Political Musings from Yarmouth to Augusta

2010-05-04T17:47:00.001-07:00

Summary of New Laws Passed By The Maine Legislature In 2010

HEALTH AND SAFETY

LD 1620 - An Act To Protect Health Care Consumers from Catastrophic Debt – First-in-the-nation legislation banning annual and lifetime caps on insurance policies, protecting those suffering from severe illness from also facing catastrophic debt often incurred during the treatment of many fatal diseases. The elimination of annual or lifetime caps would directly benefit Mainers battling cancer and fighting other chronic diseases such as hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

LD 1408 - An Act To Establish the Universal Childhood Immunization Program - Provides Maine children with access to a uniform set of vaccines and reduces costs of immunizations. The bill will reduce the cost of immunizations by working in conjunction with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to leverage the contract prices for vaccines at the federal rate.

LD 425 - An Act To Require Private Insurance Coverage for Certain Services for Children with Disabilities - Requires private health insurance companies to pay their fair share for coverage of children with developmental disabilities. Mandates that individual and group health insurance policies provide early intervention services for children ages birth to 36 months identified with a developmental disability or delay. The change in legislation, which is based on a successful model implemented in New Hampshire, is expected to save taxpayers about $250,000, yet only cost private insurance payers less than $2 every year.

LD 1619 - An Act To Establish the Silver Alert Program – Protects an increasing population of individuals in Maine that suffer from dementia or another cognitive impairment. The bill establishes a Silver Alert system that is modeled after the Amber Alert System for abducted children. It also establishes a mandatory orientation and training for law enforcement in cases involving missing persons with dementia, so that there is a consistent response across all local, regional and statewide law enforcement agencies. Studies show that 30,000 people in Maine have Alzheimer’s, six out of 10 individuals will wander at some point, and 50 percent of those people will die if not found with 24 hours.

LD 1773 - An Act To Improve Dental Insurance Coverage for Maine Children - Requires health insurance policies, contracts and certificates that provide dental plans to provide coverage of dependent children from birth if the policyholder elects to participate in the dependent coverage plan.

LD 1708 - An Act To Expand the Opportunity for Persons To Acquire Health Care Coverage under the State's "Mini-COBRA" Program - The bill modifies Maine's mini-COBRA law to make persons permanently laid off from their employment eligible to maintain, at their expense, coverage under their former employer's group health plan. The amendment conditions the eligibility for those permanently laid off on the availability of a subsidy pursuant to federal law.

LD 1811 - An Act To Amend the Maine Marijuana Act - Taking action on a citizen initiative passed in November by Maine voters calling for medical marijuana to be legalized, the legislature set up a framework for the dispensary and distribution system for medical marijuana. Allows up to eight dispensaries, and sets a process to establish fees for patients, caregivers and dispensaries.

LD 20 - An Act To Require Insurance Companies To Cover the Cost of Prosthetics - Requires insurance plans to cover the latest prosthetic limbs. Prior to the law, health insurance carriers were required to provide coverage for prosthetic devices, but coverage is not required for those devices containing a microprocessor, which is the latest technology.

HP 1262 - Establishing a Joint Select Committee on Health Care Reform Opportunities and Implementation – Creates a legislative task force to help implement national health care reform.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

LD 1717 - An Act To Increase the Affordability of Renewable Energy for Homeowners and Small Businesses - Enables Maine municipalities to establish a "PACE" program to finance residential, commercial and industrial weatherization, as well as other energy efficiency measures and the installation of green energy generation behind the meter.

LD 1647- An Act To Enhance Maine's Clean Energy Opportunities - Will increase electricity efficiency funding by encouraging Maine's Public Utilities Commission to direct the purchase of energy efficiency through long-term contracts, treating efficiency as a resource comparable to new electricity generation. The bill uses contracting as a tool to provide stable funding for efficiency, so Maine people can continue to benefit by saving three dollars for every one dollar invested.

LD 1535 - An Act To Create a Smart Grid Policy in the State - Encourages development of an electrical transmission system in Maine that employs state-of-the-art information technology to curb and manage energy use.

LD 1810 - An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor's Ocean Energy Task Force - Supports development of ocean wind, tidal and wave power and states a policy preference for a transition to the use of renewable ocean electric power to meet Maine's heating and transportation needs.

LD 1786 - An Act Regarding Energy Infrastructure Development – Ends a moratorium on energy corridors in order to spur energy job growth and resources. The law also opens new pathways for energy delivery across the state, while also protecting Maine’s interests in negotiating and overseeing the development of such corridors.

NATURAL RESOURCES ECONOMY AND RECREATION

LD 1607 - An Act To Regulate the Transportation of Firewood - Protects Maine’s hardwood trees from the spread of invasive species, including The Asian long horned beetle and the emerald ash borer.

LD 1585 - An Act To Protect Maine Farms and Nurseries – Prevents spread of late blight in tomato and potato crops by prohibiting large-scale retailers from selling annual plants on consignment unless both the large-scale retailer and the consignor comply with import and retail safeguards established for Maine’s farms and nurseries.

LD 1573 - An Act To Improve Water Quality through the Phaseout of Overboard Discharges and the Improvement of the Boat Pump-out Laws - Updates the state's policy of funding the replacement of household and business septic systems that discharge directly into the ocean or other water bodies, which significantly harms Maine's shellfish industry and other fisheries.

LD 1631 - An Act To Provide Leadership Regarding the Responsible Recycling of Consumer Products – Set a framework for the first-in-the nation program calling on manufacturers to recycle and re-use electronic waste and mercury-containing products to protect the environment.

