Citizens in Charge

Recent news reports indicate that efforts to reduce the number of bills submitted by Maine legislators have been successful — with the number of bills down 23 percent from the previous two-year session. But a close look at one bill moving forward this year illustrates that Maine’s legislative process remains fundamentally flawed.

In Maine, a legislator may introduce a bill on any subject and there is no limit on the number of bills that a legislator may introduce. Two years ago, the number of bills submitted exceeded 2,000. This large number of bills imposes a major burden on the Legislature because every bill must be drafted, printed and assigned to a committee.

Unlike the process in Congress and many state legislatures, in Maine, a public hearing is held on every bill submitted and committee chairmen can’t bottle up a bill in committee. If a bill has the support of one committee member, it will be considered by the House and Senate.

This open process allows the minority party to have its ideas considered and is consistent with Maine’s town meeting tradition. But as a result, the Legislature spends a lot of time moving paper and considering bills with little chance of passing instead of focusing on the major issues facing Maine.

In an effort to combat this problem, legislative leaders have taken steps to reduce the number of bills submitted. They have encouraged legislators to be more cautious about submitting bills. Legislative leaders also moved forward the deadline for submitting bills to allow legislators more time to consult with their colleagues before having bills drafted, in hopes of reducing duplicate bills and bills with little support. This effort has resulted in some success but one bill that already has been printed shows that much more needs to be done.

In an effort to combat this problem, legislative leaders have taken steps to reduce the number of bills submitted. They have encouraged legislators to be more cautious about submitting bills. Legislative leaders also moved forward the deadline for submitting bills to allow legislators more time to consult with their colleagues before having bills drafted, in hopes of reducing duplicate bills and bills with little support. This effort has resulted in some success but one bill that already has been printed shows that much more needs to be done.

LD 28, “An Act To Promote the Integrity of Citizens’ Initiatives,” is sponsored by Rep. Mark Bryant, D-Windham, and has nine co-sponsors. The bill is a simple, one-line proposal that would require any person who gathers signatures for a citizens’ initiative or people’s veto to be a registered voter in Maine…(Read More)