Laws championed by Sen. Luchini take effect
AUGUSTA — A series of non-emergency laws sponsored and championed by Sen. Louie Luchini, D-Ellsworth, that support Maine children, seniors, families and small businesses, took effect on 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.
“Despite the unusual circumstances of this past session, the Legislature was able to accomplish a lot of good work,” said Sen. Luchini. “The laws we passed this year will have a measurable impact on the lives of Maine people and the strength of Maine’s economy. After all we’ve endured these past 18 months, I’m proud that the Legislature was able to step up and prioritize help for those who need it most, from our heritage industries to working families and the small businesses that power our communities.”
As chair of the Legislature’s Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs, Sen. Luchini spent much of this session working to pass new laws that improve Maine’s elections. Sen. Luchini sponsored a law that makes permanent many of the innovative measures the state put in place to make voting more accessible and safe during the pandemic. This includes secure absentee ballot drop boxes, continuing the online absentee ballot tracker and more help for clerks to “cure” ballots to make sure citizens’ votes are accurately registered. To help keep special interests out of politics, Sen. Luchini also sponsored a law to ban corporations from contributing to individual legislative candidates or legislator-controlled political action committees.
Other laws championed by Sen. Luchini this year included proposals to help Maine farmers maintain healthy and fertile soil and to support Maine’s lobster industry by extending funding for the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. Sen. Luchini also supported a measure to create the insulin safety-net program, which will allow Mainers to access an emergency 30-day supply of insulin at any pharmacy for less than $35. This new program, which wills save lives, must be implemented no later than March 1, 2022. Sen. Luchini also supported measures to ease property tax burdens for Maine seniors and veterans to help them stay in their homes.
Sen. Luchini also sponsored a slew of emergency laws that went into effect earlier this year to support Maine’s struggling tourism and hospitality industries. To help Maine theaters and entertainment venues, Sen. Luchini sponsored a law to make it easier for them to host outdoor events. Sen. Luchini worked alongside restaurants and craft beverage makers to pass legislation to help them stay open through the pandemic, including extending the ability of restaurants and bars to serve alcohol to go.
This year, lawmakers also made good on longstanding 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.