In a bipartisan vote, the Maine Legislature passed a bill Wednesday that implements a semi-open primary system, which will allow voters registered independent (32% of the registered electorate) to choose between a Republican or a Democratic primary ballot in future elections.
Bill to open primaries in Maine gains support from Olympia Snowe pressherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Amid a pandemic and an economic downturn, lawmakers will return to Augusta in January with a list of priorities that span topics such as healthcare, climate change and the power of the executive branch.
And while Democrats and Republicans have different goals, they agree on two primary items – balancing the state’s budget, which has a $150 million deficit, and agreeing on a new two-year spending plan.
This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor.
The Maine Monitor, formerly known as Pine Tree Watch, is a local journalism product published by The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic news organization based in Augusta.
Amid a pandemic and an economic downturn, lawmakers will return to Augusta in January with a list of priorities that span topics such as health care, climate change and the power of the executive branch.
And while Democrats and Republicans have different goals, they agree on two primary items – balancing the state’s budget, which has a $150 million deficit, and agreeing on a new two-year spending plan.
“We have to address that with obvious care and caution,” said House Majority Leader Michelle Dunphy (D-Old Town). “With the pandemic, we have a lot of budgetary concerns.”
The legislative session kicked off Dec. 2 with the swearing-in of new lawmakers, but committees won’t meet to discuss bills until mid-to-late January. The deadline to submit requests for legislation to be considered was Friday.