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1463, An Act To Create an Automatic Voter Registration System<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0House Speaker Sara Gideon (D-Freeport)<\/a>.
The bill would automatically register eligible voters when they receive or renew their Maine driver\u2019s licenses or nondrivers\u2019 IDs at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or when they interact with other approved state agencies, such as MaineCare, unless they decline to be registered. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C. had\u00a0passed AVR laws<\/a>\u00a0by the end of 2018 and 25 other states, including Maine, are considering similar legislation this year. In Oregon, the first state to pass AVR, voter registration has quadrupled and in Vermont, it\u2019s up by 62%. Under LD 1463,\u00a0voter rolls will be updated automatically<\/a>, with new address information, for example. AVR will replaces the state\u2019s outdated paper-based system with a modernized electronic system. The bill also allows Mainers to pre-register to vote at age 16, when most first-time drivers receive their license. As with 17-year-old Maine residents, who are allowed to pre-register under current law, their voter registration is activated automatically when they turn 18. States that have pre-registration AVR beginning at age 16 have seen dramatic increases in the numbers of\u00a0young voters<\/a>\u00a0in recent elections. The bill will also reduce voter registration problems that can occur with Maine\u2019s military personnel, who are almost\u00a0twice as likely<\/a>\u00a0to experience registration problems as the general public. AVR has received\u00a0broad support<\/a>\u00a0nationwide from both Republican and Democratic governors, and LD 1463 has bipartisan support, including from Senate Minority Leader Dana Dow (R-Lincoln), who is a co-sponsor. If passed, AVR would go into effect in January 2022. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held April 24 (read the testimony<\/a>) and the Legal Affairs Committee voted 7-5 that the bill OUGHT TO PASS as amended.
THE BILL IS LAW:\u00a0<\/b>The House and Senate passed the bill\u00a0(see how your legislators voted)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and the governor has\u00a0signed it into law<\/a>!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/maines-green-new-deal.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Green New Deal for Maine.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1282, An Act To Establish a Green New Deal for Maine<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Chloe Maxmin (D-Nobleboro)<\/a>.
Unlike the federal bill of the same name, LD 1282 sets\u00a0specific state goals<\/a>\u00a0to address the climate change crisis and protect Maine\u2019s environment, while also devising a strategy to promote economic and job growth.\u00a0This bill<\/a>\u00a0amends the state\u2019s goals for long-term reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and creates an 11-member state task force of representatives from state government, business, climate science, labor, and renewable energy. The task force also must include 1 person under the age of 21 to represent Maine\u2019s youth. The group would be charged with developing a plan by January 2020 for environmental sustainability, renewable energy, and economic growth that includes a goal of 80% reliance on renewable resources for the state\u2019s electricity supply by 2040. The plan must also include training for green jobs and incentives for residential installation of solar energy systems and heat pumps. Under the legislation, commercial electric utilities must demonstrate by 2040 that 80% of their retail electricity sales comes from renewable energy sources. LD 1282 will also work toward a virtual net metering program to encourage installation of solar photovoltaic energy systems on public school buildings. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held April 23\u00a0(read the testimony<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0and the Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology voted the bill OUGHT TO PASS as amended. Many elements of the original bill were incorporated into the governor\u2019s climate action bill, which will go for a vote soon. The\u00a0amended version<\/a>\u00a0establishes an apprenticeship requirement for new electricity generation projects and requires the state to incorporate incentives for cost-effective electric and natural gas conservation projects in new school construction projects; and requires new school construction to incorporate solar panel installation.
THE BILL IS LAW:\u00a0<\/b>The House and Senate passed the bill\u00a0(see how your legislators voted)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and has been signed by the governor!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/plastic-bags2.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
A ban on single-use plastic bags.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1532, An Act To Eliminate Single-use Plastic Carry-out Bags<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Holly Stover (D-Boothbay)<\/a>.
This bill would ban most single-use plastic bags at retails stores in Maine. Each year, families in the U.S.use nearly\u00a0100 billion bags<\/a>\u00a0at an annual cost of $4 billion to U.S. retailers. The environmental toll is much higher. It takes\u00a012 million barrels of oil<\/a>\u00a0to produce the plastic bags Americans use and\u00a0500 years<\/a>\u00a0or more for a single plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. At least\u00a0800 animal species<\/a>\u00a0are affected by marine debris, up to 80% of which is plastic that enters the sea from land. Studies suggest that\u00a0plastic bag bans work<\/a>, with towns and countries reporting a drop in plastic waste of up to 95%. Since 2014,\u00a021 towns<\/a>\u00a0in Maine have passed ordinances to reduce the use of plastic bags and if LD 1532 passes, the state would become\u00a0the third with a bag ban<\/a>. The bill is supported by the\u00a0Retail Association of Maine<\/a>. LD 1532 would prohibit retailers from distributing single-use plastic bags, with exceptions for bags such as those used for dry cleaning, to bag raw meat or produce in grocery stores, or newspapers. Retailers would be required to make paper bags made with recycled material available for $.05. The bill would also exempt food pantries and other hunger relief organizations from the ban and SNAP and WIC participants from the paper bag fee. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held April 24 (read the testimony<\/a>) and the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted 8-5 that the bill OUGHT TO PASS as amended.