LD 1662 - An Act To Improve Maine's Air Quality and Reduce Regional Haze at Acadia National Park and Other Federally Designated Class I Areas - Federal law requires Maine to improve air quality by reducing sulfur emissions. The bill is a compromise that puts Maine on the path of phasing in cleaner fuels in cooperation with other states in the region.

LD 1593 - An Act To Amend the Lobster Meat Laws and Expand Economic Opportunity for Maine's Lobster Industry - Helps Maine’s lobster industry compete in an increasingly competitive global marketplace by allowing lobster processors more flexibility in sending innovative lobster meat products to market.

LD 1432 - An Act To Create a Saltwater Recreational Fishing Registry – Establishes a saltwater recreational fishing registry administered and operated by the state of Maine rather than the federal government. The registry is free once you purchase a freshwater fishing license. Striped Bass endorsements will cost $5 for residents who do not have freshwater licenses, and $15 for all nonresidents.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

LD 1541 - An Act To Protect Consumers from Charges after a Free Trial Period- Protects consumers from unauthorized credit card charges on the expiration of free trial offers.

LD 1779 - An Act to Prohibit Surcharges on the Use of Debit Cards - Protects consumers from being assessed surcharges when they use debit cards, which are now used more often than credit cards according to the Federal Reserve Board.

LD 1256 - An Act To Prohibit Predispute Mandatory Binding Arbitration Clauses in Consumer Contracts - Protects consumers involved in mandatory arbitration contracts, by requiring arbitrators to disclose information about past arbitrations and the arbitration process on their Web sites. Mandatory arbitration clauses are often found in the fine print of many contracts for credit cards, cellular phone, and car purchases.

LD 1568 - An Act To Clarify Maine's Phaseout of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers – “Deca” bill that aggressively phases out the use of a dangerous brominated flame retardant in shipping pallets. It requires manufacturers to search for safer alternatives.

LD 1676 - An Act To Protect Maine Citizens' Credit - Prevents health care providers, or debt collectors working for those providers, from reporting certain medical debts on a consumer’s credit report as long as a minimum payment is being made to the provider of the medical treatment and if the consumer’s income is well below the federal poverty level.

ETHICS

LD 1546 - An Act To Improve Disclosure of Campaign Finance Information and the Operation of the Maine Clean Election Act - Clarifies gift reporting requirements for legislators and made technical changes to campaign finance disclosures to increase public transparency.

LD 1730 - An Act To Strengthen the Ballot Initiative Process- Prevents fraud and forgery in the ballot initiative process by creating a registration requirement for petition organizations that are compensated to organize, supervise or manage the circulation of petitions for a direct initiative or people's veto. In order to allow town clerks and the Secretary of State to better detect and track fraud, the bill adds a space on petition forms for a unique identifier and a sequential number representing the petitions circulated. It also requires that a petition be signed and notarized prior to being submitted to a municipal clerk for verification and directs the clerk to make copies of petitions that are suspected to be fraudulent. The bill also extends the time frame to challenge the decision of the Secretary of State to reject or certify petitions and also makes the current law consistent with the Maine constitution, which allows the for a total of 100 days for a final decision on the certification of a petition for a direct initiative or a People's Veto.

LD 1792 - An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee Concerning Public Records Exceptions – Ensures that records that should be available to the public will be available when they are requested.

TRANSPORTATION

The Transportation Committee primarily focused on helping to balance the budget. Despite financial constraints, the committee was able to make a few changes to the highway budget to allow for 600 additional miles of state roads to be maintained.

LD 1826 - An Act To Authorize Bond Issues for Ratification by the Voters for the June 2010 Election – Working together, the governor and members of both parties in the Legislature agreed to send a $57 million bond package to voters that will create and save more than 2,000 jobs this construction season and make important investments to strengthen Maine’s economy. The jobs bond includes $44.3 million in new borrowing proposals and reprograms $13.5 million from items that were already on the June ballot. The plan focuses heavily on roads, rails, and ports and reprioritizes bond proposals that were originally approved last year and scheduled to be on the ballot in June. The bond will be sent to voters for approval on the June ballot.

LD 1640 - An Act To Provide for the Safety of Maine Athletes - This bill applies rules of the road for bicyclists to roller skiers, providing added protections to athletes of the sport.

LD 1736 - An Act To Improve Safety on Maine's Primary and Secondary Roads, Reduce Road Maintenance Costs and Improve the Environment and the Economy by Allowing Certain Heavy Commercial Vehicles on the Interstate Highway System in Maine - Authorizes 6-axle combination vehicles consisting of 3-axle truck tractors with tri-axle semi-trailers of up to 100,000 pounds gross vehicle weight to operate on the Maine Interstate Highway System, for as long as a federal law exempting the State from the 80,000-pound limit is in effect, if otherwise in compliance with all other requirements of Maine law.

EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORKING FAMILIES

LD 1658 - An Act To Increase Maine's High School Graduation Rates – Establishes the state goal of achieving an average statewide secondary school graduation rate of 90 percent by the end of the 2015-2016 school-year.

LD 1799 - An Act To Encourage the Use of Models in the Collection and Use of Student Achievement Data – Helps Maine qualify for federal Race-to-the-Top funds, possibly boosting funding for schools and potentially protecting and adding jobs for teachers. The law strikes down a legal barrier that has prevented the use of students' testing data in teachers' and principals' evaluations.

