The light is at the end of the tunnel, and the current legislative session is almost over. Want to know how democracy-friendly your legislators are? We'll publish our 2023 Legislative Scorecard soon. The scorecard ranks your legislators on how they voted on our priority bills, ranging from money in politics issues to increasing ballot access. The scorecard launches in August, so keep an eye on your inbox.
Here are your weekly updates 👇
Both the House and the Senate will meet at least one more time on Tuesday, July 25. Tomorrow, they'll take care of a handful of bills awaiting legislative action and tackle any bills that were vetoed by the Governor. Some bills that were voted off the special appropriations table (bills that require funding) go to the Senate for final disposition. We're nearing the end of the session.
The Governor still has 10 days from when the final bills are enacted to sign or veto them. We're entering "pocket veto" territory. The Legislature may conclude this week without planning to re-convene, yet the Governor will continue to process the bills finally enacted on the last day. She could choose to try pocket veto any legislation passed late in the game.
Vetoed by the Governor:
- LD 1610 — Protect Maine's Elections: Governor Mills vetoed this bill that received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. It's widely popular among voters because LD 1610 will stop foreign government spending in Maine elections. The fight's not over, and it's time to apply some pressure. The Legislature can override the veto when they return to Augusta tomorrow, Tuesday, July 25. You can help by sending a quick message to your legislator — ask them to support this bipartisan legislation and override the Governor's veto. We've made it easy, too. Click here to send a message ASAP. Ahead of the veto vote, we'll also rally in front of the State House at 9:30 AM on Tuesday. Click here to RSVP.
Awaiting Final Action in the Senate:
- LD 577 — Improving Local Election Information: This bill would provide state support through the office of the Secretary of State for towns to disseminate local election information online. We support it, but it did not survive the special appropriations process. It awaits a final vote in the Senate. But there's good news: any bills not voted off the table will carry over into 2024. We'll push for funding then.
- LD 1155 — Increasing Legislative Salaries: It's exciting that this bill advanced off the special appropriations table, but it still has to be approved by the Senate. It'll increase the overall pay for legislators. We support this measure and believe this is one way to increase equity and equal representation in the Legislature.