THE BILL IS LAW:\u00a0<\/b>The bill passed the House and Senate\u00a0(see how your legislators voted)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and has been signed into law by the governor!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/EITC2.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Expand tax credits for working families.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1491<\/a>, An Act To Establish the Maine Work Tax Credit, Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Maureen Terry (D-Gorham)<\/a>.<\/p>\n
THE BILL IS LAW:\u00a0<\/b>The House and Senate have passed the bill on voice votes (no roll call), and Gov. Mills has signed it into law.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/internet-privacy.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Protect Internet privacy.<\/b>\u00a0LD 946, An Act To Protect the Privacy of Online Customer Information.<\/a>\u00a0Sponsor:\u00a0Sen. Shenna Bellows (D-Kennebec)<\/a>.
This bill blocks Internet service providers (ISPs) such as AT&T, Verizon, or Spectrum, from using, disclosing, selling, or giving access to\u00a0customer personal information\u00a0<\/a>without the customer\u2019s permission. In 2017, Republicans in Congress voted to\u00a0rollback consumer protections<\/a>\u00a0that would have blocked this practice at the federal level. As a result, ISPs can store and sell information about customers\u2019 Web browsing history, app usage, location information, and more to third parties, such as advertisers. And there are\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that some ISPs are doing just that, possibly even in violation of other laws. Those charges have prompted the\u00a0Federal Trade Commission<\/a>\u00a0to study how seven of the largest ISPs in the U.S. share customers\u2019 personal information with third parties. A number of states have\u00a0passed Internet privacy legislation<\/a>\u00a0in recent years, and more will consider bills this year. Under LD 946, which is supported by\u00a0ACLU of Maine<\/a>, ISPs aren\u2019t allowed to charge a fee or deny service to customers who refuse to allow their information to be shared or sold and requires providers to take steps to protect customers\u2019 personal data from unauthorized distribution. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held April 24 (read the testimony<\/a>). The Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology held a work session April 30 and voted 8-1 that the bill OUGHT TO PASS.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/strong>\u00a0After passing the Senate by a voice vote (no roll call) and the House\u00a0(see how your rep voted)<\/strong><\/a>, Gov. Mills has signed the bill into law!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/governors-bill-on-abortion.png?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Removing barriers to reproductive care.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1261, \u201cAn Act To Authorize Certain Health Care Professionals To Perform Abortions\u201d<\/a>\u00a0(Governor\u2019s Bill). Sponsor:\u00a0Speaker Sara Gideon (D-Freeport)<\/a>.
This bill would remove barriers to rural Mainers seeking an abortion by allowing advanced practice clinicians (APCs), including physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses, to perform the procedure. Currently, women in Maine seeking an abortion after 10 weeks must travel to Maine Family Planning in Augusta, Planned Parenthood in Portland, or Mabel Wadsworth Center in Bangor. Maine Family Planning has 17 smaller clinics around the state, but due to the physician shortage in Maine, they are staffed by advanced practice registered nurses. LD 1261, which was\u00a0introduced by Gov. Janet Mills<\/a>, would reverse a 1979 statute that bars nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives from performing abortions. The ACLU, the ACLU of Maine, and Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit in 2017 to overturn the law.\u00a0Arguments were heard<\/a>\u00a0on that case earlier this year. That suit, and a\u00a0similar one<\/a>\u00a0in Montana, argue that there is no medical justification for barring APCs from performing abortions, a position supported by the\u00a0American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists<\/a>. In fact, a\u00a02013 study<\/a>\u00a0of nearly 11,500 abortion patients found that first-trimester abortions performed by trained nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives were just as safe as those performed by physicians. Eight states have passed similar bills, according to the\u00a0Guttmacher Institute<\/a>. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held May 1\u00a0(read submitted testimony<\/a>)<\/strong>. The committee voted 7-5 OUGHT TO PASS, but has not yet issued a report.
THE BILL IS LAW:\u00a0<\/b>After passing the House and Senate\u00a0(see how your legislators<\/strong>\u00a0voted)<\/strong><\/a>, Gov. Mills has signed the bill into law!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/loggers.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Collective bargaining for loggers and haulers.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1459, An Act To Expand Application of the Maine Agricultural Marketing and Bargaining Act of 1973 to Harvesters and Haulers of Forest Products.\u00a0<\/a>Sponsor:\u00a0Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook)<\/a>.