LD 1389 - An Act To Create State and Regional Quality of Place Investment Strategies for High-value Jobs, Products and Services in Maine - Creates council to advocate for ‘quality of place’ investments, based on economic development recommendations from the Brookings Institution, Establishes a 12-member Maine Quality of Place Council. The council would be charged with establishing standards and guidelines for regional quality of place investment strategies. It would also work with state agencies to identify best ways to actively promote and strengthen Maine’s quality of place assets and to encourage the agencies to fund regional quality of place projects.

LD 1418 -An Act To Preserve Home Ownership and Stabilize the Economy by Preventing Unnecessary Foreclosures – Provides protections to homeowners during the foreclosure process, including the establishment of a mandatory foreclosure mediation program and added transparency and education for homeowners throughout the foreclosure procedure.

LD 1778 - An Act To Enable the Installation of Broadband Infrastructure - This bill makes a federally supported dark fiber provider a telephone utility and authorizes it to string lines for dark fiber bringing broadband service to un-served and under-served areas. It also establishes a broadband sustainability fee that a dark fiber provider must collect from customers.

LD 1646 - An Act To Establish a Broadband Policy for Maine - The bill sets goals to expand broadband access throughout the state by establishing state policies that promote universal broadband access and the infrastructure necessary to provide that access statewide.

LD 1626 - An Act To Amend the Unemployment Compensation Laws Regarding Vacation Pay - Under current law, an individual is disqualified from receiving unemployment compensation benefits for any week in which the individual receives, is entitled to receive or has received remuneration in the form of vacation pay. This bill removes that restriction.

LD 1545 - An Act To Protect Maine Workers – Protects Maine workers in the logging industry from being undercut by foreign bonded labor by requiring employers who hire bonded labor to provide proof of ownership, or a bona fide lease, of equipment as required by the Commissioner of Labor. The law aims to correct abuses within the system where employers may hire foreign contracting firms who have equipment, which is a violation of federal and state law. The amendment requires employers seeking bonded workers to form and participate in a recruitment clearinghouse that assists in evaluating and referring potential logging occupation workers.

LD 1558 - An Act Regarding Accidental Death Benefits for Beneficiaries of Deceased Firefighters - This bill provides an accidental death benefit to the beneficiary of a professional firefighter who dies from cardiovascular injury or disease or pulmonary disease as described in the Maine Revised Statutes.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

LD 1703 - Resolve, To Implement the Recommendations of the Juvenile Justice Task Force – Reinforces the Juvenile Justice Task Force report from March that called on the state to make major changes to how it treats at-risk or troubled teenagers, proposing a list of goals aimed at keeping kids in school and out of correctional facilities.

TAX RELIEF

The Taxation Committee primarily focused its work on the budget, helping to find creative solutions to the revenue shortfall. The committee was able to help restore several proposed cuts to key programs, such as the Circuit Breaker, which helps low-income families pay a portion of their property taxes, and also restored significant funding to municipal revenue sharing. It also worked to form several study committees to review future changes in the tax structure to stimulate business, evaluate tax expenditure programs, prepare for the growth of developing industries, and further assist veterans and low-income families.

LD 1449 - An Act To Expand Tax Incentives for Visual Media Productions – Establishes a small film tax credit for companies that come to Maine to make films or other visual arts.

LD 1637 - An Act To Change the Requirements for the Sales Tax Exemption for Snowmobile Trail Grooming Equipment – Allows certain snowmobile clubs to be eligible for the sales tax exemption for snowmobile trail grooming equipment.

2010-05-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you following the work of the Maine Legislature, here are several updates based on all actions through the Second Regular Session of the 124^th Legislature. The direct links are available here (http://maine.gov/legis/ofpr/index.htm) under Recent Releases on the right hand side of the page.

These recent updates include:

A Summary of the Bond Package to be sent to the voters at the June 2010 and November 2010 elections;

Updated Fund Status Reports for the General Fund, Highway Fund and Fund for a Healthy Maine, which provide a summary of total appropriations/allocations, revenue and transfers as well as the budgeting ending balances for each of these funds; and

Our report, Fiscal Impact of Acts and Resolves, summarizing the fiscal impact of each enacted law of the Second Regular Session.

I hope you find these documents useful.

2010-03-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

I’m thrilled to report that Maine’s Governor Baldacci has signed my product stewardship bill “An Act to Provide Leadership Regarding the Responsible Recycling of Consumer Products” into law. On March 25^th, Maine’s business and environmental communities came together to celebrate the process that went into this legislation. Please check this link to read the remarks of Chris Jackson of Maine’s State Chamber of Commerce http://www.mainechamber.org/mx/hm.asp?id=currentnews at the signing yesterday. Click here for an article by the national magazine Miller-McCune http://www.miller-mccune.com/politics/maine-passes-landmark-product-stewardship-law-11542/. Plans are in the works to establish a Maine Product Stewardship Institute, to help the process going into the future.

2010-03-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Unclaimed Property/Money for Yarmouth Residents

It’s that time of year when our State Treasurer releases a list of monies owed to Yarmouth residents and business owners, and there are many in Yarmouth that have money due to them. Last year legislative efforts returned $986,610 to almost 3,000 rightful owners. Here is a listing of names here in Yarmouth who have money due them:

