AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Transportation Committee voted Wednesday to advance legislation sponsored by Rep. Ambureen Rana, D-Bangor, that would minimize fees in cases of traffic infractions for those experiencing excessive financial hardship.

LD 556 reduces traffic fees for all court-ordered suspensions to a one-time payment of $50, which would eliminate the stacking of fees once an initial payment is missed.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Daniel J. Hobbs, D-Wells, introduced legislation Wednesday that would direct the Maine Community College System to study providing housing on its campuses. LD 830 would direct the system to study housing construction costs, the cost to students, the availability of space on campuses, other infrastructure and staff necessary to support housing, alternate housing options and any other issues the system feels are appropriate.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Kelly Noonan Murphy, D-Scarborough, presented LD 603, An Act to Make Electric Breast Pumps More Accessible by Providing for MaineCare Reimbursement, before the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday.

The bill would require Maine's Medicaid program, commonly known as MaineCare, to reimburse eligible receipts for electric breast pumps and supplies without prior authorization or limitation when recommended or prescribed by a physician.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, introduced legislation Monday that would expand the language of working waterfront covenants to include nonprofit corporations and charitable trusts that are authorized to hold conservation easements.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Charles Skold, D-Portland, introduced legislation on Monday that would make voting more efficient and accessible for eligible Mainers.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Marc Malon, D-Biddeford, introduced LD 612, An Act to Create a Green Schools Coordinator in the Department of Education, before the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs on Thursday.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Rebecca Jauch, D-Topsham, presented legislation Friday that would create a stakeholder group to identify ways to improve child care availability in Maine. The bill was introduced in a public hearing before the Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee.

AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously, of those present, to advance a bill sponsored by Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, on Wednesday.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Valli Geiger, D-Rockland, introduced a bill last week that would help ensure that savings generated in the event that Mainers approve a measure to establish a large consumer-owned utility (COU) would be passed on to ratepayers.

With the Legislature in full swing, my colleagues and I are busy submitting legislation, offering testimony at public hearings and learning about various policy initiatives before the committees we are all assigned to serve on. I serve as House chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and while issues relating to protecting our environment and precious shoreline remain one of my top priorities, my lifelong advocacy on behalf of children and mental health care also remains critically important to my work on your behalf in Augusta.