Senate President Mattie Daughtry of Brunswick stands as the rostrum of the Maine House of Representatives during a joint session on the first day of the legislative year on Dec. 4, 2024. (Photo by Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star)
Last session, the Maine Legislature considered proposals on a variety of topics. Despite sparking lengthy debate or, in some cases, being approved by both the Maine Senate and House of Representatives, many did not end up becoming law.
Several lawmakers and advocates told Maine Morning Star they plan to raise these issues again in the 132nd Legislature, which begins its work in earnest in the coming weeks. Some have already filed legislation.
Here are some of the issues that are expected to come up again in 2025:
Data privacy
Last session, lawmakers spent 12 public meetings and countless hours behind the scenes considering two competing comprehensive data privacy laws. But, the Legislature ultimately ended up killing both.
One of the proposals, from former Rep. Maggie O’Neil (D-Saco), would have made Maine’s regulations on companies that collect consumer information online among the strictest in the country. This version was favored by privacy advocates, Maine’s attorney general and the majority of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.
The other plan, from former Sen. Lisa Keim (R-Oxford), was backed by businesses and technology companies and followed a template that has been increasingly adopted by other states in recent years.
The House and Senate both voted against Keim’s proposal on its first pass but split in their support of O’Neil’s version, with the House in support. O’Neil’s bill bounced back and forth again before ultimately dying after neither chamber would alter its stance.
While agreement could not be reached last session, both bill sponsors told Maine Morning Star they hoped their proposals started a conversation that will eventually lead to a comprehensive data privacy law in Maine. O’Neil and Keim termed out but said they expect others who had engaged in the extensive debate to continue the work, including Rep. Rachel Henderson (R-Rumford), who worked with Keim on her proposal.
Tribal sovereignty
For the past several Legislative sessions, leaders of the Wabanaki Nations have worked with lawmakers to try to overhaul a 1980 land settlement agreement that has resulted in the tribes being treated more akin to municipalities than sovereign nations, leaving them with a different relationship to both the state and federal government than the other 570 federally-recognized tribes in the United States.
So far, sweeping change has failed, while piecemeal reforms have seen success.
Last session, the third attempt at sweeping legislation languished, however a pared back version that provides the Wabanaki Nations more authority to prosecute crimes on tribal land became law.
Looking ahead to the 132nd Legislature, Wabanaki leaders told Maine Morning Star they plan to take a two-pronged approach: back an omnibus bill aimed to provide comprehensive reform but also back legislation focused on specific parts of the land agreement to ensure momentum continues.
Seeking full enforcement of existing laws
Maine Human Rights Act
This fall, the Maine Permanent Commission on the Status of Women recommended in its 2024 report that the state make sure existing entities dedicated to fighting and tracking gender disparities are adequately funded.
As an example, the commission highlighted the Maine Human Rights Commission, which currently enforces anti-discrimination laws outlined by the Maine Human Rights Act. This recommendation comes after other reports have found inadequate staffing and limited resources at the Maine Human Rights Commision.
“We’re not planning to submit any legislation specifically ourselves, but some of the recommendations we lift up have to do with bills that are anticipated to go forward,” said Elinor Higgins, executive director of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Last session, lawmakers introduced legislation to ensure that the state is fully enforcing existing laws like the Maine Human Rights Act. However, those proposals fell short of passing.
Civil Rights
A proposal to create a dedicated Civil Rights Unit to enforce violations of the Maine Civil Rights Act, which prohibits violence or threats of violence motivated by bias based on characteristics such as race and gender, passed the Legislature last session. However, this bill also ultimately failed after getting caught up in the funding process. (You can see how it died by looking at LD 2210 here.)
Wabanaki studies
The Maine Legislature passed a bill last session to create an African American and Wabanaki Studies advisory council, which would be tasked with ensuring that the courses of study — already required under Maine law — are effectively implemented in schools.
However, the bill ultimately failed to become law because it got caught up in the funding process. (You can follow the entire, windy path of the bill’s demise here.)
