Rep. Will Tuell

Maddy summaryLD 1841 modifies Maine's process for selling properties seized by municipalities due to unpaid property taxes. It requires municipalities to send written notices to former owners 30 days before foreclosure (detailing tax relief programs and a deed-in-lieu option), 30 days after foreclosure (about redemption costs), and 90 days before listing for sale (explaining the sale process). The bill mandates that if selling to a new buyer, municipalities must use a sealed bid process or hire a licensed real estate broker (not affiliated with the municipality) to sell at the highest reasonable price. This aims to increase transparency for former owners while standardizing the sale process for municipalities.

Maddy summaryLD 775 requires that any future salary increase for Maine's Governor (effective after January 2027) or for state legislators (effective after December 2024, excluding cost-of-living adjustments) must be submitted to voters for approval or rejection at the next November general election. This means voters - not the Legislature - would decide whether to accept these pay raises. The bill does not apply to automatic cost-of-living adjustments, which remain unchanged under current law. It directly affects the Governor and all members of the Maine Legislature by making salary increases subject to public vote.

Maddy summaryThis resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Maine's Governor to wait 90 days after the Legislature adjourns without setting a return date before convening a special session. Currently, the Constitution allows the Governor to call the Legislature at any time on extraordinary occasions, but this amendment would add a specific 90-day waiting period for adjournments without a specified return date. The amendment must be approved by voters in a statewide referendum held in November of the year following the resolution's passage to take effect. If approved, it would change how the Governor and Legislature interact during special session calls.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how Maine municipalities calculate service charges for tax-exempt organizations (like non-profits, religious groups, or hospitals) that own property. It replaces a previous limit of 2% of an organization’s gross revenue with a new limit of 20% of the property’s assessed value (the tax-based value of the land/building). The charge must reflect the actual cost of municipal services provided to the property (such as trash collection or road maintenance), and revenue must fund those services. Municipalities must apply the charge equally to all similar organizations and require an audit of the organization’s prior year revenues to qualify for the new limit. The changes take effect on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryLD 1448 requires the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to keep the gate open at Bog Lake public boat launch in Northfield from January 1 to March 15 annually. This bill directly affects winter users of the boat launch and the state agency managing the facility. The key provision mandates a specific, year-round open period for the gate, replacing any previous seasonal closures. This policy change ensures consistent public access without requiring additional permits or fees during those months.

Maddy summaryLD 151 allows Maine businesses to charge an extra fee (surcharge) when customers pay with credit or debit cards, which was previously prohibited. Businesses must clearly disclose this fee before payment and ensure it does not exceed the actual cost of processing card payments. The bill specifically exempts government entities (like municipalities, schools, and courts) from this change, as they have always been permitted to charge surcharges for fees such as taxes or permits. It also repeals a separate law that previously barred travel service providers from adding card surcharges. This change directly affects businesses and their customers, not government fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the funding weight for economically disadvantaged students in Maine's school finance formula from 0.15 to 0.25, effective fiscal year 2026-27. It uses the most recent elementary free or reduced-price meals percentage to calculate the number of disadvantaged students in each school district, applying this metric to both elementary and secondary grades. The change directly affects all Maine school administrative units serving students from low-income households, adjusting their state funding based on this updated calculation. The policy aims to provide more equitable funding by increasing the financial support tied to student need.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Maine's Attorney General to obtain legislative approval before filing any civil lawsuit on behalf of the state. The Attorney General must submit a proposal to the judiciary committee, which can then recommend approval to the full Legislature; a majority vote in both chambers and the Governor's signature are required for approval. Registered voters can also initiate a petition with 500 valid signatures to request dismissal of an ongoing lawsuit, temporarily halting proceedings while the petition is processed. These provisions directly affect the Attorney General's office and registered voters, altering how state legal actions are authorized and challenged.

Maddy summaryLD 1594 reduces the annual funding for the Governor's Expense Account from $40,000 to $30,000. It requires the Governor to provide a quarterly accounting of all expenses paid from this account and post the detailed reports on the Governor's public website. The bill directly affects the Governor's office by changing the available funds and mandating regular public disclosure of spending. This creates transparency by making all expenditures from the account accessible to the public online, without altering how the funds may be used.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Maine towns and cities that built their own fiber-optic broadband networks to use new loans or grants from the Municipal Gigabit Broadband Network Access Fund to repay the debt from that construction. It specifically permits the Maine Connectivity Authority to provide direct loans or grants to municipal entities (including groups of towns working together) for this purpose. The law requires the authority to permit using grant funds for debt repayment related to municipally owned broadband infrastructure, unless federal rules prohibit it. This applies only to networks already built by local governments.