DownloadStatus: Bill passed; enacted without the Governor’s signature.
The legislature authorized reopening the St. Croix River to alewives which represents a long-sought after victory for wildlife habitat. Also known as river herring, alewives are a critical food source for Maine lobster, many fish species, and a variety of birds and mammals. The fish passages were closed in 1995 Continue...
Status: Bill passed; signed by the Governor in January 2014
The House and Senate both passed the GMO labeling bill with overwhelming support, and it became law in January 2014. The law will require food companies to label products that have been produced using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). LD 718 will go into effect when 5 contiguous northeast states, including Continue...
Status: <p>Bill passed; vetoed by the Governor; veto override failed</p>
Despite passage in the House by a wide margin and initial unanimous Senate passage, Governor LePage vetoed the Healthy Kids bill, and the Senate failed to override. LD 1181 would have required the disclosure of BPA use in food packaging by food manufacturers with more than a billion dollars in Continue...
Status: <p>Final Outcome: Bill failed; died in non-concurrence </p>
Open-pit sulfide mining is one of the most polluting industries, releasing dangerous arsenic, lead, and mercury into the surrounding watershed. Until last year it was highly improbable that this type of mining would ever occur in Maine, but a bill passed in 2012 weakened the clean water protections that apply Continue...
Status: <p>Bill passed; signed by the Governor </p>
The legislature directed the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to increase opportunities for public participation in deciding where new wind projects can be built. The DEP must also evaluate the potential scenic and wildlife impacts of wind power. The bill also protects the habitat of Bicknell’s Thrush, a globally rare Continue...
Status: <p>Bill passed; vetoed by the Governor; veto override failed</p>
In 2009, the Legislature directed the DEP to build upon the Universtiy of Maine’s climate impact assessment by evaluating the options available to Maine people and businesses for adapting to the likely environmental effects of climate change. Under Governor LePage’s administration however, the DEP ceased its study on climate change Continue...
Status: Bill passed; enacted without the Governor’s signature
The legislature passed LD 1308, which establishes a product stewardship program for architectural paints sold in Maine. Following the precedent set by Maine’s bottle bill, this bill enables consumers to return their unused house/building paint to designated locations throughout the State for recycling and proper disposal.