Hello from Augusta,

I hope you all had a Happy New Year!

The 132nd Maine Legislature re-convened on Wednesday, January 8th to start the session after being sworn in on December 4, 2024.  This year begins what is considered to be the “long session”, where one of their primary work items is to pass a biennial budget.  The process of putting together a budget will occupy a majority of the time during the session.  The Governor will present her budget to the Legislature and then the Legislators will have an opportunity to modify it with their agenda during the sausage making process.

Throughout the fall of 2024, there has been a push from lobbyists, including the PLC, to urge the Legislature to institute rules to ensure transparency during the committee process.  Last session, it became increasingly difficult to get information on “concept drafts” (a bill with no language, just a title) before public hearings.  The rules are being discussed and there should be some changes made to increase transparency for the public to access bill details more easily.  After being involved in the Legislature for more than 12 years in this position, if I am struggling to gather the information needed to be able to weigh in on a bill, I know the public will also not be successful. 

In addition to the concept draft issue, there is hope that there will be changes made in how information from committees is made available online. There are many instances where amendments are voted on, and the public, including myself, do not have access to those documents. 

These are not major changes, but there is a need for them to be addressed in order to allow the public to have a say in the policies that affect them.  We are hopeful the proposed updates to the rules will be addressed. 

Maine PLC Policy Agenda

We are busy working to move our 2025 Maine policy agenda forward.  The PLC has four bills that have been submitted by the sponsors and we are in the process of securing co-sponsors for the legislation. The list of PLC policy bills that have been submitted are below with a brief description and status update. Once the bills get released from the Revisor’s Office, we will make sure to provide links to each of them.  Many of them have a budget impact and with a tightened financial forecast for the state budget, it will be critical for PLC members to get involved in the process to make these policies law. 

1. Sales Tax Exemption on Trucks and Log/Chip Trailers – Sponsor: Senator Brad Farrin (R-Somerset)
   1. The bill would provide a sales tax exemption on heavy duty trucks, trailers, semi-trailers, pickup trucks, and service trucks that are used in intrastate commerce. Trucks/trailers used in interstate commerce are already exempt.
2. Small Business Savings Account Pilot Program – Sponsor: Senator Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook)
   1. The bill creates a pilot program within the Department of Economic Development allowing 30 businesses within the farming, fishing, and forestry industries to set aside money at the end of the year like a 401K, instead of paying income tax.  At some point in the future, the company can use these funds to invest in capital expenditures when necessary.
   2. We have secured all eight co-sponsors allowed and it has been returned to the Revisor’s Office to be printed and referred to committee.
3. Logger Confidentiality – Sponsor: Representative Jennifer Poirier (R-Skowhegan)
   1. The bill ensures that records acquired by the Maine Forest Service during an investigation or from service to the public will remain confidential.
4. Revolving Loan Fund Program for Loggers and Fishermen – Sponsor: Senator Rick Bennett (R-Oxford)
   1. The bill creates a low interest loan program for loggers and fishermen, similar to the Agriculture Marketing Fund, which provides farmers with a 2% interest rate on loans for their businesses.

As always, we will keep you up to date on important bills as they come up and we will be reaching out from time to time to get your input on issues.  Click here to find the most recent PLC bill tracker.

Please, do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Best Regards,

Dana

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