Gov. Mills signs into law Sen. Diamond bill to honor fallen state troopers

AUGUSTA – On Monday, Gov. Janet Mills signed into law a bill sponsored by Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham. An amended version of LD 537, “An Act To Dedicate Sections of Maine’s Interstate Highway System to Fallen State Troopers,” honors fallen Maine State Troopers by dedicating one mile of Maine’s secondary roadways to each trooper who dies or has died in the line of duty.

“With the signing of this bill into law, we’re paying our respects to the 12 Maine State Troopers we’ve lost in the 100 years of the force’s existence, and to any troopers we may sadly lose in the future,” said Sen. Diamond. “Recognizing these fallen heroes on the roads they patrolled and in the communities they served is such a meaningful statement. I’m thankful to my colleagues in the Legislature, to Gov. Mills and to everyone who worked hard to make this possible.”

As amended, LD 537 will dedicate one mile of one of Maine’s secondary roadways to each of the 12 Maine State Troopers who have died in the line of duty, and to each trooper who dies in the line of duty moving forward. Dedicated roadways will be marked with memorial signs in both directions of the roadway and will be located as close as possible to the patrol area of the fallen officer. A previous version of the bill would have dedicated one mile stretches of Interstate 95. The bill was amended to be consistent with federal regulations for signage on interstates.

The law goes into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die.