AUGUSTA - Rep. Mike Sylvester, D-Portland, House chair of the Legislature's Labor and Housing Committee, issued the following statement in response to several Portland Pie Co. employee's decision to walk out of work Sunday in protest against the company's handling of COVID-19 cases in the restaurant.
AUGUSTA - The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld Maine's first-in-nation law yesterday to require pro rata cable bills. First sponsored in 2020 by Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, the Pro Rata Law requires a cable system operator to grant a subscriber a pro rata credit or rebate if that subscriber requests service disconnection three or more working days before the end of a monthly billing period.
AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee will take up a bipartisan bill in January sponsored by Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, to protect public safety facilities from public utilities suddenly terminating or disconnecting service without advance notice and approval.
AUGUSTA - Today, Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, released a memo outlining the plan for the Maine Legislature to convene in January. The full Legislature will convene in-person at the State House Wednesday, Jan. 5 and Jan. 26 to conduct legislative business.
Presiding Officers plan to release a further session schedule in late January and will continue to evaluate the operations of the legislature on a regular basis.
Last month, I had the privilege to attend a virtual Legislative Breakfast hosted by Maine Health for the York County legislative delegation.
While we knew anecdotally that the pandemic has been adversely impacting our health care system in many ways, we were given data to substantiate that the mental health care crisis, which has existed for years, has been greatly exacerbated by the pandemic and reimbursement rates that have not kept up for decades.
I would like to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a very happy and healthy 2022. As we approach the end of what has been another challenging year, this is a suitable time to gaze upon the landscape and prepare for the upcoming new year. Despite the circumstances presented to us as legislators in 2021, we were still able to accomplish many positive milestones for the people of Maine. That said, and projecting forward, there remains much to be done to improve the lives of Maine citizens.
AUGUSTA - Several members of the Maine Legislature attended a summit Tuesday on the mental health crisis in Maine resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The event took place at the Augusta Civic Center. Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, Sen. Cathy Breen, D-Falmouth, Sen. Marianne Moore, R-Calais, Rep. Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, Rep. Colleen Madigan, D-Waterville, and Rep.
AUGUSTA - A bipartisan group of 50 Maine lawmakers today sent Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker a letter urging him to respect the vote of Maine people and do everything in his power to terminate the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project and seek an alternative project from other bids that were received. On November 2, an overwhelming majority of Maine voters approved a referendum that bans construction of a transmission line such as the NECEC in the Upper Kennebec Region in Maine.
AUGUSTA - The Legislative Council last week approved a bill from Rep. Lynne Williams, D-Bar Harbor, that would clarify new rulemaking parameters for the Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP) and define the role of the Legislature in the rulemaking process.
AUGUSTA - The Legislative Council voted last week to send two bills sponsored by Rep. Maggie O'Neil, D-Saco, to the Legislature for consideration. The bills, one regarding textbook cost assistance for high school students interested in taking college courses and the other regarding consumer protections for sensitive personal information, will be heard during the upcoming session in January.
