AUGUSTA - In recognition of Juneteenth, Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, has released the following statement:

AUGUSTA - A bill from Rep. Jay McCreight, D-Harpswell, that increases voter access to the ballot and provides clearer guidance for both voters and municipal officials overseeing elections was signed into law Wednesday.

AUGUSTA - A bill by Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, to incorporate African American studies into Maine's statewide learning standards is now law. The measure, signed by Gov. Janet Mills Wednesday, includes proposals introduced by Sen. Louie Luchini, D-Ellsworth, to also require the study of genocide and the Holocaust.

AUGUSTA - The Maine House voted to advance a measure Thursday sponsored by Rep. Heidi Brooks, D-Lewiston, that would allow Maine to adopt a single-payer health care model contingent on federal law.

AUGUSTA - The Maine Legislature voted to advance LD 213 Thursday, a measure sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth, that would ensure firefighters receive equitable health care coverage for reproductive system cancer.

AUGUSTA - The Maine Legislature unanimously approved a bill Thursday sponsored by Rep. Richard Evans, D-Dover-Foxcroft, to make it more efficient for people to find out if they qualify for free or reduced-cost health coverage.

The bill, LD 1390, establishes a process to use the state's income tax filing system to identify individuals and families who are uninsured but potentially eligible for benefits under the MaineCare program or for enrollment in a qualified reduced-cost health plan.

AUGUSTA - A bill to support life and career education standards for students in primary and secondary schools, LD 68, sponsored by Rep. Edward Crockett, D-Portland, was signed into law Monday by Gov. Janet Mills.

AUGUSTA - The Maine House and Senate delivered strong bipartisan votes to advance a measure introduced by Rep. Lynne Williams, D-Bar Harbor, that gives Maine's small medical marijuana growers and caregivers a greater say over any new rules generated by the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP). The House voted 117-25 to advance the measure, and the Senate advanced the bill by unanimous consent.

AUGUSTA - A measure introduced by Rep. Jay McCreight, D-Harpswell, to reduce extended hospital emergency department stays and to provide appropriate mental and behavioral health services to minors was signed into law Tuesday. The new law is part of a broader effort to increase youth access to mental and behavioral health care and move away from dependence on emergency departments.

AUGUSTA - The Maine House and Senate voted to advance a bill Wednesday sponsored by Rep. Thom Harnett, D-Gardiner, to give Maine farm workers the right to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining. The House voted in favor of the measure 76-63. The Senate voted 18-17.