It's official — spring is here. Oh, wait: we call it mud season! If all goes well and the current legislative session doesn't get mired down, it should wrap up mid-June. We’re half-way through this session, and that gives us about three months to see our priority bills make it to the finish line. The second session (second half of the 131st Legislature) is slightly shorter and should commence January 2024, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Here are your weekly updates 👇
More bills dropped last week, but there are still many bills that have not yet been printed, including some of our highest priorities. Here are just some of the bills that we're watching this week.
Work Sessions in the VLA // Wednesday, March 29 // 10:00 AM
- 👎 LD 1038 — Repealing Ranked Choice Voting: Bad bill alert! If enacted, it would repeal RCV. We oppose this bill. The bill received a flood of testimony in advance of the public hearing, and we're crossing our fingers that it dies during the work session.
Additional Updates:
- ❓ LD 750 — Giving Candidates More Freedom at the Polling Place: Removes the restrictions on candidates' speech while engaging with voters at a voting place. We oppose this bill because we believe it would upset the balance between First Amendment rights and voter intimidation. The committee is indecisive on this one, and it looks like it'll get pushed to the side until it's eventually killed.
- 🪦 LD 812 — Improving the Absentee Ballot Process: This bill would improve the accessibility of in-person absentee voting by expanding Clerk's office hours and increase the absentee ballot processing time. We testified in support, but it looks like it will be killed in committee. RIP.
Coming Soon: Local Guide to Government
Keep your 👀 eyes peeled for our next publication releasing this week: a guide to local government in Maine. The purpose of this guide is to be an easy-to-use resource. Local government can be complex and tricky to understand, especially in Maine, yet its role impacts our daily lives in so many ways. We hope that the guide will be a one-stop-shop for educators, activists, community members, and any Mainer hoping to better understand or get involved in their local government. Stay tuned for its release!
Save the date for Convention!
The League of Women Voters of Maine is a membership organization, and Convention is the powerful moment for League members to come together, exercise their voting rights, and decide the future of our organization. We also elect officers and directors, adopt programs and positions, make bylaws changes, and adopt a budget. That's democracy in action. Save the date! This year's Convention will be in Augusta, with some virtual options available.
2023 Biennial Convention
Saturday, June 3
Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine
46 University Dr, Augusta
Are you a member? Join today so that you can participate in Convention. Members guide our work when it comes to formulating positions on key issues, lobbying and advocacy in Augusta, and developing programs to educate and inform voters. Join at a rate that works best for you.