AUGUSTA - Rep. Tavis Hasenfus, D-Readfield, is urging the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Transportation to ensure that Maine's railroad infrastructure, and the communities it intersects, are safe and secure.

Hasenfus asked the committee to act after hearing growing concerns in his district following the news coverage of the train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, last month. House District 57, which includes Winthrop and Readfield, and neighboring districts experience regular freight traffic.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Sam Zager, D-Portland, introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday before the Legislature's Labor and Housing Committee that would help low-income individuals establish or improve credit through their rental payments.

LD 1107 would create a two-year pilot program at the Maine State Housing Authority to connect renters' favorable payment history to the databases of national credit agencies, such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

AUGUSTA - A bill introduced by Rep. Charles Skold, D-Portland, seeks to help low and low-to-moderate income Mainers obtain legal representation in civil court proceedings regardless of their ability to pay for a lawyer.

AUGUSTA - On Thursday, the Maine Legislature enacted a continuing services budget. The budget measure - LD 424, "An Act Making Certain Appropriations and Allocations and Changing Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government" goes into law on July 1, 2023.

Reps. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, and Poppy Arford, D-Brunswick, welcomed several student groups from Bowdoin College to the State House Thursday, including Bowdoin's Citizens Climate Lobby, the Bowdoin Chapter of the Sunrise Movement, Bowdoin's Reproductive Justice Coalition, Bowdoin Democrats, Bowdoin Alliance for Immigrant Rights and the Voting Rights for All Program.

Contact:

Brian Lee [Ankeles, Arford] c. 305-965-2744

AUGUSTA - Rep. Art Bell, D-Yarmouth, introduced legislation Tuesday that would help to address the state's teacher shortage by allowing the Commissioner of Education, in certain circumstances, to waive or grant an extension for teaching requirements.

AUGUSTA - The Maine House of Representatives gave initial approval Tuesday to a bill from Rep. Anne Graham, D-North Yarmouth, which would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to streamline access to certain nonprescription drugs and vaccines to MaineCare members by issuing standing orders for those treatments.

Reps. Holly Eaton, D-Deer Isle, Nina Milliken, D-Blue Hill, Ron Russell, D-Verona Island, and Mark Worth, D-Ellsworth, welcomed staff from The Jackson Laboratory to the State House Thursday.

Contact:

Brian Lee [Eaton, Milliken, Russell, Worth], c. 305-965-2744

Left to Right: Rep. Russell, Rep. Worth, Rep. Milliken, Rep. Eaton and Michael McKernan.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Tiffany Roberts, D-South Berwick, introduced legislation Tuesday before the Legislature's Taxation Committee that would provide support to Maine's agriculture and aquaculture producers while offering an additional pathway to meet Maine's goal of ending hunger by 2030.

AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted Wednesday to advance a measure from Rep. Maggie O'Neil, D-Saco, that would enshrine in Maine's constitution the right to a clean and healthy environment. The vote was 6-4 with three members absent.

If approved by lawmakers, LD 928 would send the proposed amendment to Maine voters in November.