Laws championed by Sen. Diamond take effect
AUGUSTA — A series of non-emergency laws sponsored and championed by Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, that support Maine children, seniors, families and small businesses, took effect Monday, Oct. 18. Highlights include new laws to provide access to lifesaving insulin, provide property tax relief, expand access to quality child care and ban corporate contributions to political candidates.
“Now more than ever, Maine people and small businesses are counting on their elected representatives to pass laws that make a real difference in their lives,” said Sen. Diamond. “I’m proud that we were able to do that this past session. Times are still hard, and we’re not out of the woods yet, but the laws we passed this year will help Mainers get back on their feet in the short-term and will set us up for long-term success.”
As chair of the Legislature’s Committee on Transportation, Sen. Diamond spent much of this session working to pass new laws that make Maine’s roadways safer and more family friendly. This includes a law sponsored by Sen. Diamond to allow the Secretary of State to reject applications for vanity license plates that violate a narrow set of guidelines, including profane language, language related to sex acts and language that makes derogatory references to protected classes under the Maine Human Rights Act.
As part of his long-standing mission to protect Maine kids, Sen. Diamond sponsored legislation this year to increase training for guardians ad litem so they can better recognize and understand the effects of domestic violence and abuse on children. Sen. Diamond also sponsored a law to increase the penalty for sex trafficking a child, and he sponsored a law to support the civilian employees in the unit of the Maine State Police that investigates digital sex crimes against children by allowing them to participate in the State’s 1998 Special Retirement Plan.
Other laws championed by Sen. Diamond this year include a measure to help eligible Maine seniors remain in their homes by allowing the state to pay their property taxes and recoup the costs later. Sen. Diamond also supported legislation to expand access to child care across the state, to help welcome more veterans into Maine’s workforce, and to allow people who rely on insulin to access an emergency 30-day supply of the medicine at any pharmacy for $35 or less.
This year, lawmakers also made good on long-standing commitments to Maine people and municipalities. Lawmakers funded K-12 education at 55 percent for the first time since Maine voters mandated it at the ballot box in 2004 and signed off on a plan to fully restore revenue sharing by 2023. Maine lawmakers also voted to send $300 as a “hazard bonus” to eligible Maine workers who worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
All non-emergency laws take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die unless otherwise specified.
