Libby Palanza

3 weeks ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

The Maine State Legislature has unanimously approved a bill increasing the number of children for whom childcare providers may be responsible before they are required to be licensed. Under current state law, providers may only care for up to two children other than their own before they need to obtain a license through the state. LD 202 raised this threshold to three while also adding further nuance based on the age and relationship between the children under supervision.

3 weeks ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

A Harpswell Democrat’s bill to levy an additional four percent tax on income earned over $1 million in order to fund public education is now on track for adoption by the Maine State Legislature. Sponsored by Rep. Cheryl A. Golek (D-Harpswell), LD 1089 would impose this new “surcharge” on income beginning with that generated this year.

3 weeks ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

After rejecting a number of bills aimed at repealing or amending Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program earlier this week, the state Senate now has advanced a measure that would add new penalties and enforcement measures to the program. The bill, introduced by President of the Senate Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) — who sponsored the original PFML program — and cosponsored by Rep.

3 weeks ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

One Maine GOP lawmaker has sought to establish a new special committee tasked with reviewing routine technical rule-making by state agencies in order to vet whether bureaucratic rules are in the public interest, but the Democrat majority appears poised to thwart his bill from becoming law. Under the Maine Administrative Procedures Act, agency rulemaking falls into one of two categories: routine technical or major substantive.

3 weeks ago | themainewire.com | Libby Palanza

The Maine House of Representatives considered an additional series of bills during Monday’s session pertaining to the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program later on Monday after voting down a bid to repeal the program and another to make it voluntary earlier in the day.