As the new year kicks off, Maine’s lawmakers are preparing to return to Augusta for the first part of the 132nd session of the Maine Legislature. With anticipation high for a smoother, more transparent legislative process, both the public and legislators are eager to see what changes will be implemented in 2025. Among these hopes are new rules intended to streamline the process, particularly by eliminating vague placeholder bills. Here’s a breakdown of how the Maine Legislature functions, the reforms in store, and what to expect as the session unfolds.
The Maine Legislature is made up of two chambers: the Senate, with 35 members, and the House of Representatives, with 151 members. Starting January 10, these lawmakers will face the “cloture” deadline, when they must file their proposed bills for the session. This deadline marks the official start of the legislative year, with bills generally submitted during the first regular (or “long”) session, which stretches until June. In contrast, the second “short” session wraps up in April.
Setting the Stage for Reform
The legislative process in Maine is about to experience some changes aimed at increasing efficiency and transparency. One of the key reforms involves reducing the number of vague, placeholder bills that flood the initial submission period. These placeholders often contain little more than a brief description of what the sponsor hopes to accomplish, such as “An Act Regarding Health Care,” but lack specific language or proposals.
In a bid to curb this practice, the rules committee met over the summer for the first time since 2018 to discuss several procedural changes. Among the changes being proposed are a ban on concept drafts, adjustments to the legislative calendar, and a commitment to avoid late-night votes. Additionally, the Maine Legislature aims to make more information accessible online to the public. While the rules committee can only offer recommendations, Senate President Mattie Daughtry has expressed support for these reforms, with an expectation that the full Legislature will adopt them by mid-January.
Bipartisan support for these reforms is evident, with legislators across the political spectrum voicing concern over the inefficiencies caused by concept drafts. These bills have drawn significant criticism for their lack of specificity and have become a point of contention in recent sessions. The hope is that by eliminating these vague proposals, lawmakers can focus more on concrete legislation that addresses the state’s pressing issues.
How a Bill Becomes Law in Maine
So, how exactly does the legislative process work in Maine? Once a bill is proposed, it can come from a variety of sources: legislators, committees, lobbyists, public interest groups, municipal officials, the governor, state agencies, or even citizens. However, not every bill introduced makes it through the legislative process.
At the start of the first regular session, there are no limits on the number of bills that can be submitted, unlike in the second session, where only a limited number of bills are allowed. Despite this, most bills introduced ultimately fail, either due to a lack of support in the voting process or because of insufficient funding from the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, which crafts the state budget.
Once a legislator decides to sponsor a bill, they often seek cosponsors to increase the bill’s chances of success. The more cosponsors a bill has, the better its odds of being seriously considered. Before a bill is formally introduced, it undergoes a review by the revisor of statutes, who either approves the bill as is or suggests revisions. The bill is then assigned a legislative draft (LD) number, which serves as its official identification.
After this, the sponsor and cosponsors must sign the bill and submit it to the clerk of the Maine House or the secretary of the Senate, depending on which chamber the sponsor belongs to. Once submitted, the bill is assigned to a committee based on its subject matter, and the committee begins the process of reviewing the proposal.
Committee Hearings and Recommendations
One of the most important stages in the legislative process is the committee hearing. Each bill is assigned to a relevant committee, where members hear public testimony both in favor and against the proposal. This allows legislators to gauge the public’s response and understand the potential impact of the bill. Following these hearings, the committee members hold a workshop to discuss the bill in detail, which may result in amendments to the original proposal.
Once the committee has reviewed the bill, they vote on whether to recommend its passage to the full Legislature. If the committee agrees on a recommendation, it may suggest the bill be passed as written, with amendments, or even refer the bill to another committee for further consideration. In some cases, committees may submit a divided report, where different members of the committee express differing views on the bill’s merits.
The committee’s recommendation is crucial, as it serves as the first official step toward getting a bill to the floor for a full legislative vote. However, just because a bill has been recommended by a committee does not guarantee it will pass. Bills still face multiple rounds of voting in both chambers of the Legislature before they can become law.
Key Issues on the Horizon
As the 132nd session gets underway, several significant issues are expected to take center stage. These include topics such as tribal sovereignty, tax reform, data privacy, child welfare, and the environmental impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have caused widespread contamination. Additionally, farmworker rights are likely to be a hot-button issue, as Maine lawmakers look at ways to address the challenges facing agricultural workers.
Given the bipartisan support for procedural reforms, lawmakers are hopeful that the coming session will be more productive and transparent than in years past. While the state’s lawmakers face numerous challenges, they are committed to working together to address Maine’s most pressing issues and ensure that the legislative process is as open and efficient as possible.
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