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2018 Maine legislative session

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2018 legislative sessions coverage
Maine State Legislature

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General information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   Senate: 4 terms (8 years)
House: 4 terms (8 years)
Session start:   January 3, 2018
Session end:   May 2, 2018
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Michael Thibodeau (R)
House Speaker:  Sara Gideon (D)
Majority Leader:   Senate: Garrett Mason (R)
House: Erin Herbig (D)
Minority Leader:   Senate: Troy Dale Jackson (D)
House: Kenneth Fredette (R)
Structure
Members:  35 (Senate), 151 (House)
Length of term:   2 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority:   Article IV--Part Third, Maine Constitution
Salary:   $14,074/year Sess. 1, $9,982/year Sess. 2 + per diem
Elections
Redistricting:  Maine Legislature has control

This page provides an overview of the 2018 Maine State Legislature and its general and special sessions. The timelines below contain noteworthy events from the sessions curated by Ballotpedia throughout the year.

If you know of any additional events that should be added to this page, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Overview

In 2018, the Maine State Legislature was in session from January 3, 2018, through May 2, 2018. Lawmakers convened a special session on June 19, 2018, against the wishes of Gov. Paul LePage (R).[1] The special session adjouned September 13.[2]

Partisan control

Maine was one of 16 states under a divided government in 2018, meaning it did not have a state government trifecta. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about divided governments and state government trifectas, click here.

The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Maine State Legislature in the 2018 legislative session.

Senate

Party As of July 2018
     Democratic Party 17
     Republican Party 18
Total 35

House

Party As of July 2018
     Democratic Party 74
     Republican Party 70
     Independent 6
     Green Independent 1
     Vacancy 0
Total 151[3]

Leadership in 2018

Senate

House

Status of legislation

Status of legislation at the end of the 2018 regular session
Legislation Subject area Actions during the regular session Status at the end of the regular session
LD 1430 Approved spending for medication-assisted treatment for opioid users Passed legislature Did not see further action
LD 1719 Allowed marijuana sales in the state Passed legislature
Governor vetoed 		Veto overturned
Status of legislation at the end of the 2018 special session
Legislation Subject area Actions during the special session Status at the end of the special session
LD 925 $41 million spending package Passed legislature
Governor vetoed 		Veto overturned
LD 837 Allocated funding for Medicaid expansion Passed legislature Governor vetoed
LD 1539 Allowed doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to patients Passed legislature
Governor vetoed 		Veto overturned

Regular session

April 5, 2018

Maine lawmakers approved $6.6 million per year to provide medication-assisted treatment for uninsured opioid users
The Maine State Legislature voted in favor of legislation that would approve spending $6.6 million per year to respond to the opioid crisis by helping pay for medication-assisted treatment for uninsured residents. The bill aimed to help 400 to 500 residents per year. Legislators did not vote on appropriations for the legislation.

According to the Portland Press Herald, there were 418 opioid-related fatalities in Maine in 2017.[4]

Update: The legislation did not see further action in 2018.

May 2, 2018

Maine Legislature votes to override governor veto of marijuana bill
The legislature voted to overturn Gov. Paul LePage's (R) veto of a bill that allows marijuana sales in the state. LePage vetoed the bill on April 27, 2018, saying it would violate federal law. The House voted 109-39 and the Senate voted 28-6 to override the veto.[5]

Recreational marijuana became legal in Maine in 2016 but the state did not have a way to regulate sales. The legislation requires the state Department of Administrative and Financial Services to write more regulatory rules on marijuana sales, including facility inspection, licensing, and sales tax collection. The legislation prohibits marijuana social clubs and limits the number of marijuana plants an individual can grow.[5][6][7]

Special session: June 19-September 13

Maine lawmakers convened a special session from June 19 to September 13. The state constitution allows legislators to call themselves into session if the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House have the consent of a majority of the members of each political party. Gov. Paul LePage (R) objected to the special session and criticized Republicans for agreeing to it: "A year ago, House Republicans shut down state government to make sure bad policies did not pass. Now they are giving in because it’s an election year."[1]

Lawmakers finished the regular session on May 2, 2018, amid a dispute over Medicaid expansion. According to the Office of Policy and Legal Analysis, 255 bills were pending before the legislature before the special session began. Included in the pending legislation were bills to fund Medicaid expansion in the state, bring the state tax code into alignment with the federal tax code, allocate funds for K-12 education for the 2018-2019 school year, extend the state's Pine Tree Development Zone Program, and administer bonds.[8][9]

June 19, 2018

Lawmakers pass funding package
Maine lawmakers sent a bipartisan $41 million funding package to Gov. Paul LePage (R). The package allocated funding for human services, including opioid drug treatment and a wait list for elderly and disabled residents to receive mental health services.[10]

Update: Gov. Paul LePage (R) vetoed the legislation and the legislature overturned the veto on July 9, 2018.

June 20, 2018

Maine Legislature approves funding for Medicaid expansion
The Maine State Legislature approved a bill allocating funding for Medicaid expansion in the state. LePage previously vetoed legislation to expand Medicaid five times, but it was unclear if the governor would veto this legislation, according to the Portland Press Herald. The bill would use $31 million in surplus funds and up to $23.5 million in funds from a settlement with tobacco companies. It would also allow the governor to use more funds from the tobacco settlement if needed in the future.

