Member Blog

ABC Maine Legislative Update - March 2026

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:01:00 GMT

The Maine Legislature is heading into the final month of the legislative session. Most committee work is now concluding, which means more time will be spent in the House and Senate chambers for debate and floor votes on pending legislation.

At the same time, the Governor’s supplemental budget proposal is continuing to move through the Appropriations Committee process and is expected to reach the House and Senate floors later this month. Budget negotiations will likely dominate the final weeks of the session.

As the legislative calendar winds down, attention will quickly begin shifting toward the upcoming campaign season. Many legislators will soon turn their focus to elections, making the remaining weeks of the session an important window for final legislative action.

Below is an update on ABC Maine’s priority legislation this session:

LD 1457 – Resolve, to Allow the Maine Turnpike Authority to Conduct a Pilot Program to Implement Automated Speed Control Systems in Highway Work Zones
Voted Ought to Pass as Amended (11–1) in committee. This legislation would allow the Maine Turnpike Authority to conduct a pilot program using automated speed enforcement in highway work zones to improve safety for construction workers and motorists.
LD 838 – An Act to Explore Public Financing and Ownership of Electric Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure
The bill has been converted into a study, removing the original language that raised concerns related to potential PLA/PHA requirements. There has been discussion about including labor standards as part of the study scope, which ABC Maine will continue to monitor closely.
LD 2070 – An Act to Prohibit Landfill Expansion into Wetlands
This bill has been converted into a DEP study, which removed ABC Maine’s concerns with the original bill language.
LD 2049 – An Act to Clarify Indemnification When Seeking Remedy for Labor Law Violations
This bill was defeated. The original proposal included concerning “joint and several liability” language that could have significantly expanded liability exposure for contractors and construction businesses.

ABC Maine will continue monitoring legislative activity through the final weeks of session and will keep members informed of any developments that impact the construction industry.

Thank you!

Maine Legislature 2025

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:37:40 GMT

The Maine Legislature is scheduled to start the second regular session on January 7, 2026. There are only 4 months in the second session and lots of bills hanging in the balance. Statuary adjournment is scheduled for April 15, 2026.

Our view is that while there is still plenty of work to accomplish, lawmakers have big incentives to finish quickly. The Blaine House and all 186 seats of the Maine Legislature will be up for grabs and fundraising cannot start in earnest until the legislature has finished its work. The Mills administration will also be coming to a close and it is widely expected that commissioners and key staff will begin to look for other work or join campaigns that are in progress.

Governor Mills in particular will be looking for a quick exit. What was once looking like a walk in the park primary for the US Senate is proving to be a much bigger headache. Graham Platner has been leading in most polls and has weathered what can only be described as a political category 5 hurricane. Currently, the Real Clear Politics average has Mills only 4 points ahead of Platner.

Another person who will be looking for a quick exit will be State Rep. Tiffany Roberts (D-North Berwick). Rep. Roberts is the author of Maine’s Right to Repair law and has been aggressively pursuing Contractor Licensing legislation. She launched a primary challenge against US Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME01).

Maine’s CD-02 race has been interesting since Congressman Jared Golden’s decision not to pursue re-election. Democrats saw US Senate Candidate Jordan Wood move to Lewiston and swap races to join the US House primary. State Auditor Matt Dunlap was already in the race, and it seems as if State Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Bangor) may jump in the race as well. The Democratic winner will likely face off against former Governor Paul LePage for the seat.

The Legislature is certainly setting up to make all these candidates’ dreams come true. The 10-member legislative council allowed less than 100 additional bills in for the second session. This is a shockingly low number that will ensure work is completed fast.

As always, your team at Dirigo Public Affairs is honored to represent the shop contractors at ABC Maine. We wish you a very happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.

Legislative Update: A Steady Session Ahead

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 03:43:36 GMT

Summer and Fall have nearly come and gone and that means that the second session of the Maine Legislature is coming over the horizon. The Legislature will commence in January to finish the work left from the first session and deal with any remaining budgetary issues that will come up before the 2026 midterm election kicks off.

