A special election has been scheduled for June 13 to fill a vacant state representative seat in Maine House District 45.

The seat became vacant when Rep. Clinton Collamore resigned last month after being indicted on charges related to violations of the state’s Clean Election Act.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term set to expire at the end of 2024.

Maine’s Commission on Governmental Ethics and Elections Practices raised contribution limits.

Individuals and PACs may now contribute up to $1,950 per election to gubernatorial candidates, up to $475 per election to legislative candidates, and up to $575 per election for municipal candidates.

The next adjustment to contribution limits is expected to occur in January 2025

Voters passed seven of 13 ballot questions including measures to establish a clean elections program, ranked-choice voting, an ethics commission, and a code of ethics.

The new campaign finance rules prohibit corporate contributions to candidates for city office and prohibit ballot question contributions or expenditures from any entity under foreign influence.

The city will use a proportional ranked choice voting method for elections in which more than one person is to be elected to a single office.

City Council will form an independent ethics commission and then adopt a code of ethics as recommended by the commission.

Portland, Maine City Council adopted an ethics code that will apply to the council members.

The ethics code adopts and incorporates by reference several provisions of state law, including the sections on improper influence and improper gifts to public servants in 17-A M.R.S.A. §§603, 605.

The code requires city officials to avoid financial conflict of interest and to refuse benefits or gifts of any kind from individuals seeking to influence the council’s decisions.

The code also prohibits council members from accepting free items from persons, firms, or corporations who have a contract with the city.

Councilors will also be prohibited from soliciting political contributions from any prospective city contractors or any individuals or entities who did business with the city in the prior 12 months.

The ethics code will take effect on June 16.

The second regular session of the 130^th Maine Legislature adjourned sine die on May 9.

Two campaign finance bills were passed during the session and signed by the governor.

Legislative Document 1782, effective January 1, 2023, permits business entities to contribute the paid staff time of its employees to the entity’s separate segregated fund committee.

Legislative Document 1754 amends the state’s major contributor disclosure law and will take effect on August 8.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.

A registered lobbyist who anticipates no further lobbying for a client may file a request for a non-session waiver with their final monthly report for the session due June 15.

Maine Gov. Mills signed Legislative Document 1782 amending the state’s campaign finance law.

Beginning December 1, 2023, the amount individuals can contribute to separate segregated fund committees will be adjusted every two years based on the Consumer Price Index.

The new law also permits corporations, membership organizations, cooperative or labor organizations to contribute the paid staff time of its employees and independent contractors to establish the entity’s separate segregated fund committee and to provide fundraising and administrative services to the committee.

A business entity will also be permitted to provide its separate segregated fund committee with the use of offices, telephones, computers, and other equipment, even if doing so results in an additional cost to the business entity.

Legislative Document 1782 will take effect on January 1, 2023.

Maine Gov. Mills signed Legislative Document 1754 amending the state’s major contributor disclosure law.

The amendments exclude committees from the definition of major contributor and exclude certain funds from disclosure requirements.

Major contributors will no longer need to disclose funds restricted to non-campaign uses; derived from the major contributor’s regular trade, business, or investment income; and provided by a source that contributed no more than $5,000 to the major contributor during the relevant reporting period.

The law also clarifies the penalties associated with noncompliance and provides a mechanism to request a waiver of the penalties.

Legislative Document 1754 will take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the current legislative session.

Gov. Mills announced a special election for Maine Senate District 7 to be held on June 14.

The seat became vacant when Sen. Louis Luchini resigned to take a position with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the two-year term set to expire in December.

Sen. Louis Luchini announced he would resign from the Maine Legislature in order to accept a new job as an advocate within the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The governor is expected to call a special election to fill the vacant seat in Senate District 7 for the remainder of the term ending in December 2022.

The Maine State Ethics Commission released the dates of the next lobbyist harassment training.

All lobbyists must complete harassment training at the start of each legislative session and lobbyists must maintain copies of their annual certifications for at least two years.

Training sessions will be held on December 14, January 4, 2022, January 18, 2022, and March 4, 2022.

Lobbyists can register for a training session by visiting the Ethics Commission’s website.

Maine Gov. Mills announced a special election to be held on January 11, 2022, for House District 27.

The seat became vacant when Rep. Kyle Bailey resigned in October to pursue other career opportunities.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the two-year term set to expire in December 2022.

Democrat Raegan LaRochelle defeated James Orr in a special election to serve as the next Representative for Maine’s District 86.

The District 86 seat became vacant when Rep. Justin Fecteau resigned earlier this year to move out of state.

LaRochelle, a current Augusta City Council member, will serve the remainder of the term set to expire at the end of December 2022.

The Maine State Legislature convened in a one-day special session on September 29 to pass the state’s redistricting plans.

Both the House and Senate adjourned sine die that afternoon.

The Maine Ethics Commission announced it would hold a three-hour course covering recent changes to the law governing the registration and reporting requirements for political committees.

The course will take place on October 18, both in-person and over Zoom, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Registration for the course is available online and a recording of the training will be available on the commission’s YouTube channel.