Proposed constitutional amendment to protect paid leave fund one step closer to ballot
The entire Maine Legislature is so far taking the recommendations of the Labor Committee to reject significant changes to the state's paid family and medical leave program.
On Monday, the Senate voted 20-14 to back a proposal (LD 894) to tweak the program, but rejected other bills by the same margin, including one to exempt agricultural employees from the program and another to suspend remittance for companies that plan to use private plans. That bill now advances to the House of Representatives.
Both chambers also followed the lead of the committee by backing a proposal for a constitutional amendment prohibiting the Legislature from using the program funds for any other purpose.
Though LD 1221 was passed under the hammer by the House and Senate, it will require a two-thirds vote from each chamber for the next round of enactment votes. If secured, it would then be sent to the voters to ultimately decide on the November 2025 ballot.
LD 894, which was also endorsed by the committee, proposes a series of amendments to the current law to create certain enforcement mechanisms and penalties, as well as clarify intermittent leave. Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) introduced the bill on behalf of the Labor Department to make specific refinements to the policy that were noticed during the rulemaking process.
'This is a bill that does the quiet, but essential work of ensuring that Maine's paid family and medical leave program is implemented successfully,' said Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot) on the Senate floor.
Though it isn't expected to be available until May 2026, the paid family and medical leave program will allow eligible public and private sector workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for reasons such as illness, to care for a loved one or the birth of a new child.
Tipping said LD 894 is the only bill that 'strengthens the program without destabilizing it.'
Sen. Dick Bradstreet (R-Kennebec) urged his colleagues to support a different version of the bill that he argued would help small businesses. While Sen. Cameron Reny (D-Lincoln) said while some of those suggestions are reasonable, they seem too substantial to make for a program that hasn't been fully implemented yet.
'Making major structural changes at this stage before a single benefit has been paid and without knowing what's working or not working, it's like you're trying to redesign a plane while we're on the runway,' Reny said.
Across the State House, lawmakers rejected bills to repeal the program (LD 406), make it voluntary (LD 1273) and make a series of other structural changes (LD 1333 and LD 1712).
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The Brief Georgia Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner John King has suspended his Republican campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, citing limited chances of winning the nomination. King will instead run for re-election to his current post, vowing to keep Georgia's statewide offices Republican and support a pro-Trump Senate candidate. His decision follows Gov. Brian Kemp's push to back former football coach Derek Dooley and avoid a divisive GOP primary battle. ATLANTA - Georgia Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner John F. King has ended his bid to challenge U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, citing limited prospects for winning the Republican nomination. PREVIOUS: Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King talks about 2026 Senate campaign What we know King shared the news Thursday on social media, saying he entered the race with the goal of defeating Ossoff but now sees no clear path forward. Instead, King will seek re-election to his current post as commissioner. King was appointed by Gov. Kemp in 2019 and secured a full term in 2022. "I'm going to do everything I can to keep Georgia's state offices red and back a Senate nominee who supports President Trump's agenda," King said. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, King's decision was a result of being told that Gov. Kemp was working to consolidate GOP support behind Derek Dooley, the former football coach and family friend expected to join the primary race. Kemp's backing of Dooley follows conversations with other Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, signaling the governor's desire to unify the party. Kemp has reportedly spoken with former President Trump in recent weeks to rally support for a consensus GOP candidate. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) announced in May that he is planning to run against Sen. Ossoff and Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) may also run.
