Pres. Jackson, Speaker Gideon announce update on committee work
AUGUSTA – Senate President Troy Jackson and Speaker Sara Gideon announced that legislative committees will resume their work on carry-over measures, including holding public hearings and work sessions, in July to prepare for when the Legislature reconvenes for a special session. No final dates for that session have been secured, however Legislative staff have been […]
Legislators and Permanent Commission to identify existing bills to combat racial disparities, create Task Force to recommend new legislation
AUGUSTA – Yesterday, Reps. Craig Hickman and Rachel Talbot Ross invited fellow legislators to join them and the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations in an effort to identify existing bills before the 129th Legislature that would make an impact combating racial disparities. The group will make recommendations to […]
Pres. Jackson releases statement commemorating Juneteenth
AUGUSTA – Today marks the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers entered Galveston, Texas, with the order proclaiming that enslaved people in Texas were free. This event took place more than two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, formally freeing all […]
President Jackson, Leg Council adopts new COVID-19 health and safety protocol
AUGUSTA – On Wednesday, Maine’s Legislative Council adopted a new policy requiring all individuals to wear protective face coverings during legislative committee meetings to protect the health and safety of legislators, legislative staff and others amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Members are not required to wear a mask if they are participating remotely. The vote was […]
Law to hold opioid manufacturers accountable takes effect
AUGUSTA — A new law sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, that holds opioid manufacturers accountable for their role in the national epidemic takes effect today, June 16. The new law allows the state to collect information from the largest opioid manufacturers and charges these manufacturers a fee to do business in Maine. The […]
A reflection on the murder of George Floyd
MINNEAPOLIS , MINNESOTA – MAY 31: The makeshift memorial and mural outside Cup Foods where George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on Sunday, May 31, 2020 in Minneapolis , Minnesota. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) The events over the past week beginning with the senseless murder of George […]
Presiding officers renew call for reopening task force
AUGUSTA – As Maine enters Phase 2 of the reopening plan, Senate President Troy Jackson and Speaker of the House Sara Gideon renewed their call for a re-opening task force that would bring together members of Governor Mills’ cabinet, public health experts, business leaders, labor and employment interests, and the public. The proposed Task Force […]
Jackson, Gideon announce a series of committee meetings
Lawmakers will focus on issues around unemployment, small businesses, reopening the economy, COVID-19 testing, and long-term care
Jackson, Breen announce budget committee meeting on Friday
“All across the state, Maine people are reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. I know because I’ve spent every day since the Legislature adjourned talking to constituents, small business owners and local officials. With an economic downturn around the corner, Mainers are scared and rightfully so. Fortunately, in the last year, my colleagues and I put together a bipartisan budget that put money aside for savings, growing our Rainy Day Fund to historic levels. While none of us saw this crisis coming, Maine is in a stronger position to weather the storm. This week, the Legislature’s budget committee will roll up their sleeves and begin laying out a way forward.
Pres. Jackson to hold virtual town hall meeting on May 27
AUGUSTA — Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, plans to hold a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday, May 27 to provide updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, talk about Maine’s response to the public health and economic crisis, and answer questions from constituents. “It’s more important now than ever for folks to be able to contact […]