This bill would help increase pay for loggers and haulers by allowing them to\u00a0negotiate collectively\u00a0<\/a>with landowners, mills, and other buyers, an option current law already provides for potato farmers and lobster fisherman. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, logging workers had one of the\u00a0highest rates of fatal injury<\/a>\u00a0in 2017. Loggers and wood haulers typically work extremely long hours for low pay and no benefits. Under current law, loggers and wood haulers do not have the ability to band together to negotiate for fair wages, safer working conditions, and better hours. The\u00a0Forest Stewardship Council<\/a>\u00a0(FSC) is an international organization that ensures forests and forest products are responsibly harvested in terms of social, ecological, economic and environmental factors.\u00a0Ninety-five percent<\/a>\u00a0of Maine\u2019s forest is privately owned. Private companies own\u00a061 percent<\/a>\u00a0of that land, while family forestland owners hold title to another\u00a033 percent<\/a>. This gives a lot of authority to landowners over the roughly 24,000 workers in an industry that annually contributes $1.8 billion to Maine\u2019s economy.\u00a0A public hearing was held April 29\u00a0(read submitted testimony)<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and the Committee on Labor and Housing voted 7-5 that the bill OUGHT TO PASS.
THE BILL IS LAW:\u00a0<\/b>After passing the House and Senate(see how your legislators<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0voted)<\/a>, Gov. Mills has signed the bill into law!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/820.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Ban discrimination in reproductive health care.<\/b>\u00a0LD 820, An Act To Prevent Discrimination in Public and Private Insurance Coverage for Pregnant Women in Maine<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Joyce McCreight (D-Harpswell)<\/a>.
Currently in Maine, insurers can deny abortion services to pregnant people, even in the case of sexual assault, incest, or if continuing the pregnancy would endanger the mother\u2019s life. But under LD 820, public and private health insurers that provide maternity coverage would also be required to cover abortion services. Although there is no state law prohibiting abortion coverage by MaineCare, current Department of Health and Human Services policy bans the coverage by the public insurance program in most circumstances, a position the\u00a0ACLU of Maine<\/a>\u00a0contends is unconstitutional. The ACLU joined with the Mabel Wadsworth Center, Maine Family Planning, and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England to challenge the policy in a case\u00a0currently before the Maine Supreme Court<\/a>, arguing\u00a0that the current policy forces low-income pregnant people to continue pregnancies they may want to terminate, which data from the\u00a0Guttmacher Institute<\/a>\u00a0confirms. This bill addresses that discriminatory practice by requiring MaineCare to cover abortion services and requiring the state to cover any costs not covered under the federal Medicaid program. Religious employers would be exempt from the bill. If passed,\u00a0Maine would become the 13th state<\/a>\u00a0to provide state funding for abortions under Medicaid. A public hearing was held March 27.\u00a0Read the testimony.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0The HCIFS Committee\u00a0voted along party lines, 8-5<\/a>\u00a0that the bill OUGHT TO PASS.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/strong>\u00a0After passing the House and the Senate\u00a0(see how your legislators voted)<\/strong><\/a>, the bill has been signed into law by Gov. Mills!\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/kids-girl-pencil-drawing-159823.jpeg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Protection from preventable childhood diseases.<\/b>\u00a0LD 798, An Act To Protect Maine Children and Students from Preventable Diseases by Repealing Certain Exemptions from the Laws Governing Immunization Requirements<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Ryan Tipping (D-Orono)<\/a>.
This bill would eliminate all non-medical exemptions for childhood vaccinations, a policy recommended by the\u00a0American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>. Maine has the\u00a07th highest non-medical opt-out rate<\/a>\u00a0in the nation and last year,\u00a05% of Maine kindergartners<\/a>\u2014about 600 students\u2014had philosophical exemptions, allowing them to attend school without receiving the\u00a0vaccines required by the state<\/a>. The Maine Centers for Disease Control recently issued an alert about a\u00a0possible measles exposure<\/a>\u00a0near Portland, followed soon after by a report that Maine\u2019s childhood measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rate has\u00a0dropped to 93.8%<\/a>, below the 95% rate needed to preserve herd immunity.\u00a0The growing trend increases the risk of outbreaks of preventable diseases that can be deadly to those who cannot be vaccinated due to age or a medical condition. More than\u00a0600 cases of measles<\/a>\u00a0have been reported in 22 states so far this year, the highest number since measles was eradicated in 2000.\u00a0Maine also has the nation\u2019s\u00a0highest whooping cough<\/a>\u00a0rate. Studies suggest that\u00a0less than 1%<\/a>\u00a0of Americans are adamantly opposed to vaccines, even though anti-vaccine sentiment on social media appears to be rising. Much of that rise may be attributable to campaigns by\u00a0social media bots and Russian \u201ctrolls\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and anti-vax groups that spread false information about vaccines using\u00a0widely disproven<\/a>\u00a0information. LD 798 allows children with an existing individual education plan who have claimed a religious or philosophical exemption to continue to attend school and allows parents and physicians to set an individualized vaccine schedule. Hundreds turned out for a\u00a0public meeting<\/a>\u00a0March 13, with more than\u00a01,300 testimonies<\/a>\u00a0submitted. Find more information in our\u00a0FACT CHECK: Correcting ant-vaccine testimony<\/strong><\/a>, an annotated fact-check of inaccurate testimony submitted at the hearing by Sen. Dave Miramant (D-Knox). On April 26, the House passed the bill\u00a0 78-59 (see how your rep voted<\/a><\/strong>).\u00a0The Senate then passed it 20-15 on May 2, but also\u00a0passed an amendment<\/a>\u00a0to allow religious exemptions (see how your senator voted<\/strong><\/a>). A week later, the House rejected the Senate version of the bill, voting 76-65 against a motion to \u201crecede and concur\u201d (i.e., the rejected the Senate version and held firm on the original House version).\u00a0See how your rep voted.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0Finally, the bill went back to the Senate, where it was passed 18-17 with no religious exemption (see how your senator voted<\/a><\/strong>).
