Entrance to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee room in the Maine State House in Augusta. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star)
Public meeting, work sessions and other events of interest
Reposted from Maine Morning Star
With a few bills being finalized in committees, most attention this week will shift towards floor votes and the budget as the governor is expected to issue a revised proposal —taking into account increased revenue projections — and the Appropriations Committee begins to consider which bills to fund.
Monday
On Monday, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee has a public hearing on a bill that would extend the deadline for manufacturers of products containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to report on those products (LD 1960) and a bill regarding offshore wind terminals located in coastal sand dune systems (LD 2266).
The Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee is having afternoon work sessions on the supplemental budget with the Department of Health and Human Services the Office of the Attorney General and the Maine Recovery Council.
Tuesday
The Labor and Housing Committee has a work session on a bill (LD 1464) to remove the waiting period for benefits under Maine’s offshore wind terminals.
The Judiciary Committee is resuming its work session on several data privacy bills Tuesday afternoon. (LD 1973, An Act to Enact the Maine Consumer Privacy Act; and LD 1977 An Act to Create the Data Privacy and Protection Act)
The Health and Human Services Committee is reviewing an amendment on the governor’s gun and mental health bill. (LD 2237).
In Appropriations, several bills will be considered for the special appropriations table: LD 536, LD 794, LD 1263, LD 1863, and LD 2209. There will also be work sessions on all General Obligation Bond bills in the possession of the committee (LD 212, LD 236; LD 367, LD 416, LD 427, LD 450, LD 460, LD 503, LD 749, LD 912, LD 1074, LD 1156, LD 1163, LD 1185, LD 1457, LD 1480, LD 1871 and LD 1957).
Wednesday
The Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee has a work session on legislation (LD 1793) that would require that insurance companies cover the lowest-price insulin available and not pass on any cost-sharing to patients. They will also workshop a bill (LD 2174) that would target medical credit card contracts by banning health care providers from facilitating a medical credit card contract with a consumer in a provider’s office or another treatment setting, among other provisions. Finally, they are taking up two bills (LD 2267 and LD 2268) that are related to helping foreign-trained physicians living in Maine secure employment.
The Health and Human Services Committee is having a work session on a proposal (LD 1788) to create an Office of the Inspector General of Child Protection to help oversee the embattled child welfare system.
The Environment and Natural Resources Committee has a public hearing Wednesday afternoon on a bill to designate new motor vehicle emissions rules as major substantive rules (LD 2261).
Thursday
The Environment and Natural Resources Committee is working on a handful of bills, including one to amend the laws related to preventing PFAS pollution and to provide additional funding (LD 1537) as well as the three bills first being heard earlier in the week: the one to extend the deadline for PFAS reporting (LD 1960), involving offshore wind terminals (LD 2266), and motor vehicle emissions rules (LD 2261).
The State and Local Government Committee has a work session on a bill (LD 1725) that would strengthen legislative oversight of government agencies and programs by providing the government oversight committee access to confidential records.
Also Thursday, the Judiciary Committee is continuing its work on several gun bills (LD 2224, LD 2086, LD 2238 and LD 2119).
And the Financial Services Committee will have a work session on a bill (LD 227) that would ensure out-of-state patients and Maine medical professionals who provide reproductive health services and gender-affirming treatments aren’t penalized by other states’ laws.
Lauren McCauley is the editor of Maine Morning Star. She has covered politics and policy in Maine for more than 10 years and is the former editor of Maine Beacon.
COMMUNIST PARTY OF MAINE 