We’re entering the last weeks of the session, and we still have to vote on a lot of bills. We are holding double sessions so that we can finish our work. Over 150 bills still have not made their way to the Senate floor. Much of our day is spent learning the fine details of each bill from the committee chairs. It is not uncommon to spend an hour discussing the merits of a bill. Today, I will address three of these bills for you.

Community Event
I have an announcement to make: While it has been an honor serving Portland in the legislature, I have decided to make a career-shift into the fast-paced world of fashion modeling!

In all seriousness, last Saturday night I had the pleasure of helping Meredith Alex, aka Madgirl World debut her new line of men’s clothing – Madmen – at Port City Music Hall. There was an incredible turnout for an all-around fun event. It was also a great convergence of entrepreneurship, local music, and local business, and it highlighted the incredible importance of the creative economy to Portland.
Appropriations Committee Budget

On Tuesday, March 23rd, the Appropriations Committee closed the biennial budget. The Governor’s initial budget called for $438 million in cuts. On Tuesday, Appropriations unanimously voted on $310 million of cuts.

Here’s a quick snapshot of some highlights:

Health Care
Healthcare expected to receive an $85.7 million cut, but that was reduced to $23 million, a restoration of $62.7 million. This was done by eliminating a ten percent cut to twenty different Medicaid programs. Some programs are still subject to their ten percent reduction, which includes transportation services, behavioral health services, and other programs. Hospitals will experience a $14.7 million cut.

Revenue Sharing & the Circuit Breaker Rebate
The circuit breaker property tax relief program was expected to be cut by $5.6 million. The Appropriations Committee has decided to fully fund the relief program and restored all cut funds. Revenue sharing, which is money given to cities and towns for their general funds, was projected to be cut by $27 million. The Appropriations Committee has restored this funding by $11 million, $6 million for fiscal year 2010, and $5 million for fiscal year 2011.

More Final Bills
Last week, I shared three bills with you that were coming out of committee and have received considerable attention in the final days of the session. I received such a great response that I felt it would be good to share a few more. Here is a brief rundown of three more bills:

Paid sick days
LD 1665, “An Act to Prevent the Spread of H1N1,” was introduced by Senate President Mitchell, and would mandate employers to provide paid sick leave for all employees. Often, especially in lower-wage jobs, employees have little to no sick leave, sick days are usually unpaid, and in some cases, they have been fired for being sick or taking time off to care for a loved one. After initial opposition, President Mitchell amended the bill to allow employees to sue if they believe they have been fired for taking a sick day. Many business owners oppose this bill because of the costs associated with providing paid sick days to employees. In addition, Maine would be the first state to provide this benefit, leaving some to question its viability. On Monday, March 22nd, the Labor committee voted 9-2 against the bill. However, because it received some support in committee, the bill will still go for a full vote in the House and the Senate.

Closing
With just a few weeks to go and a few key votes left, your input is now more important than ever. Please send me your questions, thoughts and comments on how you’d like me to vote in the Legislature. Thank you!

-Justin