AUGUSTA - A bill from Speaker Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford that could pave the way for more affordable housing in Maine will be introduced Monday. L.D. 609, "Resolve, To Establish a Commission To Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Zoning and Land Use Restrictions" would establish a commission to review barriers to producing more affordable housing in Maine.
AUGUSTA - Rep. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth, will host a virtual "Coffee with Constituents" event via Zoom on Saturday, March 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 - Legislation sponsored by Rep. Denise Tepler, D-Topsham, was signed into law by Gov. Mills on Wednesday.
AUGUSTA- A bill sponsored by Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, to give the Legislature the ability to assess the racial impact of pending legislation was signed by Gov. Janet T. Mills on Wednesday.
LD 2, "An Act To Require the Inclusion of Racial Impact Statements in the Legislative Process," creates a process of reviewing legislation to evaluate the impact it would have on historically disadvantaged racial populations.
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.