Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the first edition of the PLC of Maine Legislative Impact for 2023.
A new, but somewhat similar, circus came to town on Wednesday, January 3rd. Governor Janet Mills was inaugurated for her second term and the 131st Maine State Legislature convened for its first Regular Session.
As I mentioned in the Logger’s Voice, it's Groundhog Day here in Augusta.
In what was supposed to be a stereotypical mid-term election on November 8, 2022, where the party in control loses seats to the party not in control, almost the opposite occurred. Here in Maine, it was essentially a Democratic sweep by the majority party.
At the Maine Legislature, in the House of Representatives, Democratic control stayed virtually the same, 82-67-2. In 2020, it was 80-67-4. Independents caucus with the Democrats, so there really is no change.
In the Maine Senate, while some seats may have moved from D to R and R to D, again, it’s the same as it was after the 2020 election, 22-13, with Democrats in control and Senator Troy Jackson re-elected for his third term as Senate President.
And finally, in the Governor’s race, Janet Mills was reelected by a large margin, ensuring control by the Democrats in the House, Senate and Governor’s office for the next two years.
The governor has retained all of her commissioners for the various Departments, and all looks status quo.
Committee membership is still dominated by the Democrats, as most committees have a commanding Democratic presence of 9 Democrats and only 4 Republicans. As a result, the Democrats will continue to be able to move most of their agenda forward with very little resistance. It will be extremely important for the PLC and its membership to speak loudly when we do not agree with policy recommendations because without our voice, change could happen very quickly.
The first day of legislative activity last week was largely ceremonial but did produce one substantial outcome with the approval of an emergency energy aid package that was signed by the Governor the very same day. The PLC’s opinion on this package is articulated in the Logger’s Voice.
Next week will be ceremonial, as well as both the House and Senate will only meet on Tuesday, January 10th to refer bills to committee and will use the rest of the week for their biannual legislative tour, sponsored by the Maine Development Foundation. Committee introductions will begin in about two weeks and the first committee hearings are not expected until the beginning of February.
As of Friday, January 6th, only 143 bills have been printed of what is expected to be more than 2,000 this session, so stay tuned for more once the balance of bills get printed.
PLC Bill Tracking and Priorities in 2023
The PLC is tracking the following bills this session: Bill Tracking Spreadsheet
The PLC has also asked legislative members to introduce the following bills:
- Forest Operations Notification – Mandate the Maine Forest Service to provide both a paper option and an electronic option for filing a Forest Operations Notification (FONS). In January of 2021, the paper FONS was eliminated in favor of electronic only. The PLC wants the paper form brought back as an option. Senator Russell Black (R-Wilton) has introduced this bill for the PLC.
- Logger Relations Advocate – The PLC would like to see a new position created at the Maine Forest Service, whose primary responsibility is to work on behalf of loggers and the general public. This new position would not be staffed by a licensed forester and would act to help loggers with questions on training, regulation, markets, etc. The state of Vermont has created a similar position and Maine should also have one. Rep. Scott Landry (D-Farmington) has sponsored the bill on our behalf.
If there are issues you feel that we should be aware of or are in need of a bill for action, please do not hesitate to contact me.
PLC Legislative Breakfast 2023
The Board of Directors would like to extend an invitation for you to attend our 2023 Legislative Breakfast. This event will take place on Thursday, March 2 from 7:00 – 8:30 am at the Governor Hill Mansion in Augusta. This meet and greet opportunity is a great way to sit down and build a relationship with your state representative who could impact your business with the decisions that they make in Augusta. Please RSVP by called 688-8195 or email office@maineloggers.com
Contact Your Representative or Senator
Don’t know who your Representative or Senator is? A complete roster, sortable by town, is available here: House Members Senators
In your message, clearly state the bill(s) you support and why each one is important to Loggers in Maine.
Introduce yourself and/or company.
- Identify the town you live in or where your business is located. If you work in multiple towns, please identify those towns (we need to show that harvesting occurs across the state);
- # employees (gross pay roll figure would be good);
- # of subcontractors your business supports (e.g. how much you spend for repairs, fuel, how many logging crews you keep busy, etc.),
- Volume of wood you move annually;
Conclude your message by thanking the Representatives for their service to the state and asking them to support these bills.
Have a great weekend and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Dana
CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT THE PLC IS TRACKING IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Legislative Links: