On June 8, Gov. Janet Mills signed Legislative Document 670 to increase lobbyist registration fees and Legislative Document 1377 amending campaign finance definitions.

Legislative Document 670 raises registration fees for lobbyists from $200 to $250 and lobbyist associates from $100 to $125.

Additionally, Legislative Document 670 allows employers to apply for a fee waiver and the commission may waive the fees in whole or in part if the commission determines an economic hardship to the applicant.

The registration fee increases were proposed by the ethics commission to cover operation costs for the lobbyist regulatory program and to improve its e-filing and public access system.

Legislative Document 1377 amends the definition of independent expenditure and allows a person or committee to request a commission determination that an expenditure is not an independent expenditure within seven days of disseminating the communication.

The bills go into effect 90 days after the end of the Legislature’s first special session.

The Maine Legislature adjourned sine die Tuesday, March 30.

During the session, the Ethics Commission proposed Legislative Document 670 to increase the annual registration fees for lobbyists from $200 to $250 and lobbyist associates from $100 to $125.

The bill would have raised lobbyist registration fees for the first time in over 20 years but did not pass in the first regular session.

The Legislature also scheduled a special session to convene on April 28 regarding a proposed supplemental budget.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.

A registered lobbyist is required to file monthly reports beginning the month they register through the lobbying year.

However, after the legislative session is concluded, if the lobbyist anticipates no further lobbying for a client, the lobbyist may file a request for a non-session waiver with their final monthly report for the session.

The Maine Legislative Council has scheduled the annual harassment prevention training for April 28 at 10 a.m.

Pursuant to 3 M.R.S.A. §170-B, lobbyists must complete an in-person harassment prevention training under the oversight of the Legislative Council, including the topics of sexual harassment and racial harassment.

Due to the public health threat caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s trainings will take place via Zoom.

Attendees are directed to fully participate and interact during the training and it is expected that participants will unmute audio when directed to do so and show their video during the entire event.

The training is expected to last approximately 90 minutes.

Space for the training is limited and online registration can be completed here.

Maine Governor Janet Mills and Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap announced a special election to be held March 9, 2021 for Senate District 14.

The seat is vacant after Senator Shenna Bellows was elected as Secretary of State by the Legislature.

The winner of the special election will serve Senator Bellows’ two-year term.

The Maine Senate will convene on Monday, August 24, to vote on three nominees for the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Campaign Practice.

Under the Legislature’s joint rules, the Senate may convene independently for confirmation votes.

Two of the nominees were nominated by Gov. Mills in February and the third was nominated by the state’s Republican caucus.

The Senate was unable to vote on the nominations during the regular legislative session due to COVID-19 concerns.

Senate President Troy Jackson and House Speaker Sara Gideon sent out a poll to Legislature members proposing a special legislative session.

If the majority of lawmakers agree to the special session the Legislature would reconvene in August at the Augusta Civic Center, following state health and safety guidelines.

Legislative leaders seek to address issues relating to the budget, economy, public school readiness, healthcare, and any bills carried over from the regular session.

To mitigate the spread of COVID-19 due to in-person voting, Gov. Janet Mills issued Executive Order 39.

Executive Order 39 postpones the primary from June 9 to Tuesday, July 14.

The order also allows applications for absentee ballots to be made in writing or in person up to and including the day of the election without specifying a reason.

The new application process permits voters to obtain and return the absentee ballot before the polls close on July 14.

The Maine Legislature adjourned sine die on March 17 due to concerns with COVID-19.

Before adjournment, lawmakers were able to pass a supplemental budget with provisions in response to the coronavirus.

During the shortened legislative session, lawmakers also passed Legislative Document 1867.

Legislative Document 1867 amends lobbyist reporting requirements and an expands sexual harassment training.

A registered lobbyist is required to file monthly reports beginning the month they register through the lobbying year.

However, after the legislative session is concluded, if the lobbyist anticipates no further lobbying for a client, the lobbyist may file a request for a non-session waiver with their final monthly report for the session.

Due to ongoing concerns with COVID-19, the Maine Legislature will suspend the legislative session on Tuesday, March 17.

Lawmakers will meet to consider bills relating to the supplemental budget and legislation regarding coronavirus response before adjourning.

Currently, the scheduled suspension is indefinite and no timeframe to reconvene lawmakers has been announced.

Until March 30, the State House will only be open to legislators, staff, and members of the press.

On March 12, Gov. Janet Mills signed into law Legislative Document 1867 clarifying lobbyist reporting and registration requirements.

The bill requires lobbyists to file a separate report for expenditures totaling over $300 in a calendar month.

Expenditures include those made to or on behalf of covered officials by the lobbyist, lobbyist associate or lobbying firm without reimbursement from an employer.

Legislative Document 1867 also defines a lobbying firm as a partnership, corporation, limited liability company or unincorporated association that employs or contracts with more than one lobbyist or lobbyist associate.

Additionally, the firm receives or is entitled to receive compensation for engaging in lobbying either directly or through its employees.

The bill also expands the annual harassment training to include lobbyist associates.

Legislative Document 1867 is effective December 1, 2020.

Legislative Document 54, sponsored by Senator Justin Chenette, became law without Gov. Janet Mill’s signature.

The bill extended the current law prohibiting the governor, members of the Legislature, constitutional officers, and their staff from soliciting and accepting contributions from a lobbyist or lobbyist associate to all year-round.

Unless the lobbyist or lobbyist associate is eligible to vote on the day of the election in a district where the candidate will appear on the ballot, the lobbyist and lobbyist associate may not contribute to the governor or member of the Legislature when not in legislative session or to a gubernatorial or legislative candidate at any time during the year.

An intentional violation of the prohibition results in a civil penalty up to $1,000 for each violation and the return of the contribution in violation to the contributor.

The Maine Ethics Commission has drafted a proposal to mandate lobbying reports from any group spending over $2,000 in a month on grassroots activism, including television or digital advertising, aimed at pending legislation.

The current threshold to trigger a report is $15,000, and even then only if the group first employs a traditional lobbyist.

The commission’s proposal is partly a response to the environmental organization Stop the Corridor, which ran advertisements last year opposing a proposed transmission line while lawmakers were considering bills pertaining to the project.

Ethics Commission proposals go to the state Legislature, which decides if it will craft them into legislation.

The annual lobbyist harassment prevention training in Maine for 2020 is now available.

December training will be held in State House Room 127 Taxation in Augusta.

Training in January, February, and March will be held at the State House Complex.

The locations for the training will be emailed the week prior to the event.

Free registration is available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harassment-prevention-training-for-lobbyists-tickets-63813406617.

Maine lawmakers voted to pass Gov. Janet Mills’ proposed $105 million bond to fund transportation efforts during the one-day special legislative session on Monday, August 26.

The transportation bond to upgrade roads, bridges, ports, rail and air transportation, and to repair culverts and restore a commercial fishing wharf will now head to the ballot for voters on November 5.

The three proposed bonds for land conservation projects; infrastructure and economic development; and environment and energy projects all failed to reach the two-thirds vote needed to pass.