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/strong>\u00a0After a roller coaster through the Legislature, the governor has\u00a0signed LD 798 into law<\/a>!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/wall-2794569_1920-2.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Ban on conversion therapy.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1025, An Act To Prohibit the Provision of Conversion Therapy to Minors by Certain Licensed Professionals<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford)<\/a>.
This bill would ban \u201cconversion therapy\u201d\u2014also called \u201creparative therapy\u201d\u2014a widely discredited practice that seeks to change an individual\u2019s sexual orientation or gender identity. The result of a years-long conversation with stakeholders, including\u00a0EqualityMaine<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0GLAD<\/a>, the legislation would apply to counselors, doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other licensed health care professionals. Many leading medical organizations\u00a0oppose the practice<\/a>, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association. A similar bill passed in the Legislature last year, but House Republicans upheld former\u00a0Gov. Paul LePage\u2019s veto<\/a>. LePage was the first governor in the country to veto legislation banning conversion therapy.\u00a0Fifteen states<\/a>\u00a0and the District of Columbia have already passed laws prohibiting the practice and more than a dozen others are considering similar legislation. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held April 10 and the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services voted 9-2 that the bill\u00a0OUGHT TO PASS<\/a>. The House overwhelmingly passed it by a vote of 91-46\u00a0(see how your rep voted)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and the Senate passed it\u00a0unanimously<\/a>\u00a0by a voice vote (no roll call). After a few failed attempts by Senate Republicans to derail the bill, it was finally enacted 25-9\u00a0(see how your senator voted)<\/strong><\/a>.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/strong>\u00a0The governor\u00a0signed the bill into law<\/a>\u00a0on May 29!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1635566_124459_20170904_labor_ral_2-1016x1024.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Support for earned paid leave.<\/b><\/span>\u00a0LD 369, An Act To Support Healthy Workplaces and Healthy Families by Providing Earned Paid Sick Leave to Certain Employees<\/a>. Primary sponsor:\u00a0Sen. Rebecca Millett (D-Cumberland)<\/a>.
The\u00a0amended version<\/a>\u00a0of the bill would require businesses that employ more than 10 people for more than 3 months a year to offer their employees earned paid leave that they can take for any reason. If passed, Maine would become the\u00a011th state<\/a>\u00a0to enact a bill giving employees paid leave when they\u2019re sick and\u00a0the first<\/a>\u00a0with a law that specifically allows the earned leave to be used for any reason.\u00a0\u00a0Nearly 75% of Maine children<\/a>\u00a0under age 6 live in homes where both parents work, and some\u00a0178,000 Mainers<\/a>\u00a0care for an elderly relative. The U.S. is one of the few industrialized nations in the world that\u00a0does not guarantee<\/a>\u00a0earned paid sick leave for employees, costing businesses about\u00a0$160 billion a year<\/a>\u00a0in lost worker productivity. A study from the Political Economy Research Institute found that earned paid sick leave accounts for 0.5% of total operating expenses for businesses that offer the benefit, a cost the report says is recouped by decreased costs from employee turnover. The revised legislation, which received bipartisan support from the Labor Committee, would cover 85% of Maine workers (down from 91% in the original bill). Employees would accrue 1 hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours. The revisions expand the bill by allowing employees to take sick leave for any reason, which goes further than existing paid sick leave bills in other states. It would also prohibit municipalities from enacting their own paid leave programs. If passed, the bill takes effect in 2021.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/strong>\u00a0The Senate passed the bill unanimously by a voice vote (no roll call) and the\u00a0House overwhelmingly passed<\/a>\u00a0the bill 94-45\u00a0(see how your rep voted)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and the governor has\u00a0signed it into law<\/a>!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Overdose_Immunity_911.gif?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Promote \u201cgood Samaritans\u201d to save lives.<\/b>\u00a0LD 329, An Act To Exempt from Criminal Liability Persons Reporting a Drug-related Medical Emergency<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Barbara Cardone (D-Bangor)<\/a>.
