News

122nd makes over 2,100 Legislative requests
How many will become law?
By Elizabeth Prata

The 122nd Legislature has convened and over 2,100 Legislative Requests (LR) have been lodged with the Office of Legislative Information. These requests will be drafted, sent to the Legislator who sponsored it, and signed off after scrutiny. After that, the LR will be sent up and given a Legislative Document number. It will then be a Legislative Document (LD), commonly known as a Bill. The full text and the summary of the Bill will then be available.

The Bills are sorted out to each of the committees that handle its subject matter and hearings will be conducted as to the merits of the bill. At that time Committee will receive public input. Sponsoring Legislators acna take input on the bills at any time.

The LR can change drastically from now to debate on the floor toward the end of the session. As of now the LRs have not been drafted and summaries are not available.

Titles can belie the thinking behind the LRs. The title of Senator Turner's LR 2051, An Act To Promote the Commonsense Consumption of Food does not explain the reasoning behind the Legislative Request. See related article, LR Explanations.

Here are the LRs that our local legislators have placed before the 122nd legislature. If wanting further information on any of these, the Legislators' contact numbers are provided.

The full list of all the LRs are available at http://janus.state.me.us/legis/lio/publications.htm

Rep. Susan Austin (R- Gray)
136 Yarmouth Road, Gray, ME 04039
Home Telephone: (207) 657-4100
State House TTY Line: (207) 287-4469
Party Affiliation: Republican
Representing: District 109 - Part of Gray, part of North Yarmouth and part of Pownal

LR 11 An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Bargaining Agents for Public Universities and Colleges

LR 436 Resolve, Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development To Develop a Clearinghouse Listing of Businesses That Outsource Work

Rep. Mark Bryant (D- Windham)
166 Albion Road, Windham, ME 04062
Home Telephone: (207) 892-6591
State House E-Mail: RepMark.Bryant@legislature.maine.gov
State House TTY Line: (207) 287-4469
Representing: District 110 - Part of Gray and part of Windham

LR 1005 An Act To Authorize Swapping of Hunting Permits and Zones

LR 1346 An Act To Prevent Age Discrimination in the Workplace LR 1347 An Act To Promote the Mobility of the Disabled in Hunting and Outdoor Recreation

LR 1348 An Act To Prohibit the Sale and Use of Alcohol Vaporizing Devices

LR 1349 An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Dogs at Large

LR 1934 An Act To Require Funeral Establishments To Counsel Next of Kin on Embalming

Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello of Androscoggin County (R-Poland)
177 Mechanic Falls Road, Poland, ME 04274
784-9136, Replois@megalink.net

LR 342 RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Cap Spending by State, County and Municipal Government

LR 343 An Act To Reduce Maine's Income Tax Burden

LR 616 An Act To Reduce Maine's Health Insurance Rates and Expand Consumer Choice

LR 676 An Act To Provide an Exemption from Discrimination Laws to Fitness Centers

LR 749 An Act To Create a 5-year Statute of Limitations for Environmental Violations

LR 769 An Act To Repeal the Minimum Penalty for Environmental Violations
LR 793 An Act to Prohibit Payment Card Skimming

LR 813 An Act To Increase the Availability of Individual Health Insurance in Maine

LR 814 Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services To Report on Certain MaineCare Practices

LR 1229 An Act To Require Able-bodied Welfare Recipients To Seek Employment and Work or Volunteer

LR 1230 An Act To Require Guardians ad Litem to Receive Counseling Training

LR 1406 An Act To Require the Department of Education To Allow Abstinence To Be Offered as an Alternative Educational Program Only for Grades 7 to 12

LR 1624 An Act To Establish the Androscoggin County Budget Advisory Committee

LR 1700 An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Fundraising Conducted by Law Enforcement Agencies

LR 1724 An Act To Place Seasonal Businesses in a Lower Workers' Compensation Bracket than Year-round Businesses

LR 1827 An Act To Encourage Effective Education of Special Needs Students in Maine's Private Schools

Sen. Karl Turner of Cumberland (R-Cumberland)
16 Town Landing Road, Cumberland, ME 04110, 829-9231, KwTurner@yahoo.com

LR 246 An Act To Limit the Growth of Government Spending

LR 247 An Act To Repeal the Homestead Property Tax Exemption and Redirect Property Tax Relief Funds to the Circuit Breaker Program

LR 248 RESOLUTION, Proposing An Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Allow Real Estate To Be Valued Differently Based on the Residence of the Owner

LR 619 An Act To Reduce Maine's Health Insurance Rates and Expand Consumer Choice

LR 791 An Act To Amend the Maine Unclaimed Property Act as It Applies to Gift Cards

LR 1109 An Act To Increase the University of Maine System Debt Ceiling

LR 1131 An Act To Promote Parity in the Workplace Smoking Act

LR 1132 An Act To Require Voters To Be Registered at Least One Day Prior to Election Day

LR 1133 An Act To Protect Public Health by Clarifying the Law Regarding Smoking in Public Places

LR 1138 An Act To Discourage Further the Sale of Tobacco to Minors and to Support Tobacco Use Cessation

LR 1575 An Act To Preserve the Medical Liability Climate in Maine

LR 1576 An Act To Extend the Sunset Provision on Nonhospital
Expenditures in the Capital Investment Fund

LR 1973 An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Bulkhead Restoration at the Former United States Coast Guard Site in Portland

LR 2051 An Act To Promote the Commonsense Consumption of Food

Rep. Michael Vaughan (R- Durham)
55 Emerson Road, Durham, ME 04222
Home Telephone: (207) 353-9027
Home E-Mail: repmavaughan@hotmail.com
State House TTY Line: (207) 287-4469
Representing: District 105 - Durham, part of Lisbon and New Gloucester

LR 22 RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Lower the Income Tax

LR 37 An Act To Establish a Process for the Civil Commitment of Certain Sexual Offenders

LR 38 An Act To Prohibit Convicted Sex Offenders from Establishing Residency in Certain Municipalities

LR 90 Resolve, To Improve Access to Emergency Services in the Maine Wildlife Park

LR 834 An Act To Enact the Tax Reduction and Spending Reform Act of 2005

LR 835 An Act To Protect Foster Parents

LR 836 An Act To Protect Children and Promote the Natural Family

LR 837 An Act To Protect Women and Children from Sexual Predators

LR 1010 An Act To Reduce Health Insurance Rates and To Expand Consumer Choice

LR 1030 RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Regarding the Funding of Local Schools

LR 1031 An Act To Provide for an Earlier Turkey Hunting Season

LR 1557 An Act To Streamline the Child Protection Hearing Process and Restore the Family Court

LR 1558 An Act To Recognize Out-of-state Concealed Weapons Permits

LR 1559 An Act To Allow a Person To Appeal a Denial of a Concealed Weapons Permit to the State Police

LR 1560 An Act To Protect Victims of Domestic Violence

LR 1561 An Act To Alleviate Overcrowding in Public Schools

LR 1562 An Act To Augment and Diversify the Ranks of Maine Educators

LR 1563 An Act To Provide Immediate Accountability in the Maine Legislature

LR 1564 An Act To Impose Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Certain Sexual Offenses against a Minor

LR 1565 An Act To Amend the Sex Offender Notification Laws

LR 1566 An Act To Prevent Fraudulent and Deceptive Sales Practices
by Internet Companies

LR 1567 An Act To Ban Government Conflict of Interest in Elections