YORK COUNTY — People who serve on juries in Maine are paid $15 a day, a rate that Rep. Donna Bailey of Saco believed has stayed the same for decades.

Bailey, a longtime attorney and former York County Judge of Probate, has submitted a bill, L.D. 9, which would increase the daily rate for jurors to $40, a rate she believes will make it easier for people to serve and will broaden the jury pool. So far, the projected cost is still being determined by those  in government who tally costs during the legislative process.

That bill and hundreds of others will be heard now that the 129th Legislative session has begun.

Bailey, a Democrat,  is serving her second term in the Legislature, and was appointed House Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary.

She said she’s expecting a busy session for all committees of the Legislature.

“I expect we will in general be seeing a lot of legislation that was vetoed over the last eight years that will come back,” said Bailey. “I think it will be a very busy session — with more bills than average — and  so every committee will be very busy. It will be challenging.”

Chairing the Joint Government Oversight Committee are two longtime legislators from York County, Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio of Sanford and Sen. Justin Chenette of Saco. Both are Democrats. This will be Mastraccio’s second term as House chair of the committee.

“I  have resubmitted a bill that originated in the Government Oversight Committee that died on the Appropriations table last session,” said Mastraccio. She said the bill outlines a process for establishing a long range strategy for economic development in Maine.

“I think we can expect it will pass again and the Maine Economic Growth Council will begin their work almost immediately,” she said.

Mastraccio said she is looking forward to hearing a report of the tax expenditure evaluation of the Employment Tax Increment Financing program and noted the Legislature is in the in the research phase of looking at business equipment tax exemptions and reimbursements. As well, she said she is looking forward to continuing the special project relating to the deaths of two children under the care of Department of Health and Human Services, and taking a look at the Maine Citizen Initiative process.

Mastraccio said she asked to be to be assigned to the standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial services as she believes there is the potential for positive work to be done around health care access and costs to consumers. Those aspects of the committee had formerly been the purview of the Health and Human Services Committee.

District 32 Sen. Susan Deschambault, a Democrat from Biddeford, was named Senate chair of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. She is retired from the Maine Department of Corrections, where she worked as a social worker for 43 years.

“I’ve been the police commissioner of Biddeford and a social worker for the Department of Corrections. These experiences give me particular insights into how the criminal justice system works and how it doesn’t,” Deschambault said.

Other York County legislators chairing committees this session include District 35 Sen. Mark Lawrence, D- South Berwick, Senate chair of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee and District 4 House member Rep. Patricia Hymanson, D-York, House chair of Health and Human Services Committee.

Republican Robert Foley of Wells, newly elected as senator for District 34, joins Mastraccio  on the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.

“ (I expect) we will see many bills dealing with the costs of health care, health insurance and pharmaceuticals as well as many proposals for universal health care and single-payer plans,” said Foley. “I expect to see a number of bills dealing with marijuana banking issues as the retail sales of marijuana gears up.”

Foley is also appointed to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

“I believe we’ll see a number of climate change bills dealing with a host of issues from sea level rise, ocean acidification and carbon dioxide reduction efforts,” said Foley.

Like others, he said he expects the session will be very busy.

In the Judiciary Committee, Bailey has resubmitted a bill that she’s been trying to get passed for some time — and isn’t sure why it hasn’t. The bill, L.D. 8, allows a person getting married to change their name by indicating the new name on the marriage application. She said there is no current law and some people who haven’t formally changed their name after they marry find difficulties when they apply for Social Security. She said passage of the law so the new name becomes effective upon the marriage saves a trip to the probate court for a name change.

Bailey said she also expects the committee will deal with a bill to fix any errors or inconsistencies in the new probate code that passed a year ago. The new code is scheduled to go into effect on July 1.

Bailey said she expects the so-called Red Flag bill to return. Bailey said passage of the law would allow police to be able to get a restraining law order to temporarily seize weapons from an individual, provided a court has found the individual a danger to themselves or others. Similar bills have been passed in a number of states, Bailey said. Florida was one of the states that most recently passed a red flag bill.

Other York County legislators assigned to joint stranding committees include:

• Rep. Margaret O’Neil, D-Saco; Rep. Theodore Kryzak, R-Acton; and Rep. Tiffany Roberts-Lovell D-South Berwick, have been appointed to the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee.

• Republican Rep. Heidi Sampson of Alfred returns to the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee along with Rep. Henry Ingwersen, D-Arundel.

• Republican Sen. David Woodsome of Waterboro returns to the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, along with Rep. Deane Rykerson, D-Kittery.

• Democratic Rep. Lori Gramlich of Old Orchard Beach joins Rep. Daniel Hobbs, D- Wells, and Sens. Chenette and Foley on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

• Rep. O’Neil joins Chenette and Mastraccio on the Government Oversight Committee.

• Rep. Michele Meyer, D- Eliot, joins Hymanson and  Rep. Beth O’Connor, R-Berwick on Health and Human Services.

• Rep. Victoria Foley, D-Biddeford, Rep. Mark Blier, R-Buxton and Rep. Dwayne Prescott, R-Waterboro join Mastraccio and Sen. Robert Foley on the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.

• Rep. Matthew Harrington, R-Sanford has been appointed to the Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce Committee.

• Rep. Chris Babbidge, D-Kennebunk is assigned to the Committee on Joint Rules and joins Bailey on the Judiciary Committee.

•Rep. Rykerson of Kittery and Sen. Lawrence are on the Labor and Housing Committee.

• Rep. Lydia Blume, D-York, is appointed to the Marine Resources Committee.

• Rep. Diane Denk, D-Kennebunk is assigned to the Taxation Committee along with Rep. Don Marean, I-Hollis and Rep. Kryzak.

There are no York County legislators on the joint Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee; Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, Transportation Committee, or Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee.

York County legislators are also assigned to a number of Senate and House committees.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.

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