LD 329 would provide immunity from arrest for possession or use of scheduled drugs or drug paraphernalia for anyone experiencing an opioid-related overdose or anyone seeking medical attention for a suspected overdose victim. Maine has one of the\u00a010 highest rates<\/a>\u00a0of opioid-related overdose deaths in the U.S., which\u00a0increased 10.9% between 2017-2018<\/a>\u00a0and is significantly higher than the national average of 6.6%.\u00a0Studies suggest\u00a0<\/a>overdose victims and bystanders who witness a suspected overdose may be reluctant to seek medical assistance for fear of arrest for drug-related crimes.\u00a0Forty states and the District of Columbia<\/a>\u00a0have passed similar legislation, known as \u201cgood Samaritan\u201d or \u201c911 immunity\u201d laws. Former Gov. Paul LePage\u00a0vetoed similar bills in the past<\/a>. The\u00a0majority of testimony<\/a>\u00a0at a Feb. 20 public hearing was in support of the bill and the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety voted that the bill OUGHT TO PASS.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/b>\u00a0The bill passed the House and Senate on voice votes (no roll calls) and has been\u00a0signed into law<\/a>\u00a0by the governor!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/mascot.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Prohibit Indian-Themed Mascots.<\/b>\u00a0LD 944. An Act To Ban Native American Mascots in All Public Schools.<\/a>\u00a0Primary sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Benjamin Collins (D-Portland)<\/a>.
This bill prohibits a public school from having or adopting a name, symbol, or image that depicts or refers to a Native American tribe, individual, custom or tradition and that is used as a mascot, nickname, logo, letterhead or team name of the school. Although the last of Maine\u2019s Indian-themed mascots was\u00a0recently retired<\/a>\u00a0from Skowhegan Area High School, proponents of this bill, including leaders of Maine\u2019s Wabanaki nations, feel that a law is necessary to ensure that these names and symbols remain in the yearbooks of the past, and that Maine schools should instead honor local connections to Indigenous Peoples by implementing the\u00a02001 law<\/a>\u00a0requiring all Maine schools to teach Native American history. Learn about how\u00a0Indian-themed mascots are harmful<\/a>. Most people who attended a March 25\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0supported the bill.\u00a0Read the testimony.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0The Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs voted 7-5 along party lines that the bill\u00a0OUGHT TO PASS<\/a>.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/b>\u00a0After passage by the House and Senate\u00a0(see how your legislators voted<\/a>)<\/strong>, the governor\u00a0signed the bill into law<\/a>!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/20111025-FNS-RBN-School_Lunch_-_Flickr_-_USDAgov_2.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Ban food shaming in schools.<\/b>\u00a0LD 167, An Act To Prevent Food Shaming in Maine\u2019s Public Schools<\/a>. Primary sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Janice Dodge (D-Belfast)<\/a>.
Based on one that died in the Legislature last year, the bill would ban\u00a0\u201clunch shaming,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0the practice of publicly shaming children with unpaid food bills. A\u00a02014 report from the USDA<\/a>\u00a0found that nearly half of all U.S. school districts deny meals, withhold grades, or provide cheaper lunches if meal accounts are not paid in full. Lunch shaming occurs in\u00a0some Maine schools<\/a>, although the extent of the problem is unknown. LD 167 prohibits schools from publicly identifying students who have unpaid accounts and requires them to communicate only with parents or guardians about unpaid bills. The\u00a0majority of testimony\u00a0<\/a>presented at a Feb. 20 public hearing was in support of the bill and the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs\u00a0voted unanimously<\/a>\u00a0that the bill OUGHT TO PASS as amended.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/b>\u00a0After passing the\u00a0House and Senate<\/a>\u00a0on a voice vote (no roll call), the bill was signed into law by the governor!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/indigenous-peoples-day.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Honor Maine\u2019s Indigenous People.<\/b>\u00a0LD 179. An Act To Change the Name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day<\/a>. Primary sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Benjamin Collings (D-Portland)<\/a>.
This bill would change the Columbus Day holiday, observed on the second day of October, to Indigenous Peoples Day. Proponents of the change, including\u00a0Penobscot Nation tribal leaders<\/a>, note that Christopher Columbus\u00a0did not discover America<\/a>\u00a0(and in fact, never came to North America at all) and that a holiday celebrating someone who enslaved and brutalized native people only perpetuates discrimination against Maine\u2019s first inhabitants. The national move to change the date\u00a0began in the 1970s<\/a>. Since then, more than 100 cities and six states have since changed the holiday. A number of Maine\u2019s cities have\u00a0already made the change<\/a>, including Portland, Bangor, Orono, Belfast, and Brunswick. The\u00a0majority of the testimony<\/a>\u00a0at a Feb. 11 public hearing was in support of the bill, which the Committee on State and Local Government voted\u00a0OUGHT TO PASS<\/a>.
