AUGUSTA - Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, presented his bill to fund the long-overdue reconstruction of Route 161 from Fort Kent to Caribou, to the Legislature's Transportation Committee Thursday.
LD 410 uses a one-time payment of $40 million from Maine's General Fund to fund the project. The money would be appropriated during the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2021.
AUGUSTA - Today, Senate President Troy Jackson of Allagash and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford presented LD 1, "An Act to Establish the COVID-19 Patient Bill of Rights" at a public hearing before the Legislature's Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee. Maine seniors, health care professionals, patients and advocates overwhelmingly testified in favor of the legislation. Here is what supporters are saying:
AUGUSTA - Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Freeport, has been appointed to the Building, Infrastructure and Housing Working Group of the Maine Climate Council.
AUGUSTA - Rep. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth, will host her virtual "Coffee with Constituents" event via Zoom on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. These monthly events are an opportunity for constituents from Ellsworth and Trenton to ask questions, share concerns and ideas and otherwise just connect.
AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee has rescheduled the public hearing for Senate President Troy Jackson and House Speaker Ryan Fecteaus COVID-19 Patient Bill of Rights for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23. The public hearing will be streamed through the HCIFS Committees Youtube Channel here.
AUGUSTA - Rep. Edward Crockett, D-Portland, has been appointed to serve on the Citizen Trade Policy Commission.
The 22-member commission is focused on assessing the impacts of international trade policies on Maine's state and local laws, business environment and working conditions. Established during the Second Special Session of the 121st Legislature, the commission includes: six legislators, an Attorney General designee, five nonvoting agency officials and 10 public members representing business, labor, health, government and environmental interests.
AUGUSTA - The Legislature's State and Local Government Committee voted Wednesday to advance a measure by Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross that would give lawmakers a new tool to combat racial disparities in Maine's laws. The vote was 8-5.
AUGUSTA - Rep. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth, presented LD 155, Resolve, Directing the Board of Pesticides Control To Prohibit the Use of Certain Neonicotinoids for Outdoor Residential Use, to the Legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee on Thursday.
AUGUSTA, MAINE - Rep. Kyle Bailey, D-Gorham, has introduced bipartisan legislation to ban foreign campaign contributions in Maine elections.
Currently, it is legal in Maine for foreign governments, corporations and billionaires to spend unlimited sums of money in support of, or in opposition to, state and local referenda. LD 479 would prohibit foreign spending to produce and disseminate communications about state and local ballot referenda.
AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee held a public hearing Thursday on a proposal that would push for Maine to enter into early talks with Canadas Atlantic provinces regarding a proposed renewable energy project that would span five provinces and potentially cross through Maine.