Abbott, Ainsworth, Allen, Ames, Newar, Arseault, Asherman, Atlantic Insurance, Ayer, Balzano, Barker, Barough, Beckmann, Bennett, Berry, Bertoni, Bickford, Biggs, Billmere, Bintliff, Bioetica, inc., Biscoe, Bisson, Blackwood, Blaisdell, Blue Star Corp., Bohrmann, Bourgeois, Bolden, Bowie, Boynton, Bradley, Bragg, Breed,Brentwood Rehab, Brill, Brown, Bubier, Bunchstead, Campbell, Carpentier, Carrigan, Carroll, Cashell, Cawley, Chambers, Chase Manhattan, Christopher Blum Mason Contractor, Clark, Cleaves,Clockedile, Cole Haan, Coleman, Colesworthy, Collins, Conrad, Conyngham, Copeland, Couch, Cousins Island Cemetary Association, Crawford, Cree, Creighton, Cross, Crystal, Darnell, Davies, Davis, Denuccis Inc., Derrey’s Grill, Desai, Destreicher, Dickinson, Didomincus, Dinerstein, Dodge, Donavan’s Restaurant, Douglas, Dundon, Dyer, Emp, England, Eplourde, Erkkinen, Estabrook, Ferrell, First Universalist Church, Fischer, Flaherty, Fochler, Fohlin, Foster, Fried, Gaia Chiropractic, Gallagher, Gardner, Garrett, Gawle, Geiringer, Gendron, Gillert, Glassock, Glessner, Goddard, Goodrich, Goodwin, Gorman, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greenleaf, Griffith, Groces, Gross, Haas, Hall, Hampton, Handcock, Handy, Hawkes, Hayes, Haynes, Hayward, Heather, Hesley, Hichborn, Hillery, Hilton, Hodder, Holdworth, Hornecker, Howe, Hughes, Hunt, Hunter, Intercultural Press, Jackson, Jaynes, Johnston, Joly, Junge, Kelly, Kelsey, Kennedy, Kenney, King, Kinser, Knight, Koletsky, Koss, Kuhl, Kuhn, Labell, Laliberte, Landry, Lane, Laprade, Lee, Lepley, Leslie, Lloyd, Loomis, MacFarland, Main Street Market, Maine Technical Source, Mangan, Marion, Mary, Mathews, Mathieu, Matos, Matteson, Mavodones, McAleer, McAllister, McCain, McCarthy, McChord, McClain, McElhinny, McKeen, McLain, McLaughlin, Megathlin, Meier, Merrill, Micucci, Miles, Milley, Mirabito, Mister Bagel, Molloy, Momborquette, Monahan, Moore, More, Moriarty, Moulton, Moylan, Mulry, Nappi, Nason, Neal, Nelson, Nordholm, Northrup, Norton, Oliza, Olson, Parsins, Pascarella, Pavles, Payson, Pelletier, Perkins, Perrault, Petrucci, Pierce, PMI, Podeschi, Pope, Porter, Pott, Powers, Preble, Pride, Professional Planning, Quale, Quest Travel, Reichert, Ricciardi, Rice, Richardson, Riddle, Ridlon, Robatzek, Robbins, Roberge, Rogers, Rouda, Routhier, Rowinski, Royal River Coop, Royal River Family Care, Rudnick, Ruetty, Rustad, Sauger, Sawall, Sawiski, Sawyer, Sayre, Schulz, Seabury, Shepheard, Sibley, Simmons, Simonds, Simonton, Smith, Snow, Soule, Spear, Spinney, Stanton, State Farm Ins, Stauffer, Stern, Stickney, Stowell, Street, Sullivan, Sundaram, Swett, Sylvius, Szalajeski, Tanner, Targeted Learning, Theodores, Therrien, Thibodeau, Thomas, Thompson, Tingley, Tobias, Todd, Tompkins, Tonya Deal, Totta, Toyland, Trainque, Trask, Tull, Turndorf, Tuner, Tyrrell, Underhal, Vaughan, Vigue, Vitalius, Waise, Wakelin, Walsh, Warming,Waterman, Watkins, Watson, Webber, Webster, Weigel, Weiss, Wentzell, Wertanen, West, Wheaton, White, Whitten, Willette, Winslow, Wirebaugh, Wriggins, Wyman, Yarmouth Police Dept., Yoder, York, Zheng

If you find you name on the list, please go to the Treasurer’s online search and claim system at www.maine.gov/unclaimed. This online process can allow claimants to receive checks within two weeks of filing. If you do not have internet access, you can call the unclaimed property line toll free at 888-283-2808 for a verbal inquiry. If you recognize community members on the list, please assist this process by passing the information along so that everyone can get the notification. Your State Representative, Melissa Walsh Innes, is also available to help you at 846-4302 or melissawalshinnes@gmail.com.

2010-03-03T06:54:00.001-08:00

An Update on My Product Stewardship Bill

Here’s an update on Maine and product stewardship…LD 1631, An Act to Provide Leadership Regarding the Responsible Recycling of Consumer Products, made it successfully out of committee with a unanimous vote. There were many changes made, and I am including the final language here at this link so you can see what we have crafted from the original framework http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_124th/billtexts/HP115902.asp. The bill was on Maine’s legislative consent calendar yesterday, and is on its’ way to enactment, probably within two weeks. For those of you who anticipate opposition from the business community, I’m happy to tell you that we did finally bring the Maine Chamber along after the vote. Here is their latest article on the bill, http://www.mainechamber.org/mx/hm.asp?id=currentnews. We hope to present a joint press release with them after the bill’s signing by our Governor. This work is the result of the continuing conversations and negotiations of Maine’s environmental and business communities, who worked together to craft this bill. For any questions, please contact me at melissawalshinnes@gmail.com.