THE BILL IS LAW<\/strong>:<\/b>\u00a0The bill passed the House 88-51 and the Senate 19-14 and the governor has\u00a0signed it into law<\/a>!\u00a0See how your legislators voted.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/styrofoam-ban.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Ban foam food containers.<\/b>\u00a0LD 289, An Act To Prohibit the Use of Certain Disposable Food Service Containers<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Stanley Zeigler (D-Montville)<\/a>.
This bill would ban disposable food containers made of\u00a0expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam<\/a>\u00a0by January 1, 2020. EPS, a plastic made from non-renewable fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals, isn\u2019t recyclable in Maine. A\u00a02018 report<\/a>\u00a0from the International Agency on Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, upgraded the likelihood that styrene is a carcinogen from \u201cpossible\u201d to \u201cprobable.\u201d In 1990, an effort by Freeport elementary school students led to the\u00a0state\u2019s first ban<\/a>\u00a0of the foam containers. Since then, 15 other towns and cities have followed their example. A number of Maine businesses, including\u00a0Maine Medical Center<\/a>, have also banned the containers. If LD 289 is successful, Maine would be the first to pass a statewide ban, although local bans are common in most states.The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted the bill OUGHT TO PASS as amended following a February public hearing.\u00a0Read the testimony<\/b><\/a>, which was largely in support of the bill.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/b>\u00a0The bill passed the House 87-51\u00a0(see the roll call)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and the Senate by a voice vote (no roll call) and the governor has signed it into law!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/equalpay.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Increase pay equity.<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0LD 278, An Act Regarding Pay Equality<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Sen. Catherine Breen (D-Cumberland)<\/a>.
This bill would prohibit employers from asking about a prospective employee\u2019s salary history before a job offer is made. Research suggests that basing future pay on past salaries only perpetuates wage gaps for women, people of color, and people with disabilities, and a 2018 study found that\u00a0Maine women earn 82 cents<\/a>\u00a0for each $1 men earn. According to\u00a0Disability Rights Maine<\/a>, asking about past income encourages disability-based employment discrimination by forcing potential employees to disclose medical and disability history that may have affected their past wages. The legislation is similar to a bill that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, only to be\u00a0vetoed by former Gov. Paul LePage<\/a>. The\u00a0majority of testimony<\/a>\u00a0at a Feb. 6 public hearing before the Committee on Labor and Housing was in support of the bill. However, the committee vote was divided, with the majority report OUGHT TO PASS (OTP-AM) as amended and the minority report OUGHT NOT TO PASS (ONTP). The bill will go to the Senate for a vote first, then to the House.
THE BILL IS LAW<\/strong>:<\/b>\u00a0After passing the Senate 22-11 and the House 86-54, Gov. Mills\u00a0signed the bill into law<\/a>\u00a0April 12 on her 100th day in office.\u00a0See how your legislators voted.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/tugboat2.jpg?resize=74%2C74&ssl=1\")
Repeal LePage\u2019s rooftop solar panel tax.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>LD 91, An Act To Eliminate Gross Metering<\/a>. Primary sponsor:\u00a0Seth Berry (D-Bowdoinham)<\/a><\/em>.<\/em>
This bill would eliminate \u201cgross metering,\u201d a Public Utilities Commission (PUC) rule that allows electricity utility companies to tax solar rooftop panel owners for the energy they generate on their own. The rule went into effect last year when\u00a0Gov. LePage vetoed<\/a>\u00a0bipartisan legislation that would have blocked it. In December, the PUC exempted\u00a0large electric customers<\/a>\u00a0from gross metering, but homes and small businesses are still subject to the tax. LD 91 replaces gross metering with the \u201cnet-energy billing\u201d system used before the PUC rule went into effect and is one of a number of\u00a0\u201cgreen energy\u201d bills<\/a>\u00a0the Legislature will consider this year. LD 91 is designated \u201cemergency\u201d legislation, meaning it would take effect upon passage. The\u00a0majority of testimony<\/a>\u00a0at a Jan. 29 public hearing was in support of the bill, which the Committee on Energy Utilities and Technology voted\u00a0OUGHT TO PASS.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/b>\u00a0After passing the House 93-48 (see the roll call<\/a>) and with a voice vote in the Senate (no roll call), Gov. Janet Mills has\u00a0signed the bill<\/a>\u00a0into law!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Pre-existing-condition.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Protecting Mainers\u2019 Health Care.<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0LD 1, An Act To Protect Health Care Coverage for Maine Families<\/a>. Primary sponsors:\u00a0Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0House Speaker Sara Gideon (D-Freeport)<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>
This bill would make\u00a0patient protections<\/a>\u00a0in the Affordable Care Act state law, protecting them should Republicans repeal the federal statute. Insurers would be required to cover essential medical services, such as mental health care and prescription drugs, and to cover people with pre-existing conditions and those over age 55 without charging them higher premiums. It would also allow children to remain on their parents\u2019 insurance until age 26. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held Jan. 29, with the\u00a0majority of testimony<\/a>\u00a0in support of the bill. The committee\u00a0voted 10-3<\/a>\u00a0that the bill OUGHT TO PASS.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/b>\u00a0Gov. Janet Mills has signed the bill into law! The Senate vote was unanimous; the House passed the measure 140-3.\u00a0See how your legislators voted.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/rcv2.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Ranked-choice voting for presidential primaries.<\/b>\u00a0LD 1083, An Act To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for Presidential Primary and General Elections in Maine<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Sen. Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook)<\/a>.
