Latest news with #RyanFecteau
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Mills signs budget addition into law
Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, Senate President Mattie Daughtry and Gov. Janet Mills listen to the State of the Judiciary address on Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by James Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) Gov. Janet Mills signed into law on Monday the budget passed by the Democratic majority of the Maine Legislature last week. After initial conflicting votes, both chambers Wednesday night approved a roughly $320 million budget addition to the $11.3 billion biennial budget passed in March. 'The budget bill enacted by the Legislature, like all lawmaking, is the product of various tradeoffs and compromises,' Mills said in a statement on Monday. 'Although I might not agree with every single provision, I appreciate the diligence and hard work of the Appropriations Committee to produce this bill, which makes important investments in Maine families, children, and seniors, our higher education institutions, housing, and more.' With Mills' signature, the budget bill will take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the legislative session, a date that is not yet known as lawmakers are planning to return this week to finish work. The budget the Legislature passed defied several of the proposals Mills put forth earlier this year, including rejecting the governor's proposed cuts to childcare programs and low-income food assistance, as well as proposed taxes on ambulances and pharmacies. The budget also effectively stops the state's free community college program for future graduating classes, against the governor's request to make it permanent. However, the plan includes Mills' proposed tax additions on streaming services, cannabis, pensions and cigarettes — the latter at an even higher amount than the governor requested. Read about more of the details of the plan here. Committee sets budget plan with party-line vote 'At a time when so much feels uncertain, this budget offers something solid: a commitment to the well-being of our communities and a hopeful vision for a stronger, more resilient Maine,' senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Brunswick) said in a statement Wednesday night. Her counterpart, Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook), offered a different perspective. 'We began the first regular session of the 132nd Legislature six months ago with news of a severe budget shortfall. It is truly concerning that legislative Democrats are continuing with this reckless path,' Stewart said in a statement Wednesday night. 'The Democrat majority has seized every opportunity to spend more at the expense of Maine's taxpayers. I have a very simple question for my Democrat counterparts: at what point will you wake up and realize enough is enough?' While added appropriations total about $320 million, the bill has a lower fiscal note, $117 million, due to a range of cost cutting measures — taxes, some cuts, and transferring unexpected surpluses. The net cost is also lower than the roughly $127 million that remained after the initial budget passed in March, which had continued funding for state services at the same level while also providing one-time funding to fill the MaineCare deficit and other urgent needs. The Democratic majority also pushed through that two-year budget plan in March without Republican support and formally adjourned in order to start the clock for those funds to become available in 90 days, which was Friday. While the continued party-line divide in Augusta remains clear, the initial votes on the budget addition last week illuminated some divisions within the Democratic majority. Six progressive Democrats in the House initially voted against the budget, arguing for their colleagues to reject regressive taxes, which have a greater impact on people with lower incomes, and instead push for a model that taxes the wealthy more — even if the governor, who has opposed any income-based tax reform, ultimately vetoes it. But five of the six representatives later backed the budget, allowing it to pass. There is a bill currently in limbo that proposes such a change. Referred to as a 'millionaire's tax,' LD 1089 would place a tax surcharge of 2% on the portion of a resident's taxable income beyond $1 million for single filers to be used to fund public K-12 education. After both chambers rejected the bill in initial votes, the Senate reversed its stance last week, sending the measure back to the House to reconsider. It remains tabled. There are several bills that similarly remain in a state of uncertainty between the chambers — including proposals for a comprehensive data privacy law — that lawmakers could consider when they return sometime this week to finish work. About 300 bills that have passed both chambers are also in limbo on what's called the appropriations table. The appropriations committee, which manages this table, will ultimately decide which proposals to fund with any remaining unappropriated money. Some of those proposals are bills to establish a task force to suggest reform to the real estate property tax, ensure the already required teaching of Wabanaki and African American studies are effectively taught in Maine schools, provide more funding for family planning services, fund proper disposal of syringe litter and expand testing for forever chemicals in private wells, among others. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Fox News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Maine Rep. Laurel Libby officially has speaking rights restored after controversial trans athlete censure
Maine state representative Laurel Libby had her speaking rights restored by fellow state lawmakers on Wednesday, five months after she was censured for a social media post that identified a trans athlete. The Supreme Court restored Libby's voting rights on May 20 after she filed a lawsuit in response to the censure, but her speaking rights have still been withheld from her until now. Libby was still waging her lawsuit against Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau to have the full censure overturned. Libby told Fox News Digital that she walked into the state capital Wednesday unaware that today her speaking rights would be restored, and she didn't even find out until near the end of the session when she and others were getting ready to adjourn. Just before adjournment, House assistant majority leader Lori Gramlich proposed a resolution that upon adjourning, Libby's full voting and speaking rights would be restored. The resolution passed by a vote of 115-16. "It was a surprise, it was our 33rd supplement of the day, and within minutes it was on the floor," Libby said. Libby's censure was initially passed on Feb. 25 by a vote of 75-70. Libby said no reason was given for Wednesday's surprise resolution that ended the censure. But she believes it's because of the momentum she had in her lawsuit and the growing public opposition against trans athletes in girls' sports. "Democrats know that they are losing on this issue, that the majority of not just Mainers, but Americans, do not agree with their extreme stance allowing biological males to participate in girls' sports," Libby said. "They know they're losing on that issue, they know that they're losing in the courts regarding my lawsuit that I filed… and so they caved because they know they're losing and this is the best way for them to save face." President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that requires states only allow females to compete, but multiple Democrat-run states, including Maine, have defied the order and continued to enable trans inclusion. The U.S. Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi have even filed their own separate lawsuit against the state of Maine for continuing to defy the order. Libby has been a central figure in the conservative pushback against Democrat policies that enable trans inclusion in girls' sports in Maine. In addition to her lawsuit against Fecteau, Libby has been repeatedly critical of Mills for her refusal to comply with Trump. It started when she made a Facebook post that identified a trans athlete that won a girls' pole vault competition for Greely High School in February, prompting pushback from Democrats in the state who criticized her for identifying a minor, which was the main premise of her censure. However, she and her attorneys argued that the trans athlete had already been publicized in other media. The same trans athlete then skipped the spring track and field state championships earlier in June. A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women's sports to biological women." Many Maine residents have even entire school districts have stood up against Mills' policies alongside Libby. Maine's school districts RSU No. 24 and MSAD No. 70 have each passed their own localized resolutions to keep girls' spots for female students only. There have also been three large-scale protests against the current policies in the state's capital city, Augusta, since February. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Legislative recap for Tuesday, June 10
Official notices posted in the Maine State House in Augusta. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star) 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. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Boston Globe
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Supreme Court orders Maine House to restore vote of GOP lawmaker who ID-ed trans teen athlete online
Advertisement The Democratic-controlled House censured Libby after finding her viral post had violated its code of ethics by putting the student at risk. She was blocked from speaking and voting on the floor after she refused to apologize. Libby has argued that the punishment violates free-speech rights. She said the court's decision restores a voice in the Legislature for the thousands of constituents she represents. 'This is a victory not just for my constituents, but for the Constitution itself,' she said. Maine state attorneys argued that she still has other ways to participate in the legislative process, and would regain her voting power if she apologized. House Speaker Ryan Fecteau did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Supreme Court's order halts a lower court ruling that the sanction isn't severe enough to overcome legal blocks on courts intervening with legislative functions. Advertisement Libby's February post was about a high school athlete who won a girls' track competition. She said the student had previously competed in boys' track. Her post included a photo of the student and first-name identification in quotation marks. Libby's post went viral, preceding a public disagreement over the issue between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills. The Trump administration later filed a lawsuit against the state for not complying with the government's push to ban transgender athletes. Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this story.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
15 state attorneys general condemn Rep. Libby's censure as 'attack on Legislature' in letter
May 9—Fifteen Republican attorneys general filed a friend of the court brief in support of Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, charging that her censure in the Maine Legislature was politically motivated and amounts to viewpoint discrimination. The group, led by West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, called in a Friday filing for the U.S. Supreme Court to grant Libby an injunction restoring her ability to vote and speak on the State House floor. They charge that Libby's censure is an "attack" on the Legislature's ability to function and represent Mainers. "Perhaps a little too often, applicants come to this Court warning that some decision being challenged is poised to undermine (or even end) our republican form of government," the group wrote. "This time, though, the shoe fits." Maine House Democrats voted to censure Libby in February over her Facebook post that featured the first name and photos of a transgender high school athlete. Libby filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court late last month, asking that her speaking rights be restored while a federal court in Maine considers a lawsuit she filed against House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, which argues that the censure violates her — and her constituents' — First Amendment Right to free speech. Lower courts have already ruled against Libby's request, citing Fecteau's right to legislative immunity — the legal doctrine that prevents lawmakers from being sued for their legislative acts. But the attorneys general argue in their filing that censuring Libby does not qualify as a legislative act, and it is therefore not subject to immunity. "Even if one could say this suspension was a legislative act, it is of such extraordinary character that it cannot be protected," the group argues. "Representative Libby's suspension disenfranchises all of District 90's voters. And it does so as retribution for the very sort of speech that a legislator must offer — speech on one of the important issues of the day." They add that the issue of whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in girls and women's sports is the subject of active debate across the country, and they note that Libby's comments were made outside the Legislature. McCuskey was joined by 14 other Republican attorneys general, including those from Florida, Iowa and Louisiana. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has repeatedly stated that it was Libby's conduct, not her views, that earned her the censure, including in a court brief filed Thursday. "Like other censures of Maine House members, the censure resolution required Rep. Libby to apologize for her conduct — not recant her views," Frey wrote. Libby, who has refused to apologize, said in a response to Frey filed Friday that critics demanding she do so are exacerbating the harm against her. "The Speaker cannot insist on an apology to his satisfaction," Libby wrote, "any more than Speaker Johnson could insist on congressmembers' declaring 'Trump is Making America Great Again' as a condition of voting." She further charges that legislative immunity does not apply to her censure vote, and claims that Frey's "version of legislative immunity is limitless," and could, for example, be used to ban legislators who did not attend a certain university from voting. Copy the Story Link
