Policy
Maine Policy News
An Act To Require Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting
Public Hearing Scheduled April 7th for LD 557 – This bill requires the presentation of proof of identity in the form of a photograph 18 identification document when voting in person.…
An Act To Base the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax on Actual Sale Price
Public Hearing Scheduled April 2nd For LD 970 – This bill provides that, for a motor vehicle purchased after December 31, 2022, the motor vehicle excise tax must be based on the purchase price for the motor vehicle if purchased from a new vehicle dealer or a used car dealer. For other motor vehicles, the excise tax continues to be based on the maker’s list price.…
An Act To Clarify the Maine Food Sovereignty Act
Public Hearing Scheduled April 6th for LD 574 – This bill clarifies the Maine Food Sovereignty Act. The bill amends the definition of “direct producer-to-consumer transaction” to mean any exchange of food or food products directly between a producer and a consumer in a manner mutually agreed upon by the producer and consumer of the food or food products rather than face-to-face transactions at the site of production.…
Resolve, To Convene a Working Group To Develop Plans To Protect Maine’s Agricultural Lands When Siting Solar Arrays
Public Hearing Scheduled April 1st For LD 820 – This resolve directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to convene a working group of stakeholders to develop plans and consider ways to discourage the use of land of higher agricultural value and encourage the use of more marginal agricultural lands when siting a solar array.…
Resolve, To Provide for Participation of the State in the Planning and Negotiations for the Atlantic Loop Energy Project
Work Session Scheduled April 1st for LD 82 – This resolve provides for the immediate, direct involvement of the State in the planning and negotiations on the Atlantic Loop, a Canadian electric transmission and power supply project intended to pass through the State, enabling possible participation in it on an equal footing with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.…
An Act To Protect Utility Customers from Investor Risk for Costs Incurred Due to a Disaster
Public Hearing Scheduled April 1st for LD 285 – This bill prohibits an investor-owned transmission and distribution utility from recovering in rates any costs incurred by the utility as a result of a disaster regardless of whether or not the utility receives federal assistance in paying those costs…
Federal Unemployment Programs Extended by American Rescue Plan
On Thursday, March 11, 2021 the American Rescue Plan was signed into law by President Biden. This law includes several provisions that extend federal unemployment programs.…
$28 million reconstruction of Exit 45 Interchange to begin next week
A $28 million project that will reconstruct Maine Turnpike’s Exit 45 Interchange in South Portland is scheduled to begin next week.…
New round of municipal stream crossing grants awarded by Maine DEP
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) received 47 applications totaling over $5.5 million dollars in funding requests. The forty-two stream crossing projects funded this round will result in new or improved fish passage to nearly 100 miles of streams statewide…
Secretary Bellows testifies in support of U.S. House elections reform bill
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows will testify today before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration in support of H.R. 1, the “For the People Act” of 2021.…
Maine Slows Spread of Emerald Ash Borer with Continued Ash Movement Restrictions
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF) Plant Health Program (PHP) and Maine Forest Service (MFS) announced today that Maine is taking the next step to continue regulating the movement of ash wood material.…
Governor Mills Expresses “Grave Concern” Over Draft Right Whale Biological Opinion
The Maine Department of Marine Resources filed comments with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the draft Biological Opinion for ten fishery management plans in the Greater Atlantic Region, focusing on the North Atlantic Right Whale. In a cover letter included with DMR’s comments, Governor Janet Mills expressed “grave concern” about the draft Bi-Op, warning it will be economically devastating and will fundamentally change Maine’s lobster fishery.…
National Invasive Species Awareness Week, February 22-26
“Together, we can do more” is the theme under which the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is rolling out its 2021 National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) campaign.…
Governor Mills Establishes Task Force to Develop Forest Carbon Program for Maine Woodland Owners
Task force will consider forest carbon storage incentives for small-to-medium size woodland owners to help protect their property while fighting climate change….…
Maine DEP delays enforcement of polystyrene foam and plastic bag bans
A statewide ban on single-use plastic carry-out bags had been scheduled to go into effect January 15, 2021 and the polystyrene foam disposable food service container ban had been scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2021 however, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is delaying its enforcement of the laws that ban the use of these products until July 1, 2021.…
2020 Overdose Deaths Outpace 2019
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner have released figures demonstrating that drug overdose deaths slightly decreased in the third quarter of 2020, though the total year-to-date deaths is on pace to significantly exceed those in 2019.…
Senator Collins Announces More Than $6.6 Million to Support Affordable Housing Efforts in Maine Amid COVID-19
U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that the State of Maine has received a total of $6,678,216 in the third installment of funding to support affordable housing, assistance to businesses and bolster COVID-19 prevention and response efforts throughout the state. This funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was allocated through a section of the CARES Act that Senator Collins co-authored directing $48.5 billion to support housing and transportation programs.…
Collins Leads Bipartisan Group in Urging USDA to Provide COVID-19 Financial Relief for Loggers, Timber Haulers
In a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, U.S. Senator Susan Collins led a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the USDA to provide financial assistance to American loggers and log haulers who have been experiencing serious financial strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter was also signed by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
Sen. Susan Collins: “Loggers and log haulers are critical to America’s forest products industry – which is a top-10 manufacturing industry in 45 U.S. states. Our nation’s loggers and haulers harvest and transport the raw material that supports over $283 billion in value-added wood and paper products – with a supply chain that includes nearly one million Americans earning over $54 billion in combined payroll,”
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Governor Mills Signs Curtailment Order to Maintain Budget Stability Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Governors of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont Call on President Trump to Reverse U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Aluminum
In a letter sent to the President Tuesday (PDF), the governors highlighted the longstanding bilateral trade relationship between New England and Canada, which was strengthened by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that went into effect this summer. About half of all trade for Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine companies is conducted with Canada.…