This bill would move Maine\u2019s presidential caucuses to primaries and use an instant-runoff system for primary and general presidential elections beginning in 2020. Known as ranked choice voting (RCV), the process ensures that only candidates who win at least 50.1% of the vote are elected to office. Currently, Maine uses RCV only for Congressional elections. This bill would expand that to presidential races and another bill,\u00a0LD 1196<\/a>, which has a\u00a0public hearing April 10<\/a>, would amend the state Constitution to apply RCV to state races. Maine voters overwhelmingly\u00a0approved instant-runoff voting<\/a>\u00a0in 2016 and\u00a0again in June 2018<\/a>. RCV was used twice in 2018, for the\u00a0gubernatorial primaries<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0U.S. Senate and House races<\/a>. Learn more about RCV\u00a0on the Maine Secretary of Stage website<\/a>. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held March 20, and\u00a0more than 500 people<\/a>\u00a0submitted testimony. The bill was\u00a0replaced in committee<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with new language that requires RCV to be used in general elections only for presidential electors. However, if the state switches to a state-run primary, RCV will be used for presidential primaries. The majority of the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs voted that this amended version OUGHT TO PASS. A minority voted for a\u00a0different amended version<\/a>, that would only allow for RCV to be used for presidential electors if it is passed by a voter referendum. The House passed the bill 86-59\u00a0(see how your rep voted)<\/strong><\/a>, but the session adjourned before the Senate could vote.
THE BILL IS LAW:<\/b>\u00a0Legislators passed the bill during a special session in August.\u00a0See how your legislators voted.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0The bill\u00a0became law<\/a>\u00a0without Gov. Mills\u2019 signature, but will not into effect until 90 days after the end of the next session, likely in May or June 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\nBILLS THAT DIED<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/March1Rally-53.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Gun safety legislation.\u00a0<\/b>The Legislature considered 11 new gun safety bills this term, covering Extreme Risk Protection Orders (red flag), background checks, safe storage, high capacity magazines, waiting periods, 3D printed firearms, and firearm collection days. Find information about all of the bills and final roll calls in our\u00a0Gun Safety Legislation Roundup<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/NECECroutemap.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Measure climate impact of CMP Corridor.<\/b>\u00a0LD 640, Resolve, To Require a Study of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions from the Proposed Central Maine Power Company Transmission Corridor<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Sen. Everett Carson (D-Cumberland)<\/a>.
This bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct an independent analysis to determine the total net effect on greenhouse gas emissions of the proposed Central Maine Power New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) transmission project. The 145-mile NECEC power line corridor would cut through hundreds of wetlands, streams, and animal habitats in Franklin, Somerset, Androscoggin, and Cumberland counties to deliver electricity generated by Hydro-Quebec in Canada to customers in Massachusetts. While the project\u2019s proponents claim it is environmentally beneficial and have offered a\u00a0$250 million package<\/a>\u00a0to Maine in exchange for the state\u2019s support, the\u00a0Natural Resources Council of Maine<\/a>\u00a0and others say Mainers would actually see little benefit overall and that any emission reductions would be offset if Hydro-Quebec shifts power from other markets to fulfill the deal. Two studies of NECEC\u2019s environmental impact yielded conflicting results. Eight\u00a0towns in the corridor\u2019s path have now come out\u00a0against the project<\/a>.\u00a0The Maine\u00a0Public Utilities Commission<\/a>\u00a0recently approved the project, but NECEC still needs approvals from DEP and the Land Use Planning Commission.\u00a0LD 640 would require the DEP to conduct the study and release its findings by June 1. A\u00a0public hearing\u00a0<\/a>was held before the environment committee in March, with\u00a0most testimony<\/a>\u00a0in opposition to NECEC and in favor of LD 640. The committee voted 10-3 that the bill OUGHT TO PASS as amended and has issued majority and minority reports. LD 640 is an \u201cemergency bill,\u201d meaning it will go into effect immediately upon enactment but requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers. The Senate passed the bill May 9 30-4\u00a0(see how your senator voted)<\/strong><\/a>. The House passed the bill May 23 74-64\u00a0(see how your rep voted)<\/strong><\/a>, short of the\u00a0two-thirds needed<\/a>\u00a0for emergency legislation. The House also passed an amendment to fund the study 87-50\u00a0(see how your rep voted)<\/strong><\/a>. The Senate passed the amended version on May 30 by a voice vote (no roll call).