In the second session, the Legislature does not allow all bills to have a hearing. As of now, no new bills that have been allowed in by the Legislative Council should have any impact to ABC or its member companies. Our Government Affairs team at Dirigo Public Affairs has been keeping a close eye on all new bills that have been proposed and watching for any problematic new legislation.

ABC Maine is still following 9 bills that were carried over from the last session that will be dealt with in one way or another by the end of session. Adjournment is scheduled for mid April 2026.

The second session is shaping up to be largely uneventful and likely deadlocked. In the House, Democrats have lost 2 members during the Summer break. Rep. Ed Crockett (D-Portland) has unenrolled and launched an independent campaign for Governor. Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston) has resigned and taken over as Senate President Mattie Daughtry’s chief of staff. This leaves no party with a majority. Democrats have 74 members, Republicans have 73, and there are 3 independents and 1 vacancy. This will make compromise necessary and progress slow.

The session will likely be colored by Governor Mills’ recent announcement to run for the US Senate seat currently held by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). The Maine Senate race is likely to be one of the most high profile ones in the country as both parties see it as necessary for their dreams of a majority. Sen. Collins has not declared for election as of yet, but it is highly expected that she will.

Other major news in Maine politics is the sudden and unexpected announcement from US Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME-02) to not seek reelection in 2026. Rep. Golden cited family and overall DC burnout as the reason for his decision. This came after State Auditor Matt Dunlap announced a primary challenge to Rep. Golden. Former Governor Paul LePage is currently the only declared candidate on the GOP side. Many national election forecasters immediately moved the race prediction from Lean D to Likely R.

The open gubernatorial seat is also being hotly contested by 5 Democrats, 8 Republicans, and 2 independents and there are likely more to follow.

ABC Maine’s Government Affairs committee is scheduled to start meeting regularly starting on December 3, 2025. If you’d like to listen in reach out to Hope for more information!

Legislative Update: Maine’s New Budget & Taxes

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 17:37:31 GMT

The Maine Legislature wrapped up their business last week ending a fury of activity that started in January. The Legislature heard hundreds of bills and dealt with serious budgetary issues impacting social programs, public infrastructure, and taxes – just to name a few. In the end, Democrats passed a partisan $11.7 billion biennial budget that leaves future services in doubt and little remaining for infrastructure investments. The Legislature also left the building without sending any bonding measures to the voters this November.

The Maine Biennial budget was passed in two parts. The first part was passed in March and was termed a “baseline budget” by the Democrats. The baseline budget, also known as “Part 1”, was passed with no Republican support and was done to avoid a government shutdown. This procedure has become common in Augusta. Republicans claim that the move is done to cut them out of the budget process, Democrats claim that passing the budget early ensures certainty for citizen services.

The ”Part 2” budget was funding for the remaining pieces of the budget that could be handled outside of the budget and not incur a government shut down. One of the large unknowns was how to fill a $130 million gap in MaineCare funding that was needed to pay Maine’s struggling hospitals. Many feared that Democrats would raise income and corporate taxes to cover this gap. In the end the Legislature chose to enact the following taxes to cover the gap and pay for new spending:

Cigarette Tax - Increased from $2.00 to $3.50 per pack
Streaming Services Tax - New 5.5% sales tax applied to audio/video streaming services (e.g., Netflix, Spotify)
Cannabis Sales Tax - Increased from 10% to 14% on recreational marijuana sales
Real Estate Transfer Tax for sales over $1 million increased from $2.20 to $5 per $500
State income tax deduction for pension income begins phasing out at $125,000 for individuals and $250,000 for joint filers. Fully phased out at $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for joint filers.
Child Tax Credit Expansion - Doubled for children under age 6 and the tax is now phased out for higher earners

The taxes passed in the part 2 budget will go into effect on September 24, 2025.

ABC Maine also testified on many bills throughout the course of the first session of the Legislature dealing specifically with the construction industry. ABC Maine is excited about the passage of two different working groups. One that will analyze regulatory barriers to housing construction and another that will look at the same barriers in factory-made housing.

