The 127th Maine Legislature has adjourned sine die, or without day, meaning we are done! The last day of the session was “veto day” when the Legislature returned on April 29 to take up 32 bills that were vetoed by the governor. The Legislature overrode 20 on those bills and sustained 12. Some of those bills that were vetoed by the governor were as a result of no funding source provided by the Legislature, rather than for the substance of the bill itself.

Several key bills that were closely watched and anticipated to be vigorously debated were the solar bill, the Narcan bill and funding for the county jails. Both the Narcan bill and the county jail funding vetoes were overridden by the Legislature, while the solar bill was narrowly sustained.

Many legislators felt strongly that having Narcan available for family members, in the event of an overdose, was one more thing we could do to help stem the tide of the opioid/ heroin epidemic we are facing in this state. While there was much progress gained this session, with bipartisan support on several bills providing additional funding for treatment, enforcement and education, the next Legislature will no doubt continue this fight.

County jail funding is an issue that needs serious attention by the next Legislature as well. While the increased funding this time will help alleviate the current funding shortage, a more comprehensive, long-term solution is needed. Turning the full operation of the jails back to the counties, with state specified financial aid, is imperative. The state has a role to play, as the county jails house many of the state’s prisoners, but the state shouldn’t be micro-managing the county jails. There needs to be a cooperative approach between county and state governments to provide safe and efficient jail operations.

The solar bill was a disappointment to many as it was felt that a comprehensive energy bill focused on clean, renewable energy was needed, along with addressing the net-metering issue that will now be taken up by the Public Utilities Commission. The solar bill, or a newer version of it, will be back before the next Legislature. With more time involved in reviewing and a thorough vetting of the proposal, it would seem that a version of the bill, supported by more legislators and perhaps the governor, can emerge.

Some of the less discussed but certainly not unimportant vetoes that were overridden:

• Pay raises for the mental health workers at the state’s two psychiatric hospitals that have been plagued with high turnover and high job vacancy rates.

• Tax credits that would allow disabled Maine residents to make accessibility improvements to their homes.

• A bill to require ferries servicing Maine island communities to provide lockboxes in order to be able to transport medical samples to and from the mainland. This will aid patients living on the islands from having to make the long trips for simple medical lab tests.

All in all, the 127th Maine Legislature accomplished many things, with work still left to be done. We lowered income tax rates, provided pay raises for our state law enforcement officers, passed meaningful welfare reform, provided more services for our veterans as well a free tuition to state colleges and universities for our National Guard members, and provided increased reimbursement to home health care workers in order to allow many of our elderly citizens to remain at home.

It was a particularly interesting and educational journey for me, as a freshman lawmaker. I’ve enjoyed sharing these articles with you over the past two years. It is my hope that you have gained some insight into the legislative process and the decisions we attempt to make in order to move Maine forward.

— State Rep. Robert “Bob” Foley, R-Wells, represents House District 7, which represents most of Wells.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.