DEAD:\u00a0<\/b>The bill failed to get a 2\/3 majority in the House on the second round of voting, which is required for emergency legislation. The bill is dead.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/classroom-2093744_960_720.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Block a hate-group sponsored education bill.<\/b>\u00a0LD 589, Resolve, Directing the State Board of Education To Adopt Rules Prohibiting Teachers in Public Schools from Engaging in Political, Ideological or Religious Advocacy in the Classroom<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Larry Lockman (R-Amherst)<\/a>.
This bill would require the State Board of Education to adopt rules banning public school educators from discussing political or religious issues or other controversial topics in the classroom. The legislation prohibits teachers from discussing any topic included in any state party platform,\u00a0such as climate change<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0systemic racism<\/a>, and would require them to offer information on \u201cboth sides\u201d of controversial issues. Teachers who violate the law\u00a0could be fired<\/a>. The legislation is modeled\u2014almost verbatim\u2014after language promoted by the\u00a0\u201cStop K-12 Indoctrination\u201d<\/a>\u00a0project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center,\u00a0classified as a hate group<\/a>\u00a0known for distributing \u201chit lists\u201d of students, faculty, and administrators they claim are \u201csubversive.\u201d ACLU of Maine and the Maine Education Association oppose the bill. The\u00a0majority of testimony<\/a>\u00a0submitted at a Feb. 21 public hearing was in opposition to the bill, which the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs\u00a0voted unanimously<\/a>\u00a0OUGHT NOT TO PASS.
DEAD<\/strong>:<\/b>\u00a0The Senate accepted the committee\u2019s unanimous report and the bill is dead.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/banned-books1_0001.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1\")
Oppose book banning in schools.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>LD 94, An Act To Prohibit the Dissemination of Obscene Material by Public Schools<\/a>. Primary sponsors:\u00a0Rep. Amy Arata (R-New Gloucester)<\/a>,\u00a0Sen. Scott Cyrway (R-Kennebec)<\/a>, and\u00a0Rep. John Martin (D-Eagle Lake)<\/a><\/em>.<\/em>
This bill would revise an existing state \u201cobscenity law\u201d that prohibits the dissemination of \u201cobscene\u201d material to minors by removing the exception for public schools. According to the\u00a0National Coalition Against Censorship<\/a>, the bill\u2014which is opposed by the Maine Education Association\u2014threatens students\u2019 and educators\u2019 intellectual freedom and would leave schools vulnerable to criminal prosecution if educators choose texts some consider inappropriate under the obscenity statute. A\u00a0public hearing<\/a>\u00a0was held Feb. 4 before the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, which voted unanimously that the bill OUGHT NOT TO PASS.
DEAD:<\/b>\u00a0The House accepted the committee\u2019s unanimous report and the bill is dead.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.suitupmaine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/shorttermplans.jpg?resize=70%2C70&ssl=1\")
Ensuring patient protections in short-term health plans.\u00a0<\/b>LD 815, An Act To Regulate the Issuance of Short-term, Limited-duration Health Insurance Policies in the State<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Sen. Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook)<\/a>.\u00a0LD 1260, An Act Regarding Short-term, Limited-duration Health Plans<\/a>. Sponsor:\u00a0Rep. Victoria Foley(D-Biddeford)<\/a>.
These bills address problems inherent with short-term limited duration (STLD) health insurance plans, which offer less coverage than regular plans, usually\u00a0charge higher premiums<\/a>\u00a0for people with pre-existing conditions, and don\u2019t cover essential medical services such as prescription drugs and mental health care. Many\u00a0don\u2019t even cover cancer therapy<\/a>. The ACA imposed limits on STLD plans to protection patients, but the Trump administration\u00a0removed those protections<\/a>\u00a0last year. LD 815 limits STLD coverage to 3 months and institutes prohibitions designed to protect consumers. It also requires that policies flag all terms and conditions in large-point type to avoid hidden clauses. LD 1260 has the same requirements as 815, but also requires that STLD plans provide coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. A public hearing was held April 4, with the\u00a0majority of testimony<\/a>\u00a0in support of the bill. The bill was tabled by the committee on April 17, but a work session has been scheduled for April 30.
DEAD:\u00a0<\/b>The\u00a0Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services<\/a>\u00a0voted that the bill OUGHT NOT TO PASS and the Senate accepted that report.<\/p>\n