2010-02-26T06:55:00.001-08:00

Check out the link below to see how Maine is performing as reported by the Maine Development Foundation’s Performance Measures and Benchmarks to Achieve a Vibrant and Sustainable Economy for Maine. Although we have receded on a few measures, it’s great to see progress on 12 of the indicators……

See Also:

Maine Economic Growth Council presents Measures of Growth in Focus 2010

2010-02-20T10:44:00.001-08:00

Compromise is a Beautiful Thing

I am thrilled to let everyone know that my product stewardship bill, LD 1631, an environmental priority piece of legislation, and demonized by the business community, passed unanimously out of the Natural Resources Committee yesterday. From the beginning of the process, I have reached out and worked with the business community to try to bring them on board, and through incremental changes, we did get close. I never did get their support, but they did hold off on their opposition until the last week due to our continued negotiations. When it was looking like a partisan vote in committee, I reached out to my more conservative committee members, over and over again, and we were able to make some changes to the bill yesterday that earned their vote. Of course, if I had just my way, and the environmental community had their way, my original bill language would have been voted in, but I now know that it never would have happened. Compromise, from both sides of the aisle, and by the environmental and business community, is what truly brings forth good public policy. I am committed to continuing to seek ways to bring the conservative and progressive communities together in productive conversation, and have already started this conversation with the Maine State Chamber. Let’s see what we can get accomplished together……

Working My Bill

2010-01-28T17:30:00.001-08:00

I now have an exhaustive appreciation for the term "working" a bill. As you may have previously read on this blog, I am the sponsor of LD 1631, Maine's Responsible Recycling Bill (or Product Stewardship or Extended Producer Responsibility). I have spent many hours each day discussing, crafting, negotiating, editing, revising, and literally dreaming about the bill. The bill has recently gotten a lot of press, appearing in the Portland Press Herald, online magazine Miller-McCune, as well as a regular, front page feature in the Maine Chamber of Commerce's Impact Newsletter. Suffice it to say that the morning of the public hearing was lively and well-attended, with over 30 people testifying. There was even a sighting of a Maine business owner amongst the squeeze of contract lobbyists and industry associations clammoring to give their two cents on the bill. I was highly appreciative of the many, many people who spoke in support, including two businessmen from Nova Scotia who spoke about the great economic potential in increased recycling. I am also very thankful to those that spoke (and spoke and spoke!) in opposition, as it has given me a chance to make the bill stronger and hopefully more amenable to the business community. I look forward to working together with my committee on the bill in the work session on Feb 4, and know that all of the spirited people who attended the hearing will join us again at the work session to craft the bill together. I can't wait.

Will Maine leave Product Stewardship at the altar?

2010-01-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Maine has over five product stewardship laws right now (leading the nation, a great thing), and we know that the laws have created jobs (just ask eWaste Recycling or Uniwaste), so why is the Maine business community getting cold feet and running from the altar? Maine has already been 'engaged' to product stewardship ever since we passed the well-known (or should I say infamous) bottle bill many years ago. Let's say it's been a long engagement, and Maine has recently become more and more committed to the idea, with the recent passing of extended producer responsibility laws in the last six years. Isn't it now time to take that next, big step, and profess our union with product stewardship by passing LD 1631, An Act to Provide Leadership Regarding the Responsible Recycling of Consumer Products, and setting up the process to allow our very knowledgeable DEP the administrative process of determining more products ripe for producer responsibility? I say yes, and over two dozen other people and organizations from Maine (and Nova Scotia!) said yes at the recent public hearing for the bill on Friday, the 22nd, in front of the Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources (more support is flowing in via e-mail). Product Stewardship is an economic train that's already out of the station. Florida and Massachusetts recently made declarations that they will be moving toward producer responsibility, and more and more States are realizing that they are being left with a mounting bill for their waste managment costs because producers continue to make products that contain toxic materials and/or they don't want to bother with recycling their consumers' discarded products into new products. Let's change the term Solid Waste Management to Solid Resource Management, and create new markets for products' reuse and recycling by committing and marrying the policy of product stewardship for Maine. Who will benefit? Everyone, even producers, even though they won't admit it now. The playing field will be fair, they will be more sustainable in their production to keep their product life-cycle costs down, and their will be less toxic products in our landfills and air. Let's get this done now.

Click here for bill information: http://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280035057

2010-01-17T10:48:00.001-08:00

The Yarmouth Energy Savers Committee is working on a Street Lights Out Campaign to reduce unnecessary lighting in the town. With the help of two interns and Town Engineer, Dan Jellis, the group has been reviewing lighting in neighborhoods, parking lots, and commercial areas. Street lights in Yarmouth use over 184,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year and costs the town about $100,000. The group estimates that 20% of these lights could be turned off without risk to residents or businesses.

2010-01-13T08:29:00.001-08:00

Mainers, here’s a way to put more money back into your pocket! If you made $50,000 or less in 2009, you can have your state and federal income taxes prepared and filed for free by IRS-certified volunteer tax preparers. Once you have tax statements from ALL income received in 2009, dial 2-1-1 to find a CA$H tax site near you. Free tax preparation is provided by CA$H Greater Portland, a community coalition that empowers families and individuals to achieve long-term financial stability. For more information, visit www.cashgp.org.

Legislative Coma Sets in........

2010-01-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

Well, not quite a coma, but there's some extreme exhaustion here as I spent 9 hours straight today working on my Responsible Recycling bill, mostly from my couch and computer. I think if they worked out a Maine State Legislator's pay rate, over the year, it would be about five cents an hour, so it's a good thing I enjoy this so much! I am gearing up for the public hearing on my bill, which will be on January 22nd. It's a somewhat sweeping environmental bill, so I'm working with a bunch of folks to get this passed with the least amount of changes possible (i.e. who wants an exemption? EVERYONE!).....Anyway, it's on Extended Producer Responsibility, and if you'd like to read the full text, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send it to you (it's LD 1631, and for those who know how to look it up, here's the link: http://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/search.asp.). I'll continue to update here as to how the bill moves along. Tomorrow I will meet with an NGO and DEP (codespeak for a non-governmental organization and the Department of Environmental Protection) to see what changes we may need to make on the bill just from my work today. Tomorrow I will be talking with one of the industries to discuss how they can get out of the whole thing scotfree (I mean with an exemption), so I'll send that update tomorrow.

