On August 2, the Maine Legislature adjourned for the first regular session. While this session was challenging, there were many pieces of legislation that we passed that will benefit Gorham and the state as a whole. I’ll mention a few of them here.
After the Legislature enacts a bill it is then sent to the governor’s desk, and he has ten days to either sign the bill into law or veto it and send it back to the Legislature. He can also hold a bill for the full ten days and allow it to pass to become law without his signature. When the governor vetoes a bill and sends it back to the legislature, it can only become law if it receives support from two thirds of the House and Senate.
This year the governor vetoed a number of good pieces of legislation, and I’m happy to report that we were able to override many of his vetoes. One such bill aimed to add a deposit to miniature liquor bottles, or “nips”, in an effort to encourage recycling of the bottles. This bill received bipartisan support throughout the committee process and in both the House and the Senate. Despite the objections of the governor, the Legislature was able to override this bill and several more that will have a positive impact on Maine:
LD 256, “An act to ensure continued availability of High-speed Broadband Internet at Maine’s school and libraries,” which will promote access to high speed internet access, especially in rural areas.
LD 182, “An act to protect firefighters by establishing a prohibition on the sale and distribution of new upholstered furniture containing certain flame-retardant chemicals,” was overridden 123-14 in the House and 31-1 in the Senate. After Jan. 1, 2019, furniture containing flame-retardant chemicals cannot be sold in Maine, a measure designed to reduce the incidence of cancer in firefighters.
LD 905, “An act to Authorize the Construction of a Maine Turnpike Connector to Gorham,” a bill I sponsored and the first step in the eventual construction of the Turnpike Connector which will dramatically reduce traffic congestion in the ‘Portland West’ corridor.
LD 1108, “An act to restore public health nursing services” overridden 101-34 in the House and a 29-5 in the Senate, a critical investment in our public health system.
While we were able to override the vetoes of a number of important pieces of legislation this session, we again narrowly missed an opportunity to enact a comprehensive solar bill that had bipartisan support.
The Public Utilities Commission voted earlier this year to phase out ‘net metering’ by which homeowners with solar panels receive credit for 100 percent of the full retail value of excess electricity they feed back into the power grid. LD 1504 would have kept ‘net metering’ solar energy incentives in place. I will continue to advocate for passage of this legislation.
One of my proudest accomplishments of the session was fighting for and securing additional education funding. While the budget process was complicated and difficult, we were able to ensure an additional $549,616 for Gorham students. It is past time for the state to pay its fair share of public education instead of relying on property tax payers to foot the bill. The Gorham Town Council has taken the lead and voted to use this additional funding to offset any increase in property taxes, a decision I fully support.
Over the last five years I have heard from you on the issues that are most important – property taxes, transportation, energy costs and being good stewards of our environment. This session certainly had some disappointments but we were able to make significant progress on many issues including property tax relief and legislation authorizing the new Gorham Connector. I am proud of the work we accomplished this year and hope that you will continue to remain in touch with your thoughts, concerns and questions about state government. I hope you are able to enjoy the rest of this summer with your friends and family.