It's a week of notable days, with today being Patriot's Day and tomorrow being Tax Day (don't forget to check off for Clean Elections). It's also a busy time at the Legislature, with public hearings, work sessions, and floor sessions continuing despite the school break.
Here are your weekly updates 👇
Several bills of interest had public hearings and work sessions last week. Here’s a few work sessions of particular note:
- LD 1255 — Improving the security of voting places: This bill would have restricted dangerous weapons at polling places, except when carried by on-duty police or locked in motor vehicles. We support this one. Unfortunately, the committee had questions about enforceability and what local election officials would be asked to do, and overwhelmingly voted against it. We hope the committee will keep working on this important issue.
- LD 577 — Increasing availability of election info on government websites: This bill would provide state support through the office of the Secretary of State for towns to disseminate local election information online and upgrade their web domains. We support this one. It got a favorable vote in committee and will advance to the full Legislature!
And a few bills we support coming up this week:
Public hearing in State and Local Government // Friday, April 21 // 9:30 AM
- 🌟 New! LD 1239 — Paid time off to vote and Election Day holiday: This bill would require employers to give employees time off to vote if needed on Election Day, and make Election Day a state holiday. We support this one, particularly the paid time off aspect.
- 🌟 New! LD 1336 — Increasing municipal referendum spending transparency: This bill would require disclosure of ballot question expenditures over $5,000 in smaller municipalities, where no disclosure at all is currently required. We support this one.
Also coming up:
- LD 1642 — Strengthening the teaching of Wabanaki studies in schools: This bill strengthens existing requirements around the teaching of Wabanaki studies in Maine schools. We support this one. It’s been referred to committee, so a public hearing could happen very soon.
It's:
Voting Age Study
The League is starting the study process so that we can develop a consensus on lowering the voting age to 16. Together as an organization, we'll decide what position to take: do we support or oppose lowering the voting age? The study guide is now available, and it offers a deep dive into the issue, presenting both sides of the argument in an unbiased, nonpartisan manner. Read the study here.
We're hosting a Voting Age Study Information Session on April 20 (6:00 PM). Hear from experts on the issues that come from all perspectives, see a review of the research report, and learn about how you can be involved in the consensus process.
Follow along with updates, see the FAQ, and learn more about the study at: lwvme.org/VotingAgeStudyl