It's Monday, May 6.

Not much is happening in the Legislature right now. Things will start to wrap up by next week, and then everyone can begin to enjoy their summer break. 

Next week we'll share our post-session report. We'll highlight our priority issues from the 131st legislative session, covering the 🔥 bills that we fought for, or opposed, during the last two years.

Have you signed up for our Legislative Wrap-up Webinar on May 21? Tune in to hear the inside story of what happened under the dome: what progress Maine made, what fell short, and what's on the horizon for the next session. Yes, we're already thinking about 2025!

Veto Day is happening. Legislators will gather on Friday, May 10 and decide if they want to override any of the Governor's vetoes. Governor Mills vetoed a number of large bills, including LD 2086, which would have banned the sale of bump stocks and other devices that increase the rate of fire of semi-automatic guns to the rate of fire of machine guns.

However, overriding vetoes is a lot like moving mountains. A veto override requires a 2/3 majority vote of members present in each chamber. We think it's unlikely that legislators will override any of the Governor's vetoes. 

Stuck in Legislative Limbo Forever:

There are over a hundred bills sitting on the Special Appropriations table. These are bills that come with a price tag and need extra funding. Because the Legislature has concluded and business is wrapping up, it looks like any bills stuck on the table will also die there. RIP. Some of those bills include:

• LD 577 — Availability of election info on government websites: This bill would provide state support through the office of the Secretary of State for towns to disseminate local election information online and upgrade their web domains. 
• LD 1966 — Expanding Clean Elections: This bill would include Clean Elections for District Attorney races. We know that Clean Elections public funding encourages more people to run for office and allows them to serve without being beholden to big donors or special interests – only to the voters in their own district. 
• LD 2001 — Strengthen Wabanaki & African American Studies: This bill has been reworked to include pieces from LD 1642. This bill will establish an advisory council, provide professional development opportunities, and include resources to educators so that they can develop appropriate curricula for Maine schools. 

Voter Guide now available for the June Election