2012 Scorecard Bills
Submitted by andrew.francis on Fri, 07/13/2012 - 11:48
LD 1237: An Act To Prohibit Bullying in Schools (MPA Supported)
Backed by MPA and our partners in the LGBT community, this bill ensures students will be free from bullying—both online and in schools. After passing in the Senate, the bill passed in the House during the special session.
Senate Roll Call 210
LD 145: An Act To Protect Homeowners Subject to Foreclosure by Requiring the Foreclosing Entity To Provide the Court with Original Documents (MPA Supported)
It sounds crazy, but big banks don’t want to produce the original paperwork to prove that they have a right to foreclose. Last year, the Judiciary Committee recommended that the legislature pass this bill, but banking lobbyists convinced Republican leadership to send it back to committee before it could get a vote. The bill was finally passed this session with broad bipartisan support; it was however then vetoed by Governor LePage and the legislature failed to override his decision.
House Roll Call 248
LD 1774: An Act Regarding the Matching Funds Provisions of the Maine Clean Election Act (MPA Supported)
Because of unfortunate Supreme Court decisions on corporate personhood and money equaling speech, Maine’s Clean Elections law has been gutted. Previously, candidates that ran Clean Election campaigns would receive public funding matching much of the private money that was spent against them. It leveled the playing field and reduced the influence of big money in politics. After the Supreme Court ruled these matching funds unconstitutional, the bi-partisan Maine Ethics Commission came up with an alternative to replace this key “matching funds” provision. Unfortunately, this option was voted down in favor of a “do-nothing” approach supported by Republican leadership.
Senate Roll Call 365, House Roll Call 255
LD 1816: Health and Human Services Supplemental Budget for Fiscal Year 2012 and part of 2013 (MPA Opposed the final budget, but supported the amendments outlined below)
Governor LePage’s solution to the revenue crisis he helped create was to kick thousands of children and the elderly off of MaineCare. There were several proposed amendments in both the House and Senate to address the revenue shortfall in a more fair and responsible manner:
Berry Amendment (House) (1816A):
This amendment would close the Health and Human Services shortfall completely by making sure the wealthiest 1% paid their fair share of state taxes.
House Roll Call 228
Eve’s Amendment (House) (1816B):
This amendment addressed the root causes of rising health care costs. It would have reformed the way we pay doctors and ensure better case management. Savings from this would have prevented over 10,000 parents from losing MaineCare.
House Roll Call 229
Dill Amendment (Senate) (1816C):
This amendment addressed the root causes of rising health care costs. It would have reformed the way we pay doctors and ensure better case management. Savings from this would have prevented over 10,000 parents from losing MaineCare.
Senate Roll Call 357
Final Vote (1816D)
In the end, an amended version of the bill passed that still removed over 10,000 people from MaineCare.
Senate Roll Call 358
LD 1179: An Act To Require Advance Review and Approval of Certain Small Group Health Insurance Rate Increases and To Implement the Requirements of the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (MPA Supported)
In Maine, health insurance companies can increase insurance rates for small group insurance policies with little input on how these rate hikes would affect costs to the insured. LD 1179 would have required that small group health plans undergo a similar review process as holders of individual insurance policies, including a review of excessive health insurance rate hikes. The bill failed to garner enough votes in both the House and Senate.
Senate Roll Call 389, House Roll Call 238
LD 849: An Act To Provide Tax Relief for Maine’s Citizens by Reducing Income Taxes (MPA Opposed)
Rejected twice already by voters the regressive (TABOR) tax reform plan is back in the form 849. This bill would be disastrous for the state, both through cuts to vital services and through forcing local municipalities to raise taxes to compensate for lower state outlays. After failing in the House once, an amended version was bounced back and forth and ultimately passed. The Senate voted to pass the bill in the special session in May.
Senate Roll Call 508, House Roll Call 364
LD 1853: An Act To Improve Environmental Oversight and Streamline Permitting for Mining in Maine (MPA Opposed)
LD 1853 changes Maine mining rules and regulations to allow aggressive, open-pit mining of some of Maine’s most important natural resources, with the accompanying water pollution in Maine’s streams and rivers. This bill passed in both the House and Senate.
Senate Roll Call 488, House Roll Call 327
LD 1805: An Act To Implement Recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee Concerning a Public Records Exception for Proposed Legislation, Reports and Working Papers of the Governor (MPA Opposed)
While Governor LePage may have claimed on the campaign trail to be more transparent, he has been anything but open since arriving to Augusta. LD 1805 would have shielded the Governor’s working papers from Maine Freedom of Access laws. This bill failed to garner enough votes to pass in either chamber.
House Roll Call 299
LD 1498: An Act To Phase Out Dirigo Health and Establish the Maine Health Benefit Exchange for Small Businesses and Individuals (MPA Supported)
Under the Affordable Care Act, the state of Maine has until July to develop a healthcare exchange to provide easer access to more affordable health insurance options. LD 1498 would have done just that. However this bill became another casualty in the partisan wrangling around the ACA. Republicans didn’t want to pass anything seen to be even tangentially in support of national healthcare reform, including this bill.
Senate Roll Call 461, House Roll Call 298
LD 1866: An Act To Remove Inequity in Student Access to Certain Schools (MPA Opposed)
This bill, literally one sentence long, would have changed Maine law to allow public school funds to go to private religious institutions. In addition to raising questions of constitutionality, this bill would have shifted funds from already cash strapped schools and created further inequality in Maine schools. The bill failed in both the House and Senate.
Senate Roll Call 409, House Roll Call 279
LD 1207: An Act To Amend the Labor Laws Relating to Certain Agricultural Employees (MPA Opposed)
The “Certain Agricultural Employees” referred to by this bill are employees of the DeCoster Egg farm in Turner. Employees at the farm were originally given enhanced worker protections after a series of employee rights, workplace safety, immigration law, animal cruelty and environmental abuses. LD 1207 undermines these protections by removing the right of these workers to collectively bargain. It passed along party lines in both the House and Senate.
Senate Roll Call 387, House Roll Call 231
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