Voters approved a ballot measure in 2017 to require the state to provide Medicaid through MaineCare (the state Medicaid program) for persons under the age of 65 and with incomes equal to or below 138 percent of the federal poverty line. Gov. Paul LePage (R) said he would not expand Medicaid before the legislature allocated funding and he would not accept tax increases or the use of one-time funds. He estimated the expansion would cost $60 million in the first year and $100 million per year in the following years. The Maine Office of Fiscal and Program Review estimated that the state's portion of the cost would be about $54.5 million per year.[11]

Update: The governor vetoed the legislation on July 2, 2018. The legislature failed to override the veto on July 9, 2018.

July 2, 2018

Governor vetoes Medicaid expansion funding
Gov. Paul LePage (R) vetoed LD 837, which allocated funding for the state to expand Medicaid. The legislature approved the bill on June 20, 2018. It would have provided $60 million for the state's share of expansion costs in fiscal year 2019, which began on July 1, 2018. In a radio address, LePage said he was committed to expanding Medicaid but he would not support legislation like LD 837, which he said was fiscally irresponsible and a short-term plan. Supporters of the legislation said the bill's health and financial benefits outweighed the costs of expansion.[12][13] According to The Hill, LePage vetoed Medicaid expansion six times during his administration. Maine voters approved a ballot measure in 2017 to require the state to provide Medicaid through MaineCare (the state Medicaid program). LePage asked the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to delay implementation until the legislature approved funding.[14]

Update: The legislature failed to override the veto on July 9, 2018.

July 6, 2018

Governor vetoes medical marijuana bill
Gov. Paul LePage (R) vetoed LD 1539, a bill that would have allowed healthcare providers to allow patients to get a medical marijuana card for any therapeutic or palliative use, eliminating the state's list of qualifying conditions, and would have authorized registered caregivers in the state to expand business operations. The Maine State Legislature approved the bill on June 26, 2018. In his veto letter, LePage listed 11 reasons that he did not support the bill, including his opposition to the bill's elimination of the qualifying conditions, and noted that the list was not exhaustive. The bill was sent back to the legislature for a possible override.[15]

Update: The legislature overturned the governor's veto on July 9, 2018.

July 9, 2018

Maine House fails to overturn governor's veto of Medicaid expansion funding
In an 85-58 vote, the Democratic-controlled Maine House of Representatives failed to override Republican Gov. Paul LePage's veto of LD 837, legislation funding Medicaid expansion in the state. LePage vetoed the legislation on July 2, 2018, saying it was fiscally irresponsible. Lawmakers needed a two-thirds supermajority (101 members) to reverse the governor's decision. LD 837 would have provided $60 million in state funds, paired with $500 million in federal funds, in fiscal year 2019 to expand Medicaid.[14]

Legislature overturns governor veto of medical marijuana legislation
The Maine House of Representatives voted 119-23 and the Maine State Senate voted 25-8 to overturn Gov. Paul LePage's veto of LD 1539, which allows patients to obtain a medical marijuana card for therapeutic or palliative use, grants six new medical dispensary licenses, and permits caregivers to expand business operations.[16]

Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods by which the Maine Constitution can be amended:

See also: Part III of Article IV and Article X of Maine Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Maine
687px-Flag of Maine.svg.png

The Maine Constitution may be amended in two ways—through the legislative process, or a state constitutional convention. Maine residents cannot put a constitutional amendment on the ballot through the power of initiative. Maine does feature the power of initiative for initiated state statutes.

Legislature

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A two-thirds majority (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Maine State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 101 votes in the Maine House of Representatives and 24 votes in the Maine State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According to Section 15 of Part III of Article IV, the legislature can, by a two-thirds concurrent vote of both branches, call a constitutional convention. Maine has never called such a convention; however, two "constitutional commissions" were impaneled, one in 1876 and one in 1962, but neither led to significant changes.


See also

Elections Maine State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Journal Tribune, "Maine lawmakers set special session for next week," June 15, 2018
  2. ↑ Portland Press Herald, "LePage veto of extra election funding stands as Legislature finally adjourns for 2018," September 13, 2018
  3. ↑ Excludes three nonvoting members representing the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.
  4. ↑ Portland Press Herald, "Legislature votes to spend $6.6 million more a year to help uninsured in opioid struggle," April 5, 2018
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Press Herald, "Recreational marijuana is now legal in Maine – sort of. Now the state has to write the rules." May 2, 2018
  6. ↑ The Hill, "Maine House overturns governor's veto of marijuana bill," May 2, 2018
  7. ↑ WGME, "House, Senate override Gov. LePage's veto of recreational marijuana bill," May 2, 2018
  8. ↑ Press Herald, "Lawmakers adjourn session, leaving stack of legislative work undone," May 2, 2018
  9. ↑ Lexology, "Under the Dome: Inside the Maine State House," June 15, 2018
  10. ↑ News Center Maine, "Legislature passes funding package on day 1 of special session," June 19, 2018
  11. ↑ Portland Press Herald, "Maine Legislature approves funds for Medicaid expansion opposed by governor," June 20, 2018
  12. ↑ Maine.gov, "Radio Address: Medicaid expansion and paying home-care workers must be done in a fiscally responsible manner," June 29, 2018
  13. ↑ Sun Journal, "Paul LePage vetoes Medicaid expansion bill," June 30, 2018
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 The Hill, "Maine House fails to override LePage veto of Medicaid expansion," July 9, 2018
  15. ↑ Portland Press Herald, "Gov. LePage vetoes bill that would ease access to medical marijuana, listing 11 objections," July 6, 2018
  16. ↑ Newsweek, "Maine medical marijuana veto overturned by lawmakers standing up to governor," July 10, 2018
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