Legislators return to Augusta on Wednesday, January 8.  Senate and House sessions in January are currently scheduled for January 14, 21, and 28.

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS – Membership and leadership of legislative committees were announced recently.  Several changes in Senate and House co-chairs, ranking House Republicans, as well as assignments of legislators, will result in new dynamics in work sessions, committee reports actions, and floor debate on bills. See the PDF file at the bottom of this webpage: https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/

BILL FILING DEADLINE – Friday, January 10, is the deadline for legislators to file draft titles and information about particular bills the legislator intends to sponsor in the 2025 session.

CONCEPT DRAFT CHANGES – Legislative leaders are considering changing the rules about concept drafts – bills that do not contain proposed statutory language – so that the public has a more detailed idea of what is being proposed.  Legislators in 2023 proposed concept drafts that were as vague as “amends Maine tax law” or “amends Maine labor law.”  Typically, the sponsor’s proposed statutory language would be circulated a day or two before a public hearing on the bill, and sometimes the day of the public hearing.  Even the Governor’s Office and state agency officials were disadvantaged by the process and often unable to provide useful testimony at legislative hearings.

NEW BIENNIAL STATE BUDGET – Gov. Janet Mills is expected to announce January 10 her proposed State Budget for the fiscal biennium of 2025-26 to 2026-27.  Because the budget must be balanced, the proposed budget will include the Governor’s plan for assuring that expected revenues are sufficient to offset expected expenditures.  Budget documents will be posted here when available: www.maine.gov/budget/

MAINE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN UPDATE – The Maine Climate Action Council has released its updated four-year plan for achieving “Maine Won’t Wait” goals including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Maine. “While Maine has made meaningful progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we must reduce these emissions at a faster pace to ensure that we meet the state’s 2030 and 2050 targets and do our part to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius this century,” states the report. More information can be found on the Council’s website: www.maine.gov/future/climate/council