ABC Maine was part of defeating many bills that would have lead to poor outcomes for our members and their employees. Items like mandated regionally based living wages and increased penalties for labor violations were defeated in the current session.

At the time of this memo there are still a few bills that Governor Mills has not decided on yet that ABC is watching. One of which is LD 1270. This bill would create a new Department of Energy Resources and would raise the Current Governors Energy Office to a cabinet level position. The office is one that was fought for in the past two administrations and is now slated to become law. The new department would be in charge of procurement and would have many duties currently handled by the PUC housed in the new department. Fortunately, the bill has been amended to remove potentially harmful labor language that would have put merit shop contractors at a disadvantage.

As we look forward to next session there are still many bills that were “carried over” to be delt with next January. Bills like contractor licensing, individual and corporate tax increases, and labor concept drafts still loom on the horizon of 2026. ABC Maine will be there to defend the merit shop and fight for fair competition.

Legislative Update – ABC Maine Advocacy Positions on Key Bills

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:02:57 GMT

LD 229: An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets and Tax Rates

Committee: Taxation (TAX)

Status: Divided Report - OTP-A/ONTP

Summary: Adjusts income tax brackets starting 2026, adding new rates (7.52%, 7.15%, 8.2%) and indexing to inflation.

ABC Maine Position: OPPOSE

LD 1005: An Act to Allow Municipal Fire Departments with Trained Personnel to Conduct Sprinkler Plan Reviews

Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (CJPS)

Status: Divided Report - OTP-A/ONTP

Summary: Permits municipal fire departments with certified staff to conduct sprinkler plan reviews.

ABC Maine Position: OPPOSE

LD 1117: An Act to Strengthen Maine’s Workforce Through Certified Preapprenticeship Training Programs

Committee: Labor (LAB)

Status: House, Second Reading

Summary: Allocates $8M for preapprenticeship programs, prioritizing high-wage ($35+/hour) jobs and marginalized communities, but excludes programs without union ties or proven employment outcomes.

ABC Maine Position: OPPOSE

Why It Matters: Restrictive criteria could exclude ABC Maine and member programs from some funding for preapprenticeship programs

LD 1226: An Act to Protect Consumers by Licensing Residential Building Contractors

Committee: Housing (HED)

Status: AFA Table

Summary: Establishes licensing for residential contractors with a new board and penalties, with a $600K fiscal note (offset).

ABC Maine Position: OPPOSE

LD 1270: An Act to Create the Department of Energy Resources

Committee: Environment and Natural Resources (ENR)

Status: Divided Report - OTP-A/ONTP

Summary: Creates a new Department of Energy Resources to oversee energy policy and programs (details limited in provided data).

ABC Maine Position: MONITOR

LD 1984: An Act to Correct Inconsistencies, Conflicts and Errors in the Laws of Maine

Committee: Judiciary (JUD)

Status: No status provided

Summary: Corrects technical inconsistencies and errors in Maine laws (specific changes unclear without text).

ABC Maine Position: MONITOR

Why It Matters: May include revisions affecting labor definitions. Addition of the word “dispute” could be problematic.

132nd Maine Legislature advances through 2025 Session

Tue, 20 May 2025 04:50:03 GMT

As the 132nd Maine Legislature advances through its 2025 session, several key policy developments may directly impact our industry and the broader construction and business community.

First, lawmakers passed the “Part One” biennial budget (LD 210), totaling $11.3 billion for fiscal years 2026–2027. This budget maintains baseline funding for things like education, revenue sharing, and Maine Care, but delays significant new initiatives to a forthcoming “Part Two” budget. Legislative Democrats have been relying on updated revenue forecasts to determine how to move forward. As members approach the end of session, legislators will have to grapple with how to fund the largest budget in Maine history while maintain government services at current levels. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn June 18.

