AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Committee on State and Local Government voted unanimously Thursday to advance LD 1260, sponsored by Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook.
The legislation would study establishing a Deputy Secretary of State focused on supporting civics education and engagement across Maine, which would include organizing student mock elections, providing voter registration materials to high school students and other student-focused programming. Additionally, the bill would direct the Maine Secretary of State to study moving Volunteer Maine, the state's service commission, from the Department of Education to the Secretary of State's office.
"We need civic-minded and engaged community members for a healthy democracy," said Rielly. "An additional deputy would allow the Secretary of State's office to expand existing civic engagement work and serve as a liaison to schools and Maine's broader civil society. Further, Volunteer Maine's mission aligns with the Secretary of State's due to its responsibilities to promote civic engagement."
"Civic engagement and volunteerism are fundamental to our democracy, and we are thrilled to examine how to align our work and the critical mission of Volunteer Maine," said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. "We look forward to collaborating to build a plan to strengthen volunteerism and our election system."
The bill faces votes in the House and Senate in the coming weeks.
Rielly is serving his second term in the Maine House of Representatives and is a member of the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. He represents House District 127, which includes a portion of Westbrook.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Rielly], 305-965-2744
Emily Cook [Bellows], 207-441-0405