2010-01-09T12:29:00.001-08:00

The Governor has announced the implementation of a major home energy efficiency program that was the result of action the Legislature took last session. I strongly encourage you to see if this grant program works for you. For more information about the Home Performance Program, go to: http://www.efficiencymaine.com/residential_programs_mhp.htm

2009-12-29T10:12:00.001-08:00

Recreational saltwater anglers in Maine will have to register before fishing in 2010 (and it’s free).

The requirement is part of the new National Saltwater Angler Registry, which goes into effect on January 1st.

The registry is aimed at gathering data to determine the effects of recreational fishing on ocean resources and the nation's economy, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"By registering, recreational anglers will make their catch count," says acting assistant admnistrator for NOAA's Fisheries Service Jim Balsiger, in a statement. "The National Saltwater Angler Registry is an important tool that will enable us to better estimate the health of marine fisheries so that we're able to preserve the pastime of recreational saltwater fishing for generations to come."

Anglers who need to register include those from coastal states or territories that don't require recreational saltwater fishing licenses. That list includes Maine, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Registration is free in 2010, federal officials say, and begins Friday. To register, visit http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov, and click on the Angler Registry link, or call the toll-free registration line at 1-888-MRIP411 (1-888-674-7411) from 4:00 a.m. to 12 midnight ET daily.

Authorities say anglers will need to provide their name, date of birth, address and telephone number, and will receive a registration number that will allow them to begin fishing immediately. They will receive a registration card in the mail in about 30 days.

2009-12-28T08:22:00.001-08:00

Maine policy fellowship available for a recent graduate student! Read on for details….

State Policy Fellowship Program Deadline January 15th!

MECEP is part of a national program to expand the diversity of voices in state policy debates. Starting in August 2010, a State Policy Fellow can spend two years at MECEP or with one of our 31 SFAI state policy partner organizations. This is a fully paid position with benefits. Eligible candidates must have received a graduate degree in public policy, public affairs, economic, social work, public health, law or a related field. Don't miss this great opportunity. Application deadline is January 15, 2010.

Learn More: State Policy Fellowship Program

2009-12-23T12:44:00.001-08:00

At this special time of the year, I wish you all a relaxing and recharging holiday break. May we all emerge with renewed energy and enthusiasm for the year 2010!

2009-12-16T16:14:00.001-08:00

I have just joined on to be a founding member of a new National Coastal Caucus of State Legislators, which includes all coastal and Great Lakes states. The Coastal Caucus will provide a way for state legislators to work cooperatively with other states, their Governors, Congress and the Obama Administration on addressing national coastal and ocean policies that effect our environment, resources and economy.

The group will include state legislators from all coastal states, including the Great Lakes, who would like to participate in this new Coastal Caucus. Recognizing that coastal states share unique economic and environmental issues, this new caucus will allow legislators to work together to influence the decisions that affect us at a regional and national level and serve as an important point of contact that does not currently exist for coastal state legislatures – similar to the Governors’ Coastal States Organization.

2009-12-15T07:20:00.001-08:00

For those of you who would like to be notified of pesticide spraying in your area, Maine state law now entitles you to get your name added to a new registry that will notify you when pesticide spraying is happening near your home. You must register by March 15. Learn more and sign up today.

2009-12-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

I left Maine today about an hour ahead of the snowstorm, on a flight bound for D.C., with final destination San Diego. I have been appointed by Speaker Pingree to attend a bio-monitoring forum sponsored jointly by the National Center for Disease Control and the National Caucus of State Legislators. This focus on chemical policy reform in the States and ultimately the whole nation, is a policy area very important to me in my work as a Maine state legislator. Maine leads the nation in chemical policy law, and will continue to work with Congress to push the same improvements to national reform. With over 80,000 chemicals currently in use, we need to ensure that chemicals are safe. I will be meeting with a group of constituents in Yarmouth next month to discuss chemical policy here in Maine, and invite others to join in on the conversation as we work toward the goal of safer chemicals.

2009-11-22T15:00:00.001-08:00

Info from House Speaker Hannah Pingree on the Governor’s Budgetary Curtailment and What It Means…..

In addition to the Governor’s decision this week to curtail spending, Maine’s Revenue Forecasting Committee recently met. It appears they will lower the revenue forecast for the FY 2010 -FY 2011 biennium by $383 million. The Governor is expected to present a supplemental budget in mid-December that will address that shortfall.

Unfortunately, this is not the first curtailment order the Governor has issued in the last year, but for many, the process is new. The use of his legal authority, through the issuance of an Executive Order, to curtail allotments allows the Governor to act without legislative approval to reduce spending in a manner that does not require changes in law. This authority is meant to only be used in extraordinary times.

The governor curtails without legislative approval and these were decisions of the executive branch. The Legislature will be reviewing his curtailment decisions and cuts as part of the supplemental budget that they will receive in mid-December. Public Hearings will be held in early January. But with today’s more bad news on revenues, the Legislature’s task of balancing the budget will not be easy.

Below you will also find background information on curtailments. As more information becomes available, I will pass it on to you.

