AUGUSTA- The Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a public hearing on a bill to define intentional balloon releases as an act of littering. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Genevieve McDonald, D-Stonington, addresses an issue that fishermen have wrestled with under the radar for years.
AUGUSTA - The Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing voted to advance a bill sponsored by Rep. Kristen Cloutier, D-Lewiston, that would support emergency shelters for persons experiencing homelessness.
AUGUSTA - During a public hearing Wednesday, survivors of childhood sexual abuse spoke in favor of a bill sponsored by Rep. Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, that would help victims access justice.
"As a kid, I knew I couldn't change what happened to me, but I also knew that, when I was a grown-up, I would do my best to make things better for others. As a social worker, I have worked my entire professional life to bring systemic change and to give voice to fellow survivors," said Gramlich.
AUGUSTA - The Maine House and Senate voted on Thursday to advance a bill sponsored by Rep. Scott Cuddy, D-Winterport, that would ensure certain educational technicians are not required to pay into the Maine Public Employee Retirement System (MePERS) and can instead collect social security.
AUGUSTA - Rep. Kyle Bailey, D-Gorham, presented a bill to ban foreign campaign contributions and expenditures in Maine elections to the Legislature's Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs Monday. The bill has garnered bipartisan support.
AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee held a public hearing on a bill Monday to make sure Maine has the knowledge it needs to protect the health of its marine environment. The bill puts Maine one step closer to resuming regular mapping of eelgrass beds along the coast.
AUGUSTA - The Maine House of Representatives voted to approve the supplemental budget after reaching a compromise early in the morning on Friday. The motion exceeded the required 101 votes to reach a two-thirds majority, receiving 139 votes. Following the vote in the House, the measure was finally enacted by the Senate.
AUGUSTA - The Maine House of Representatives voted today on a supplemental budget that included tax relief for 100% of Maine businesses who received a Paycheck Protection Program loan. House Republicans rejected the majority proposal and blocked passage of the bill. The vote was 83-63.
AUGUSTA - The Maine House voted Thursday to advance a measure by Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, that would give lawmakers a new tool to combat racial disparities in Maine.
The measure was approved "under the hammer," or by unanimous consent.
Berry releases statement on CMP worker bonus disparities
AUGUSTA - Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, House chair of the Legislature's Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, issued the following statement in response to Central Maine Powers decision regarding frontline worker bonuses:
"CMP workers are the ones working on the front lines during Maines frequent outages. To give them only a fraction of the bonuses paid to management is just one more reminder of all thats wrong with distant, for-profit ownership of our electrical grid.