Legislative recap for Tuesday, June 10
In an effort to stem the often lengthy debates and occasional partisan fighting that has encroached on valuable voting time, House Speaker Ryan Fecteau warned the chamber Tuesday that if they weren't able to get through enough bills this week, 'the chair will have to consider having a session on Saturday and Sunday.'
Weekend work has yet to be determined, but the House did wrap before 8 p.m., comparatively early to recent late nights.
One issue that always sparks debate is abortion, and with a slew of bills aiming to roll back the state's current protections, both chambers had their share of discussion late Monday and Tuesday. However, the Democratic majorities in the Maine Senate and House of Representatives ultimately shot down each effort.
These include: LD 253, 'An Act to Prevent the MaineCare Program from Covering Abortion Services'; LD 886, 'An Act to Regulate Medication Abortions'; LD 887, 'An Act to Make Manufacturers Responsible for Proper Disposal of Abortion Drugs and Require a Health Care Provider to Be Physically Present During a Chemical Abortion'; LD 1007, 'An Act to Update the State's Informed Consent Laws Regarding Drug-induced Abortion'; LD 1930, 'An Act Regarding Acts of Violence Committed Against a Pregnant Woman'; and LD 1154, 'An Act to Require That Informed Consent for Abortion Include Information on Perinatal Hospice.'
The bills were initially rejected by the House late Monday and laid before the Senate on Tuesday. Both chambers Tuesday also rejected legislation (LD 682) that would impose criminal penalties for performing an abortion, ban abortions passed viability unless in an emergency, and require reports on each abortion performed that would include race, marital status, and education level of the patient. (Read more about these and other related proposals here.)
With papers frantically shuffling between chambers this week ahead of the planned June 18 adjournment, Maine Morning Star will highlight the biggest items of debate as well as legislation and issues that we've followed all session.
Here's an overview of what happened Monday.
After passage by the Senate earlier this month, the House voted 75-65 Tuesday night to back LD 1016, one of several proposals to support mobile home park residents in purchasing their parks. (Read more about the bill and the other proposals here. The budget committee also voted in some related funding into the budget on Tuesday.)
A provision that would make it so a simple majority of each chamber can extend the Legislature's work beyond the statutory adjournment date appears likely to become law. With a 73-71 vote, the House enacted LD 1668 after both chambers gave their initial approval. Currently, two-thirds support in both chambers is needed.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate on Tuesday backed the latest effort (LD 982) to provide the Mi'kmaq Nation the same rights to sales tax revenue on its land that the other three tribes of the Wabanaki Nations were granted in 2022. (Read more about this here).
The Senate and House opted to 'indefinitely postpone' legislation (LD 4) that would establish year-round eastern daylight time, effectively killing the measure. A similar bill (LD 3) that requires approval by the federal government and also adopted by other states in the eastern time zone did pass and is headed to the governor's desk.
Members of the House voted 78-69 and the Senate 18-14 in favor of legislation (LD 537) that would prohibit the doxing of a minor. Rep. Amy Kuhn (D-Falmouth) said the bill imposes common sense guidelines for the treatment of minors and provides important protections for their privacy and safety. Rep. Rachel Henderson (R-Rumford) said she took issue with the provision that allows a minor to be able to consent to having their image shared, 'rather than having a parent involved.'
Following the Senate, the House voted Tuesday against a bill that would amend the constitution to require the popular election of the secretary of state, attorney general and state treasurer (LD 455).
Both the House and Senate backed legislation (LD 259) to Establish the Criminal Records Review Commission in Statute, with the House voting 78-68 on Tuesday. Proponents said it would help cement and continue the work of the committee, which is tasked with reviewing issues with expunging criminal records and finding ways to prevent past convictions from holding people back from being productive members of their communities. (Read more about this issue here).
An emergency bill (LD 1920) to prohibit the sale to a person under 21 years old of potentially intoxicating hemp products passed both chambers without a roll call. Because it is an emergency measure, it needs to secure two-thirds support in both chambers during enactment votes. The House met that threshold Tuesday night, with a unanimous 143-0 enactment vote.
Legislation (LD 1571) to modify certification standards for full-time teachers in public charter schools as well as those for reissuance of educational technician certificates passed both chambers, with the Senate voting 18-14 on Tuesday.
Both chambers have now backed legislation (LD 1427) directing the Criminal Law Advisory Commission to review and analyze the statutes of limitation pertaining to sex trafficking offenses committed against both adult and minor victims.
After initially passing both the House and Senate, a bill (LD 1034) that would decriminalize adult possession of therapeutic psilocybin, found in some mushrooms, failed to garner a majority in either chamber during final enactment votes.
Legislation (LD 1620) to regulate the testing of adult-use cannabis and related products was rejected by the House and Senate.
LD 613, a bill supported by the Maine Medical Association that allows terminally ill patients to waive the current 17-day waiting period for access to life-ending medication, will go back to the Senate after the House voted to insist on passage of the bill Tuesday after the upper chamber voted Monday against the measure.
After LD 1928 squeaked through both chambers last week, the Senate voted 14-20 against enactment on Monday leaving the bill, which would prohibit lodging establishments from using single-use plastic containers — such as mini shampoo bottles — in limbo. The House on Tuesday insisted on its position in favor of the bill.
The House Tuesday insisted on its rejection of LD 371, which would remove the 100-megawatt maximum capacity limit for hydropower to qualify as a renewable resource under the state's renewable resource portfolio requirement. The Senate had supported the measure. (More on this issue here.)
After initially backing a proposed constitutional amendment (LD 1052) establishing the state auditor as constitutional officer, the majority of the House voted against enactment, putting it in conflict with the Senate, which placed it on the appropriations table.
The chambers split over a tax proposal (LD 1879) that would increase corporate tax rates and use that revenue to support the state's agricultural industries. After the House backed the measure 77-67, the Senate voted 13-18 in opposition. Critics argued the proposal would ultimately amount to a 'tax on consumers.' But tax committee chair Sen. Nicole Grohowski (D-Hancock) said farmers are competing with large corporations while operating on thin margins. The bill, she argued, gives the state a way to step up for them without placing the burden on working families. (Read more about the bill here.)
The Senate voted 19-15 to pass legislation (LD 1138) that seeks to better align the state's transportation projects and planning under the Maine Department of Transportation and Turnpike Authority with the Climate Action Plan. During debate, Sen. Tim Nangle (D-Cumberland) said the state has limited resources to improve transportation and explained that the committee moved this bill forward because it addresses the simultaneous problems of climate change and a lack of transportation choices.
Legislation (LD 1666) to expand ranked-choice voting to races for general and special elections for governor, state senator and state representative passed the Senate with a 20-14 vote.
Senators voted 18-14 to pass legislation (LD 497) that clarifies the definition and regulation of significant vernal pools under the Natural Resources Protection Act.
The House voted without a roll call in favor of a proposal (LD 1555) to create a tax credit for employers that pay for or provide in-kind child care for all employees. (Read more about the bill and other related proposals here.)
LD 1099, which would exempt diapers from sales tax, passed without a roll call.
The House also passed another tax-related measure (LD 1657), which would expand the use of tax increment revenue for affordable housing by adding authorized project costs, such as costs for the development, sale, and operation.
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