This page contains only matters that came before the 127th Legislature. To see other archived sessions, return to the Testimony Archive Index. For testimony regarding matters before the current legislature, go to the main testimony page.
The Second Regular Session of the 127th Maine Legislature convened on January 6, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. Statutory adjournment date for the second session is the 3rd Wednesday in April -- April 20, 2016. The Legislature adjourned sine die on April 29.
Regular Bills and Resolves passed during the First or Second Regular Session become effective 90 days after adjournment.
Here are some additional fast facts from maine.gov.
Here are the bills where LWVME offered testimony in the 127th Legislature.
Campaign Finance Reform
LD 1290 Act To Repeal the Maine Clean Election Act and Direct the Savings To Be Used for the State's Contribution toward the Costs of Education Funding. LWVME Opposed. Dead.
Elections and Voting Rights
LD 197 An Act To Strengthen Maine's Election Laws by Requiring Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting. LWVME Opposed. Passed in the Senate; failed in the House. Dead.
LD 413 An Act To Expand Access to Absentee Ballots. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead.
LD 509 An Act To Facilitate the Timely Return of Requested Absentee Ballots. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead.
LD 585 An Act Regarding the Processing of Absentee Ballots Prior to Election Day. LWVME Supports. Dead. Similar provisions were incorporated in LD 1335, which passed to be enacted but was vetoed by the governor. Veto was over-ridden in the House but sustained in the Senate. Dead.
LD 720 An Act To Establish an Open Primary System in the State. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead.
LD 744 An Act To Permit Unenrolled Voters To Cast Ballots in Primary Elections. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead.
LD 770 An Act To Permit Maine Residents To Register To Vote Online. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead.
LD 1127 An Act Regarding the Authority of the Secretary of State and the Attorney General To Conduct Investigations of Vote Recounts. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead. Referred to agency rule-making.
LD 1138 An Act Regarding Municipal Reporting of Statewide Elections. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead.
LD 1189 An Act To Make Certain Local Primaries Nonpartisan. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead.
LD 1539 An Act To Expand the Early Processing of Absentee Ballots. LWVME Supports. Passed to be enacted and signed into law. Emergency.
Ethics and Disclosure
LD 6 Resolve, To Implement Recommendations of the Government Oversight Committee To Strengthen the Ethics Practices and Procedures for Executive Branch Employees. LWVME Supports. Carried over.
Term Limits
LD 182 An Act To Eliminate Term Limits for Legislators. LWVME Supports. Dead.
LD 1012 RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Increase the Length of Terms of Senators. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Dead.
HP 804 JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING APPLICATION TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES CALLING A CONVENTION OF THE STATES TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION TO IMPOSE FISCAL RESTRAINTS, LIMIT FEDERAL POWER AND IMPOSE TERM LIMITS. LWVME Opposed Dead.
Other
LD 409 An Act To Lower the Individual Income Tax Incrementally to Zero. LWVME Opposed. Dead.
LD 652 An Act To Authorize the Carrying of Concealed Handguns without a Permit. LWVME Opposed Passed as amended and signed into law.
LD 957 RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Provide for the Popular Election of the Attorney General, Secretary of State and Treasurer of State. LWVME Neither For Nor Against. Attachment 1 from the Maine Voter, August, 2008. Attachement 2 Listen to a discussion on MPBN Maine Calling with Ann Luther calling in for the League about half-way through, June 3, 2015. Dead.
LD 1103 Resolve, To Study Understaffing in State Agencies. LWVME Supports. Died between chambers.
HP 804 RESOLUTION MAKING APPLICATION TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES CALLING A CONVENTION OF THE STATES TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION TO IMPOSE FISCAL RESTRAINTS, LIMIT FEDERAL POWER AND IMPOSE TERM LIMITS. LWVME Opposed Dead.
SP 499 JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING APPLICATION TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES CALLING A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION TO REQUIRE A BALANCED FEDERAL BUDGET AND FURTHER FISCAL RESTRAINTS. LWVME Opposed Dead.