The number of public hearings is declining sharply as
committees increase the number of work sessions, vote on bills already heard,
and approach a May 29 deadline for reporting out all bills considered this year.
Senate and House floor sessions expand
to four days a week starting May 18 and to five days starting June 1.
SESSION
Senate & House Sessions – 10 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
LEGISLATION
As of today 1,403 bills have been printed.
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_127th/billtexts/
Ideas for new laws include:
- An Act Regarding the Work Permitting Process for
Minors (LD 1393) - An Act To Reduce Electric Rates for Maine
Businesses (Governor’s Bill – LD 1398) - An Act To Improve Natural Gas Price
Competitiveness for Maine’s Manufacturers (Governor’s Bill – LD 1399) - An Act To Focus Energy Laws on Energy Cost
(Governor’s Bill – LD 1400)
MINIMUM WAGE
Legislators on the Labor, Commerce, Research & Economic
Development committee split three ways on what to do about legislation to
increase the minimum wage. The six
Democrats and one Independent member voted for an amended version of LD 92 that
would increase the wage in four 50-cent steps, beginning this October, to $9.50
in 2018. Three Republicans voted for an
amended version that would increase the wage in three 50-cent steps, beginning
October next year, to $9.00 in 2018, preempt local wage hike ordinances, and revise
work rules for minors to be more like other states and federal law. Both reports exclude automatic indexing of future
increases. The other three Republicans
voted against any increase. Committee
members unanimously voted against seven other minimum wage bills. NFIB opposes the proposed increases. Each 50-cent increase costs an employer
$1,147 per full-time minimum wage job, according to NFIB calculations. Thus, a $9.50 wage floor is $4,588 more
expensive than present and a $9 floor is $3,442 more expensive.
HEALTHCARE COST SHOPPING
Bipartisan legislation (LD 1305) aimed at the cost of
healthcare and encouragement of consumers to price shop procedures and
treatments will be the subject of a work session May 14 at 1 p.m. Lead sponsor Sen. Rod Whittemore said in a
public hearing statement the bill aims to:
- Provide patients with the cost or estimate cost
of healthcare services; - Reward patients monetarily who shop for the cost
of care; - Increase patient access to more healthcare
providers; and - Lower the overall cost of healthcare.
He and other supporters gave examples of significant
differences in the cost of specific procedures or treatments depending on where
the work is done and, in at least one instance, the time of day. They believe the giving individuals a
financial incentive will help influence the price of healthcare.
Healthcare insurers raised a number of operational issues at
the public hearing including how giving an insured patient a rebate or refund
would be handled where a portion of the premium is subsidized by the federal
government. A related question, said
insurers, is how much of the cost savings should be shared with employers who
pay all or a part of the premium. Maine
hospitals also raised questions. The
Maine Medicaid Association took no position and said it supports enhanced cost
transparency but is concerned about “undue additional administrative burden on
physician practices”.
KEY HEARINGS THIS WEEK
Unemployment Insurance Commission – A hearing will be held
May 11 at 9:30 a.m. on LD 1371, which changes the 3-member commission that
hears appeals of unemployment benefit claims and controls rulemaking for the
unemployment system into a commission that has one full-time member (the chair)
and makes the two other members (one representing employers, the other
employees) per diem positions instead of salaried. The bill also gives the Governor power to
remove a member for cause subject to review and consent by the legislative
committee responsible for labor matters.
KEY WORK SESSIONS THIS WEEK
Vacation Pay Offset – A work session will be held May 12 at
1 p.m. on legislation (LD 675) that removes the offset for vacation pay for
claimants who file for unemployment benefits.
Social Media Privacy – A work session will be held May 12 at
5 p.m. on legislation (LD 686) that protects employees and job applicants from
being required to give an employer access to their personal social media accounts. Exception is made where the employer has a
legal duty to screen or supervise communications or where the information is
publicly available.
Wage Garnishment – A work session will be held May 12 at 5
p.m. on legislation (LD 1163) that establishes a process for garnishment of
state income tax refunds for the satisfaction of money judgments against an
employee.
Medicaid Expansion – A work session will be held May 13 at 2
p.m. on several bills (LD 633, LD 798, LD 808, and LD 854) that expand MaineCare
as encouraged by the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). Governor LePage opposes expansion, which his
administration argues gives “free” health insurance instead “to able-bodied
adults of working age” and would be “devastatingly more expensive than the estimates
others would have you believe.” NFIB
opposes expansion. In a survey last year
93% of NFIB members responding said expansion will lead to higher state taxes
within five years.
State Health Benefit Exchange – A work session will be held
May 14 at 1 p.m. on legislation (LD 1344) that sets up an Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare)
state health benefit exchange if premium subsidies become unavailable through
federal exchanges. The U.S. Supreme
Court is expected to rule later this spring on a case that argues these
subsidies are only available to individuals who obtain their healthcare
coverage through a state exchange.
Healthcare Comparison Shopping – A work session will be held
May 14 at 1 p.m. on legislation (LD 1305) that encourages consumers to comparison
shop for healthcare procedures and treatment.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Appropriations Committee is expected to finish its work
on the 2016-2017 State Budget the weeked of May 16 or early the following
week. The scope and cost of tax reform
is expected to produce partisan differences that will be hashed out by the full
legislature.