Implementation of Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program is now underway. Employer and employee payroll contributions began in January 2025, with benefits scheduled to begin in May 2026. Several bills under consideration—LD 894, LD 1712, and LD 1307—seek to refine the program’s implementation. LD 1307, in particular, may offer relief to ABC Maine members by pausing premium payments for employers with equivalent private plans and expediting exemption approvals. Maine’s PFML program has been heavily scrutinized by Maine’s business community during its implementation.

Finally, LD 1226, sponsored by Rep. Tiffany Roberts, proposes licensure for residential general contractors on projects exceeding $15,000 or those involving multiple licensed trades. The bill responds to a rising number of consumer complaints and would create a Residential Construction Board to oversee education, insurance, and disclosure requirements. While commercial and small-scale work is excluded, ABC Maine is closely monitoring this legislation for potential long-term implications on industry standards and precedent.

Legislative Advocacy Update: April 2025

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 06:42:00 GMT

The Maine Legislature is at the midway point of this year’s legislative work. Members are still debating part two of the biennial budget, transportation and infrastructure bonding, as well as general legislative business. There is still much to do and about two months left before Legislators will head home until next January. Here are some things we have been watching at the State House.

Maine Legislative Democrats and Republicans are stalled in negotiations over the second part of the 2025-2027 biennial budget, following the $11.3 billion baseline budget passed in March 2025. Democrats aim to address a $450 million structural gap, proposing targeted revenue increases like cigarette and cannabis taxes, while Republicans demand spending cuts and MaineCare reforms to curb costs. Both sides face pressure to avoid cuts to core services like education and healthcare. Tensions remain high after a partisan first budget, with calls for bipartisan compromise growing urgent as the July 1, 2025, fiscal year start looms. 

A group of Republican lawmakers have launched a People’s Veto of the first round of the budget. If successful, the people’s veto could launch the Legislature and the State into uncharted waters. By placing the budget on the ballot in November 2025, all state services would be shut down from July 1 – November 4 at the earliest. Supporters have until mid-June to collect almost 70,000 signatures.

Maine lawmakers are debating transportation and infrastructure funding for 2025. Republicans, led by Sen. Brad Farrin (R-Somerset), have proposed a $100 million transportation bond and redirecting vehicle sales taxes to the Highway Fund, avoiding new taxes. The state’s $4.8 billion three-year plan includes road, bridge, and transit projects, but rising costs and reliance on bonds have sparked concerns on both sides of the aisle. 

Maine’s State Auditor, Matt Dunlap, recently released a 2024 audit exposing systemic overuse and abuse of no-bid contracts by the Mills administration. The report highlights $2.1 billion in procurement spending with inadequate oversight, including undocumented sole-source contracts and bypassed competitive bidding. Notable issues include "contract stacking" to avoid scrutiny and missing cost analyses, raising risks of waste and cronyism. While the administration claims existing controls suffice, Republicans demand deeper investigations, citing potential corruption. The audit, spanning 19 federal programs, underscores the need for transparency as agencies resist findings, prompting legislative calls for reform.

Legislative Advocacy Update: Fighting for Maine’s Builders

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:39:09 GMT

Legislative Advocacy Update: Fighting for Maine’s Builders

As we reach the halfway mark of the first session of the 132nd Legislature, the State House is buzzing with activity. ABC’s lobbying and advocacy team is hard at work representing you in Augusta. Here’s a snapshot of key issues we’re monitoring and influencing.

Supplemental and Biennial State Budgets

Lawmakers remain deadlocked over a solution to fill a $121 million shortfall in the state’s current budget. Rising enrollment and inflation have driven a $118 million deficit in MaineCare. The supplemental budget also includes funding to combat the spruce budworm, which is ravaging Maine’s forest products industry.

Democrats and Republicans have been negotiating for nearly a month. Republicans are seeking increased controls on state contributions to local General Assistance programs, along with long-term reforms to transition people to private health insurance. On March 11, progress appeared possible when the Maine House voted 113-27 in favor of the supplemental budget. However, the Maine Senate’s 22-11 vote fell just short of the two-thirds majority needed for emergency enactment. Without emergency passage, payments to providers could be delayed until October.