Basics of Curtailments

Today the Governor reported to the Presiding Officers that he will issue an Executive Order curtailing allotments for the first year of the biennium. The amount of funding available to programs and agencies will be reduced between now and the end of this fiscal year, June 30, 2010.

Maine is required to have a balanced budget, with expenditures not to exceed anticipated revenues.

When the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services determines that anticipated revenues will not be sufficient to meet the expenditures authorized by the Legislature, the Governor has the statutory authority to curtail allotments so that government “expenditures will not exceed anticipated income and other available funds.”

All curtailments must be done equitably, and “must insofar as practicable, be made consistent with the intent of the Legislature in authorizing these expenditures.”

“Equitable” does not mean “equal” and the Governor has discretion with regard to the percentages of curtailments he imposes on various agencies and programs.

The Governor is prohibited from eliminating an allotment through curtailment; this includes the elimination of a position.

Curtailment is a temporary budgetary device, and the curtailments may be changed or made permanent by the Legislature.

The Governor may not curtail allotments for debt service on bonds issued by the state.

2009-11-16T07:05:00.001-08:00

I’m holding Legislative Community Time at the Royal Bean today from 3-4, if you’d like to come by to discuss any matters. You can also contact me at melissawalshinnes@gmail.com.

2009-11-11T07:02:00.001-08:00

Opinion piece in recent Forecaster regarding local attack mailings……..

Letter: Health-care legislation under attack

Published: Nov 02, 2009 8:40 am - The Forecaster

E-mail and share

Recently we've seen ads, letters to editors and mailers from special-interest groups trying to mislead the public about important health-care issues debated last session at the Statehouse. As an organization dedicated to protecting consumers and promoting quality, affordable health care for everyone, we couldn't sit idle and listen to these claims.

Last session, the Legislature debated a bill to allow out-of-state insurance companies to sell policies in Maine. Initially, the bill may sound good. But, it would actually reduce our quality of care and increase already high costs in Maine. Vital consumer protections – a foundation of Maine values – would be undermined. Protections like those that make it so no Mainers can be denied health coverage. Removing these key protections would move Maine from being a nationwide leader in health reform to the bottom of the race.

Another bill subject to attacks restructured funding for the Dirigo Health Agency. Bill opponents argued the law would add a 2 percent tax to our medical bills to pay for the program. That's just not true. The new law replaced the controversial "savings offset payment" with a fixed monthly assessment on insurance companies. It's not an additional or new tax. It's not a tax at all. It's simply a streamlining of funding.

While vast health reform will only happen on a federal level, Maine has been a shining example of what we can accomplish at the state level. The nation is watching; let's stay ahead of the curve.

Joe Ditre, executive director
Consumers for Affordable Health Care
Augusta

2009-11-05T18:05:00.001-08:00

Maine officials join in call for electronics industry to withdraw e-waste lawsuit

Yarmouth, Maine – November 5, 2009 State Representative Melissa Walsh Innes joined with government officials from across the country today in calling on the electronics industry to withdraw its lawsuit against the New York City e-waste recycling law, describing the lawsuit as a direct challenge to state and local government efforts to protect public health and the environment.

In a letter to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), who filed the lawsuit, state and local government representatives from 18 states expressed their continued support for state and local laws that give the electronics manufacturers responsibility for financing effective takeback services for all the products they are selling in those states

“While this lawsuit was filed against New York City, it’s a direct challenge to the ability of states like Maine to pass takeback laws, like the compact fluorescent lamp recycling bill that Maine enacted this year,” said Rep. Innes, who co-sponsored the bill. “Our recycling program is very successful and is serving the residents of Maine very well, and we hope the courts don’t undermine our work to protect our environment and public health.”

Maine’s product stewardship laws for electronic waste - computers, TVs, printers, cell phones, mercury thermostats and lamps are innovative and effective success stories that are now national models. These laws direct producers to fund the collection and recycling of their products at the end of the product’s useful life, promoting the sustainable reuse of materials and preventing the release of hazardous chemicals into the environment. In addition, they reduce costs for local governments and taxpayers and create jobs through the collection and recycling of formerly discarded products.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on July 24, argues that the New York City e-waste recycling law passed in April 2008 is unconstitutional. The City’s law requires the electronics companies to collect and recycle old electronic products. Nineteen states have passed laws similar to “producer takeback” laws, including Maine, which passed the first producer responsibility law for electronics in the country in 2004.

Rep. Innes expressed her concern for the burden that the growing wave of consumer product waste is causing for local governments. As more and more products are deemed “hazardous” the state's response has been to ban them from disposal.

“Unfortunately, the state-mandated bans must be enforced by local governments, and they just don’t have the money to do it,” explained Rep. Innes. “It’s the classic unfunded mandate—a government directive without the resources to enforce it. The intentions were good, but the responsibility is misplaced onto local governments. To help with this issue, I am pleased to report that the Legislative Council has given approval to include my bill, “An Act to Provide Leadership, Tax Fairness and Responsible Recycling for Consumer Products” in the upcoming short session of the 124^th Legislature.

This bill builds off the success of Maine’s product stewardship laws and establishes a process to systematically evaluate products for their impact on health, the environment, and local taxpayers through managing the products at the end of their useful life and sets out to create public/private partnerships to collect, reuse and recycle consumer products – starting with products that contain hazardous materials. The bill seeks to protect Maine taxpayers from the rising costs of e-waste and other hazardous end-of-product-life management.”

