AUGUSTA, Maine — With the state running hundreds of millions of dollars short of what it needs to keep government going at its present clip, the budget is bound to be the overarching topic during this year’s six-month legislative session, which gets under way Wednesday.
But lawmakers will find plenty of other topics to delve into, from energy to taxes and school consolidation. A diverse collection of more narrowly focused bills also will be in the hopper, such as one to repeal an old law that calls for automatic divorce when a person is sentenced to life in prison.
Prospects for a bill to legalize gay marriage were cloudy, as EqualityMaine weighed the level of support and considered whether the timing of the measure is right, said Betsy Smith, the group’s executive director. Also up in the air was whether a bill will be put in to challenge Maine’s policy on prescribing contraceptives to teenagers without parental consent.
Even for bills certain to be introduced, the language is still hazy at best because the deadline for bills to be submitted is Jan. 16.
One thing is absolutely clear: Majority Democrats and Republicans will start the year agreeing that given the state’s money woes, it’s going to be a very tough session.
Businesses will be watching closely to see if lawmakers heard the message from voters last Nov. 4 when they overwhelmingly rejected new taxes on beer, wine and soda to pay for state-subsidized health insurance, said Jim McGregor of the Maine Merchants Association.
“The business community is very nervous as to how the Legislature’s going to take the citizens veto,” said McGregor, who believes the state’s financial headaches will generate a lot of pressure to raise taxes or fees.
Hoping to generate momentum in the opposite direction, business is backing a proposal for a sales tax holiday. Rep. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, will propose entirely eliminating the sales tax homeowners pay for electricity. The first 750 kilowatt hours are already tax-exempt.
Lawmakers will take a more universal approach to tax policy this session when they consider new legislation to overhaul Maine’s tax code. While there will no doubt be changes from the package that fell short in 2007, it will maintain the essential ingredients of a broadened sales tax base and lower income taxes, said House Majority Leader John Piotti, D-Unity.
Legislation to make it easier for municipalities to exempt themselves from restrictions on big box developments, and in turn make businesses feel a little more welcome amid the sour economy, is also in the works.
Rep. Sharon Treat, D-Farmingdale, said she’ll put in a bill to help protect people from losing their homes in the wake of the national mortgage crisis. Treat also wants to protect renters whose landlords get foreclosure notices from losing their apartments.
On health issues, Treat will seek action to hold down prescription drug prices. Rep. Anne Perry, D-Calais, will try to get a law passed allowing pharmacists to administer vaccinations, putting Maine among the majority of states that do so. Sen. Richard Rosen, R-Bucksport, plans to introduce a health reinsurance bill, which is de-signed to better distribute risks in order to reduce premiums.
With the Dirigo health program in search of a new funding source given voters’ rejection of beer, wine and soda tax hikes, the future of the five-year-old program is certain to be an issue. The Baldacci administration plans legislation addressing Dirigo funding.
With a shortfall for the coming two-year budget estimated in excess of $800 million, the impact of dozens of programs will be closely examined. Minority Republicans see the dwindling revenues as an opportunity to restructure state government. Some have suggested removing some of the agencies within the government, such as the Audit Department, and transferring their duties to private firms.
A 30-member task force that studied consolidating natural resources-based departments, including Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Resources, Conservation and Agriculture, ended its work with no final recommendation to link up those agencies. But a moneysaving consolidation plan may well appear, as will bills calling for economies within each of the departments.
Democratic Sen. John Nutting of Leeds said he sees significant state savings in getting rid of dozens of high-management positions in state departments. Last session, lawmakers cut a dozen positions, but Nutting said nearly 40 more could go this time around.
“They’re mostly politically appointed positions,” said Nutting, who is putting in eight bills to carry out the cuts.
The school unit consolidation law pushed by Gov. John Baldacci is expected to draw a raft of bills seeking to tweak, revise or completely undo the process. Intended to save tens of millions of dollars in costs to property taxpayers, consolidation has generated harsh criticism and enough opposition to prompt a citizen initiative campaign aimed at repealing the law.
Mainers can expect to see a variety of energy bills, some promoting efficiency through weatherization and renewable sources, and some addressing private or self-generation of power. The volume of energy bills could lead to creation of a special select committee to deal just with that issue.
Some of the other bills expected in 2009 would:
ä Create a licensing system for catching saltwater fish in compliance with federal rules
ä Remove the bald eagle from Maine’s list of endangered and threatened species
ä Upgrade the standards of smoke detectors used in the state
ä Standardize the legal limit on fish between winter and summer fishing seasons
ä Increase the maximum contributions legislative and gubernatorial candidates can receive
ä Block a state mandate requiring retailers to file sales tax receipts electronically by April
ä Make acts of “road rage” a crime.