Action Under the Dome

Monday, January 6, 2025
Jen Lancaster
 

Things are about to get busy for the Legislature. Cloture is a few days away, set for January 10, the deadline for legislators to submit bills for consideration. Here are a few things to know before things really kick off.

 
 

The League has an ambitious, but winnable, agenda for the 132nd Legislature (2025-26). With your help, we will:

  • Enshrine voter protections through a new Maine Voting Rights Act
  • Bring Ranked-Choice Voting to the governor’s race and state legislature
  • Expand Clean Elections to include county races
  • Work with our youth leaders to lower the voting age to 16
  • Bolster the Coalition on Racial Equity (CORE) to pass racial justice legislation
  • Support the Wabanaki Alliance to pass tribal justice legislation
  • Collaborate with the Maine Gun Safety Coalition to pass gun safety reform

Here are some important links:

Help, how does a bill become real law? It's a new legislative session here in Maine, and here's a quick reminder of the bill process.

Where do our bills go? The bills that the League works on appear before the State and Local Government (SLG) and Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committees. Check them out here: SLG and VLA.

Where can I see the bills? When you want to look up a bill, you can use this search feature. The League also provides bill tracking on our website for bills concerning our priority areas. 

 
 

TEASER: Study on Proportional Ranked Choice Voting

What if there was a way to increase voter satisfaction of election results? Imagine a city council three-seat race that results in one political party gaining all three seats, even if that political party only represents 40% of the population. That wouldn't be proportional representation. In 2021, the Advocacy Committee requested authorization to launch a League study of Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (pRCV), an election method designed to better achieve proportional representation on multi-seat councils, boards, and legislatures. Ideally, with better proprotional representation, voters will be more satisfied.

The pRCV Study Committee is pleased to present this study guide to League members and supporters. We encourage everyone to check it out before the study process officially begins. 

What is a study? Study makes action possible. During the study phase, members have an opportunity to examine the facts. The League comes to a consensus on the topic and votes on whether or not to adopt a position. Having a solid position allows the League to take action on future legislation.  

Learn more about the pRCV study at: www.lwvme.org/pRCV