Four more states making campaign finance and lobbying changes. Check out which states are passing legislation in this week’s NYCU Video Digest!

Gov. Janet Mills announced her plan to hold, until next legislative session, a lobbying bill that would limit the influence of lobbyists by expanding the prohibition on accepting political contributions.

Current law prohibits a lobbyist, lobbyist associate or employer from contributing to the governor, members of the Legislature, constitutional officers, or their staff or agents while the Legislature is convened in session.

Legislative Document 54 would extend the application of that prohibition year-round, regardless of whether the Legislature is in session.

Gov. Mills will review the bill at the start of the 2020 legislative session. 

The 129th Legislature adjourned sine die just after 6:45 a.m. on June 20 after six months in session.

During the session, Gov. Janet Mills signed amendments to the Maine Clean Election Act, clarifying disclosure requirements for political communications.

Legislative Document 1721 provides automated, pre-recorded telephone calls and scripted live telephone communications that name a clearly identified candidate must clearly state the name of the person who made or financed the expenditure for the communication and whether the communication was authorized by a candidate.

Disclosure must be made during the 28 days, including election day, before a primary election or the 35 days, including election day, before a special election or between Labor Day and the date of a general election.

The bill further provides whenever a person makes an expenditure exceeding $500 expressly advocating through prerecorded automated telephone calls or scripted live telephone calls for or against an initiative or referendum appearing on a ballot, the telephone calls must clearly state only the name of the person who made or financed the expenditure for the communication.

The amendments will take effect on September 19, 2019.

Gov. Janet Mills recently signed two lobbying bills and one campaign finance bill into law.

Legislative Document 76 bans future lawmakers from any paid lobbying within their first year out of office beginning with the 130th Legislature.

Legislative Document 825 expands the scope of harassment prevention training required for legislators, legislative staff, and lobbyists to include racial harassment.

The bill will take effect 90 days after adjournment of the legislative session.

Legislative Document 780 reduces from $850 to $500 the maximum allowable contribution individuals, corporations, PACs, and labor unions may make to candidates for municipal office.

The bill will take effect on January 1, 2020.

A special election will take place on June 11 to fill a vacancy in House District 45.

Rep. Dale Denno, who was re-elected for a second term in November, has resigned for health reasons.

The elected candidate will serve the remainder of Denno’s term, which would have ended in December 2020.

The Maine Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted 8-1 in support of Sen. Ben Chipman’s proposal to reduce from $850 to $500 the maximum contribution to candidates seeking municipal office.

Legislative Document 780 faces additional votes in the House and Senate.

If enacted, the bill would take effect January 1, 2020.

Rep. Larry Lockman introduced a bill in the Legislature that aims to prohibit public school teachers in the state from engaging in political advocacy in the classroom.

The proposed legislation establishes a code of ethics for professional conduct that prohibits teachers from acting in their role as publicly employed educators to endorse or oppose elected officials and candidates and from introducing any controversial subject matter that is not germane to the topic of the course.

A special election will take place on April 2 to fill a vacancy in House District 52.

Rep. Jennifer DeChant vacated the office to work at telecommunications and media company Charter Communications.

DeChant had served in House District 52 since 2012.

Gov. Janet Mills and Sec. of State Matthew Dunlap announced a special election to be held on March 12 for House District 124.

Rep. Aaron Frey vacated the office to serve as attorney general.

House District 124 includes portions of Bangor and Orono.

Maine has elected state Attorney General Janet Mills as governor, making her the first woman to hold the state’s highest office. Mills is taking over for Republican Paul LePage, who is known for being combative.

In addition to making racist remarks, he led efforts to block Medicaid expansion in Maine, even after voters approved the move in a ballot initiative. In fact, LaPage sued Mills after she refused to represent him in several federal cases.

Mills, who was the first woman elected as a district attorney in New England, was also the first female attorney general of Maine.

Her main priorities for the state include increasing access to Medicaid by funding the efforts with the $35 million she secured from a tobacco settlement, providing broadband access in rural areas and addressing the opioid crisis.

The Maine Legislature adjourned without day on September 13, 2018.

The special session, called to finish business from the regular session regarding Medicaid expansion and minimum wage increases, began on June 19.

During the final day, Gov. Paul LePage threatened to call the Legislature into another special session if they did not pass a bill aimed at protecting elderly Mainers from foreclosure.

In turn, legislators passed a version of the bill on Thursday evening.

Rep. Dillon Bates resigned today after being accused of manipulating students into sexual relationships while he was a teacher.

After learning of the investigation by the Portland Police Department, Speaker Sara Gideon called for his immediate resignation.

Bates denies the allegations and said he resigned because there are few hours of work left as a legislator this year, and he wants to spend this time clearing his name.

Due to the passage of Legislative Document 1842, lobbyists will be required to complete an in-person harassment training.

The training must be taken at the beginning of every regular session.

Additionally, lobbyists must include the date the training was completed on their lobbyist registration form.

The bill will become effective at the adjournment of the special session.

The Maine Ethics Commission will be rolling out a new campaign finance reporting system for candidates, party committees, political action committees, and ballot question committees.

The lobbyist reporting system will remain the same. However, for those individuals who use the same login credentials to access both the campaign finance system and lobbyist system, the login will remain the same, but the reporting systems will be separate.

As a result of the upgrade, both the lobbyist reporting system and campaign finance system will be inaccessible starting at 6:00 p.m. June 28 until the morning of July 2.