The public statement by governments is not the only action taken recently to challenge the electronics industry’s lawsuit. Earlier this week, local governments from New York State, Oregon and California and an independent government association (Product Stewardship Institute) submitted an amicus brief to the Court – providing legal arguments challenging the industry claims in the lawsuit, and in support of New York City’s right to enact the producer takeback law. Two states, Maine and Washington, have provided affidavits that were submitted as part of New York City’s defense. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has also intervened in the case, in support of the City’s law, and is now a party to the case.

The oral arguments in the New York City lawsuit are expected to begin in late December.

For more information:

Copy of the letter to the electronics industry: http://tinyurl.com/withdraw-lawsuit

Copy of filings in the lawsuit: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/legislation/lawsuit_vs_nyc/lawsuit_vs_nyc.htm

For information on the Maine’s e-waste laws /program:

http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/ewaste

For information on all the state e-waste recycling laws: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/legislation/state_legislation.htm

Copy of New York City law: http://www.electronicstakeback.com/legislation/lawsuit_vs_nyc/LL%2013.pdf

2009-10-27T10:39:00.001-07:00

Legislative Update

State Rep. Melissa Walsh Innes

House District 107 - Yarmouth

News from Augusta

October 2009

State Rep. Melissa Walsh Innes

400 East Elm Street

Yarmouth, ME 04096

846-4302 Home

318-8742 Cell

RepMelissa.Innes@legislature.maine.gov

Quick Links

Web site

Dear Amy,

With Election Day fast approaching, I'm sure many of you can't wait to see it come and go. The amount of advertisements, news stories and material billed as "information" is at its highest right about now and it can be overwhelming.

If you'd like read through the statewide ballot questions, I'd encourage you to visit the Secretary of State Web site for the actual wording and what a yes or no vote means.

No matter how you choose to cast your ballot, be sure to get out and vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

The second session of the 124th Legislature begins in January. I would encourage you to participate by shadowing me, attending or speaking at public hearings or simply by contacting me with questions or concerns.

Legislative leaders have set an aggressive schedule to get through our work as quickly as possible, as we did last session, to save taxpayer money. I want to make sure your voice is heard on important matters. Please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Melissa Walsh Innes
State Representative

Let's Connect!

I will be holding office hours every Monday afternoon from 3 - 4 p.m. throughout November and December at the Royal Bean.

Your input is very important to me and if you'd like to sit down with me to discuss an issue or if I can help you navigate state government, I'd love to meet with you. I'm also available by phone and e-mail.

Maine Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program

The 2009 Maine Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program applications are now available. Maine homeowners and renters may be eligible for a refund of up to $1,600 on property taxes paid in 2008. The refund is available to homeowners and renters who meet the income requirements: families earning up to $81,850 are eligible, as well as individuals earning up to $61,400.

In order to qualify for a refund, 2008 property taxes must be more than four percent of household income, or the yearly rent paid must be more than 20 percent of household income. Seniors who's income is below $13,900 for individuals and $17,200 for a family do not need to meet these requirements. Nearly 200,000 households are eligible for the Circuit Breaker rebate, but many Maine homeowners and renters don't apply and forfeit their rebates.

Applications are available on-line here and can be printed out and mailed or submitted electronically.

2009-10-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

Attack Ads in our Community

Many members in our communities received attack ads in their mailbox this week, aimed at local House members regarding votes on a health care bill this past session. I want to address this issue directly, and assure people that I strongly support access to quality and affordable healthcare. I am sympathetic to the fact that 1 in 5 Mainers are either uninsured or under-insured. The legislative committee that handled this bill (LD 290, An Act To Allow Maine Residents To Purchase Health Insurance from Out-of-state Insurers) held a long public hearing and work session, and many important issues were brought up (see list below). No other state allows this, and for good reason. At the public hearing the insurance agents testified no company would even offer this insurance nor would any state agree to it. Here are some of the reasons given:

· Cherry-picking based on age, health status, location, etc.

· Maine insurers would be more, not less, likely to leave the state

· Consumer protections would be lost

· Consumers would have no one to go to appeal claim denials

· Pre-existing health problems

· Maine-based medical providers would not be covered

· Patients could end up being sued for payment, as well as Maine doctors

· Many providers would not be covered, period, because the Maine requirements wouldn’t apply

· If the company went belly-up, there is no backup plan

· Other states won’t let their general fund and insurance assessment dollars be used to benefit Mainers, meaning we would pay higher premiums than in-state consumers

My number one reason for opposing the bill is that an out of state insurer would be allowed to refuse coverage to an applicant based on their health status. Most policy experts and those in the health care community did not support the bill. While it sounds good on paper, in reality, it does more harm than good. When experts consider health reform proposals, they typically ask two questions: Does the reform address health care cost drivers? And does the reform result in accessible, quality, affordable and secure health coverage? LD 290 accomplished neither. There is no question that should a proposal like this pass; many young, healthy adults could find a good policy out of state. Once that person gets sick though, they could face denial letter after denial letter and be totally on their own when they need coverage most. This doesn't even take into account the many insurance companies that deny applicants for absurd reasons, like being a woman of child-bearing age.

If this bill had passed, there would be minimal oversight on the private insurance industry. Many consumers and businesses could easily become victims of deceptive marketing and other unfair trade practices. The Bureau of Insurance would have no authority to deal with any of the bad seeds that exist in the insurance industry. On top of all of this, we did not get any comment from any out-of-state insurance company expressing interest in selling health insurance across state lines.

I am hopeful that our State and Nation will soon work out a solution for true health care reform that guarantees quality care for all of our citizens, at a reasonable price.

Sincerely,

State Rep. Melissa Walsh Innes, District 107 (Yarmouth), 318-8742