‘Forever chemicals’
Brunswick legislators have already filed bills for the 132nd session to better regulate forever chemical-laden firefighting foam, following the accidental discharge of the toxic material in their town over the summer.
Democratic Rep. Dan Ankeles proposed a foam take-back program, similar to one New Hampshire launched this summer. He also filed legislation calling for the immediate removal of the foam from the spill site, Brunswick Executive Airport, as well as a measure to authorize the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a statewide inventory of the foam, as the exact amounts and locations of the toxic material remain unclear.
Meanwhile, Senate President Mattie Daughtry is taking the lead on legislation to address the governance of the residential and business community integrated with the airport, Brunswick Landing.
Maine has been a leader in establishing protections against per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals.” In 2021, Maine was the first state to pass a rule requiring manufacturers to report intentionally added PFAS in their products. Last session, lawmakers considered a reporting exemption for agriculture products with intentionally added forever chemicals but ultimately shot it down.
This proposal and others from last session, as well as the foam spill in Brunswick, underscored there are many untapped areas where forever chemical contamination remains unaddressed.
(For more on the use of PFAS in and around firefighting in Maine, check out Maine Morning Star’s investigation in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center.)
Minimum wage for agricultural workers
When the 132nd Legislature starts, farmworkers in Maine still won’t have the right to state minimum wage. It isn’t for a lack of trying.
Last session, Mills introduced a proposal that would have guaranteed that agricultural workers would be paid at least $14.15 an hour and have the same annual cost-of-living increases provided to other hourly workers. The bill also included expanded recordkeeping requirements for employers.
But Mills said the Legislature made changes that left her with no other option than to veto her own bill. It wasn’t the first time Mills vetoed a proposal like this. In fact, her proposal was born out of recommendations from the Agricultural Worker Minimum Wage Committee, which Mills formed after vetoing a similar bill in 2023.
Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot), who worked on the committee Mills convened and was the Senate chair for the labor committee last session, said this is an issue he plans to continue working on in the coming session.
He couldn’t specify who, but Tipping, who will again chair the Legislature’s labor committee, said he understands that a legislator has submitted a proposal for farmworker minimum wage for the upcoming session. Though he couldn’t speak directly to the text of the bill, Tipping said he anticipates it being similar to the recommendations that came from the committee Mills’ convened.
While he appreciates the work from many legislators, members of the agriculture sector and staff of the Mills’ administration, Tipping said he is “disappointed we couldn’t get it across that final step.” But he said he looks forward to trying again.
Child welfare
There were multiple attempts to improve the state’s embattled child welfare system last session. Some suggested structural changes within the Department of Health and Human Services, while others sought to implement greater oversight.
However, lawmakers’ work came to a close with little to show as far as concrete action. The Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee did put forth a list of more than two dozen suggested reforms, which were informed by the months they spent learning about the system’s failures from caseworkers and others involved with the agency.
A recently released federal audit also showed that a vast majority of child abuse cases in the state failed to comply with best practices. But Bobbi Johnson, director of the Office of Child and Family Services, said the agency has made policy and technology updates since she took over in January that would produce better results if a similar audit was completed again.
Johnson has updated the Legislature throughout the year about changes within the agency and how she is trying to improve the work conditions for caseworkers and safety for children. Still, Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) has said fixing the child welfare system is a top priority for him in the upcoming session.
Taxes
Maine is expected to see an overall revenue shortfall in the coming years, and progressives and conservatives both within the Legislature and in the economic policy scene are already floating opposing suggestions for how to close the gap.
Taxes are one area. Some progressives see adding new income brackets with higher tax rates for wealthier residents as a solution. However, Mills vetoed a bill last year that would have done just that.
Meanwhile, Republicans are generally opposed to raising taxes. When outlining his priorities for the session, Stewart said, “We certainly can’t raise taxes. That shouldn’t be on anyone’s agenda.” He also clarified this includes opposing raising taxes on the wealthy.
Rep. Joshua Morris (R-Turner) has already filed legislation related to taxes. His bill aims to repeal the payroll tax funding the new statewide paid family and medical leave program, which he argues will be too much for Mainers.
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