Simultaneously, legislators are negotiating the state’s $11.7 billion budget for 2026-2027—the largest in Maine’s history. With a nearly $500 million shortfall, lawmakers must either cut services or find new funding sources. In the last two budget cycles, Maine Democrats passed a budget via simple majority to avoid negotiations with Republicans. If they take the same approach this time, the budget must pass by April 1—no joke!

Right-to-Work Bill Fails in Committee

On February 26, the Legislature’s Labor Committee voted 7-4 against LD 187, a bill sponsored by Rep. Josh Morris (R-Turner) to extend private-sector employees the same union membership rights as public-sector employees. ABC Maine testified in support of the bill on February 12. The measure now moves to the House floor for final consideration.

Eliminating Outdated Regulations

ABC Maine collaborated with Rep. Lydia Crafts (D-Newcastle) to amend LD 659, originally intended to ease certain requirements for single-family homes and duplexes. Through member input, an outdated and costly fire alarm provision was identified. ABC drafted an amendment, which Rep. Crafts agreed to support, and presented it to the Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Committee on March 6. A work session is scheduled for a later date.

As always, your ABC Maine Legislative team is always working for you. We invite you to join us Wednesday mornings at 7:30 AM for our Government Affairs committee. Contact Hope for more information.

ABC Maine February Legislative Update

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:57:58 GMT

The Maine Legislature is in full swing, and ABC Maine has been working hard fighting for the merit shop in Augusta. Here are a few updates from the hill!

BUDGET STALEMATE

Lawmakers remain at an impasse over the $121 million supplemental budget, causing a potential delay in funding for healthcare and public assistance programs. The budget, which includes $118 million for MaineCare and additional funding for forest protection, passed both chambers but failed to secure the two-thirds majority needed for immediate enactment.

Republicans oppose the one-time funding approach, advocating for long-term reforms to transition individuals to private insurance. They are also seeking stricter fiscal controls, citing concerns over unchecked spending.

Democrats will have to negotiate with Republicans if they want payments to providers to go out on time. The vote will require a two-thirds majority to meet payment deadlines. Democrats have successfully bypassed the need for any Republican support for spending measures for four years.

With the Legislature adjourned until February 25, negotiations are expected to continue. The outcome of upcoming discussions will be critical in determining not only the supplementals fate but the entire two year budget which will come up for votes soon.

RIGHT-TO-WORK LEGISLATION HEARD IN LABOR COMMITTEE

Right-to-Work legislation was introduced in the Labor Committee by Rep. Josh Morris (R-Turner). LD 187 would eliminate the ability of labor unions to require non-union employees to pay service fees for collective bargaining representation. Under current law, employees who choose not to join a union are still required to pay fees that cover collective bargaining expenses. This bill removes that requirement, ensuring that employees cannot be compelled to financially support a union they do not wish to join.

ABC Maine offered testimony in support of LD 187 as a critical step toward worker freedom. A core tenant of the merit shop philosophy is that union membership and financial support should be a voluntary choice, not a condition of employment. The testimony highlighted the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court decision, which established this principle for public-sector employees, arguing that it should be extended to all workers.

ABC Maine also emphasized that Right to Work policies promote economic growth, attract investment, and create job opportunities. The testimony further pointed out that unions maintain exclusive representation rights by choice, making it unfair to force non-members to pay fees.

TRANSPORTATION BOND INTRODUCED BY SEN. BRAD FARRIN (R-SOMERSET)

LD 367 proposes a $100 million bond issue for infrastructure improvements, allocating $85 million for roads and bridges and $15 million for nonhighway transportation projects. The bond will be subject to voter approval should it pass the legislature. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Brad Farrin (R-Somerset), a strong advocate for Maine’s construction industry, and has the full support of Maine’s construction industry.

ABC Maine strongly backs this measure to modernize and maintain critical transportation networks and appreciates Sen. Farrin’s leadership on this issue.