Under the Dome: Inside the Maine State House provides a high-level overview of recent activity at the Maine State House.

Pierce Atwood’s 2016 Summary of New Maine Laws Now Available!
We are pleased to share our 2016 Summary of New Maine Laws enacted during the Second Regular Session of Maine's 127th Legislature, which adjourned sine die April 29, 2016. This report summarizes the new laws most pertinent to our clients and is not intended to include all new laws.

Maine Ethics Commission Hopeful It Can Fully Fund Clean Election Candidate Races
Over the past few months, the Maine Ethics Commission has expressed concern that it may not have sufficient funds to cover the candidates running this year under the clean election system. However, this week Maine Ethics Commission Director Jonathan Wayne stated that the “Commission staff think there’s a good chance that there will be enough money in the Maine Clean Election Fund to fully fund candidates this year, but we can’t be sure.” Wayne added that if the Fund does run out of money, there may be a way for candidates to supplement their campaigns through traditional fundraising.

Debate Continues Over Audio Recordings of Committee Hearings at the State House
The ability to archive audio recordings of committee hearings in the Capitol and the Burton M. Cross State Office Building has existed only for a few months, as a result of technology upgrades to the microphone systems in the legislative committee rooms. However, the Legislative Council voted in March to suspend the archiving of these audio recordings. In response, a recent Bangor Daily News editorial suggested that archiving them would provide greater public access to the goings-on in Augusta. Currently, 35 other states record and archive their committee hearings online. The Legislative Council is not expected to make a final decision on the issue until the next legislature is sworn in.