Maine Legislature Ends Session with Mixed Results
The Maine Legislature adjourned last week with a flurry of activity, leaving behind a number of bills that were not acted on. The most contentious issue was a late budget amendment that took back half of the highway funding garnished from the General Fund and reduced a pension exemption for state workers. This amendment was opposed by Governor Janet Mills, who vowed a veto.
In the end, lawmakers got some of what they wanted, including $50 million in storm relief and an additional $10 million for small businesses. They also rejected a $108 million savings account proposed by Mills and instead allocated it to additional spending. Only a handful of enacted bills were funded, leaving more than 100 to die.
Despite these setbacks, lawmakers did pass some significant bills, including a real bond package for the first time since 2019, a public defender system for indigent criminal defendants, and a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases.
The bond package includes $30 million for trails, $25 million for research and development, and $10 million for community historic preservation. The public defender system will provide legal representation to indigent criminal defendants, and the 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases is intended to prevent impulsive purchases that could lead to violence.
The Legislature also passed the National Popular Vote Compact, which will have no effect on the 2024 presidential election but could lead to a significant change in the way presidents are elected in the future. The compact would award all of a state’s electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, rather than the winner of the state’s popular vote.
Governor Mills has not yet signed any of the bills passed by the Legislature. She is still considering the gun safety bills, and she has vowed to veto the budget amendment.
The Legislature will return for a short session in January to address any vetoes by the Governor and to consider any other unfinished business.
