February is just around the corner. We're planning big things for our birthday, which falls on February 14 — Valentine's Day ♥. We'll celebrate the League way by hosting two workshops, one on combating misinformation and the other one on election security.
So long — Farewell:
- Maine Senator Louis Luchini has resigned from his seat in Ellsworth. We thank him for his service and for his leadership on legislation that we supported. We wish him well as he takes on his next endeavor. This means a Special Election has been set for Tuesday, June 14, to fill the open position. Senator. Craig Hickman has been appointed to replace him as Chair of the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee. Senator Dave Miramant has also been appointed to the committee. Since we often present testimony to this committee, we look forward to working more with Sens. Hickman and Miramant.
- On a sad note, we also bid farewell to Rep. John Tuttle, who was also serving on the VLA Committee. He was a long-time public servant and chaired the VLA Committee in past Legislatures. We join the Governor and his House colleagues in thanking him for his long service and in sending condolences to his family.
Tax Season is Here: When you are filling out your tax forms, you can check a box to designate $3 to the Maine Clean Election Fund. This helps to finance the election campaigns of qualifying Clean Election candidates. The Clean Election check-off is on Line 1 of the Maine Income Tax form. It will NOT increase your tax bill, and it will NOT decrease your refund. Check Yes for Clean Elections. Learn more here.
This week is expected to be a quiet one in the Legislature, but we will keep an eye on the work sessions for the following bills. See the complete archive of our testimony here.
- An Act To Modify the Reporting Requirements for Major Contributors to Ballot Question Campaigns (LD 1754): This bill requires additional transparency from contributors of more than $100,000 to a ballot question committee. Maine Citizens for Clean Elections testified neither for nor against. The work session is scheduled for today, January 31 at 10:30 AM in VLA.
- Municipal campaign finance (LD 1658): Bill requires candidates or PACs in towns with populations over 50,000 to submit campaign finance reports to the Ethics Commission instead of the municipal clerk. Our partners at MCCE testified in support. The work session is scheduled for today, January 31, at 9:00 AM in VLA.
- Equal Rights Constitutional Amendment (LD 344): This amendment would prohibit the denial or abridgment by the state or any political subdivision of the state of equal rights based on the sex of an individual. It must pass by a two-thirds vote in both houses in order to be sent to the voters for approval. As longtime supporters of the ERA, we’re hoping against hope that it will finally gain passage. It’s expected to come up for a vote during the February 10 in-person session.
Relaunching Our Most Critical Youth Outreach
Help us celebrate the successes from last year, our new partnership with Democracy Maine, and learn how you can be involved in this year's programming.
Hear about the redesigned Fellow's Network, the upcoming Youth Voting Summit, and how we are partnering with campuses and highschools across Maine to increase youth voter turnout.
