AUGUSTA - The Legislative Council approved a bill last week from Rep. Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, which would direct the Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) to examine systemic difficulties in obtaining and utilizing low-income affordable housing vouchers and provide further support for Section 8 housing voucher recipients.
AUGUSTA - The Legislative Council voted earlier this month to advance two bill proposals sponsored by Rep. Kristen Cloutier, D-Lewiston, that would support the state's health care workforce by adding Maine to the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact and prohibiting the Maine Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing electronic visit verification practices among hospice care providers within the MaineCare program.
AUGUSTA - The Legislative Council recently approved a bill from Rep. Kathy Shaw, D-Auburn, that would make it easier for more Mainers to grow their own food by exempting buildings used for the cultivation of crops, like permanent greenhouses, from the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC).
AUGUSTA - The Legislative Council approved a bill Thursday from Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio, D-Sanford, that would increase the state's annual shelter operating subsidy from $2.5 million to $12.5 million.
AUGUSTA - Legislative leaders voted to advance a proposal by Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, to address looming property tax reassessments across Maine that could accelerate gentrification and make it more difficult for families to afford to remain in their homes and communities.
AUGUSTA - Rep. Michele Meyer, D-Eliot, delivered the keynote address at the Excellence in Long-Term Care Awards Luncheon on Nov. 9. The event, hosted by the Maine Health Care Association in partnership with the Maine Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, honored 14 caregivers for their dedication and performance. Among the honorees was Durgin Pines MDS Coordinator Kathryn Derosiers, who was recognized for her clinical expertise and dedication to her residents.
AUGUSTA - Rep. David Sinclair, D-Bath, will serve as a member of the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government. He was appointed by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland.
"Maine has a long history of strong local government," said Sinclair. "It is vital to a thriving democracy, and I look forward to bringing my experience serving on the Bath City Council to this work to support our municipalities and the public services they provide. I am grateful to Speaker Talbot Ross for this opportunity."
AUGUSTA - Rep. Crafts, D-Newcastle, will serve as House Chair of the Legislature's Transportation Committee in the Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature after being appointed to the committee by Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland.
AUGUSTA - Rep. David Sinclair, D-Bath, was sworn into the Maine House of Representatives on Thursday by Gov. Janet Mills after winning a special election on Nov. 7, 2023. Sinclair now serves House District 50, the seat previously held by Rep. Sean Paulhus, who resigned in July after he was appointed by Gov. Mills to become the Sagadahoc County Register of Probate.
AUGUSTA - On Thursday, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments regarding a challenge to a 2021 law that removed the statute of limitations for civil claims of child sex abuse.
Rep. Lori K. Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, who sponsored the bill that created the law, released the following statement:
