Rep. Jeff Adams

Maddy summaryLD 252 repeals Maine's participation in the National Popular Vote Compact, ending the state's commitment to award its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote. The bill removes the compact's provisions from Maine's election statutes and updates related laws to reflect this change. As a result, Maine will continue to allocate its presidential electors based on the state's own vote count, using its current system of awarding two at-large electors and one per congressional district. This bill directly affects Maine's presidential election process by reverting to the state's standard electoral vote allocation method.

Maddy summaryLD 1656 prohibits state and local government entities (including law enforcement agencies, counties, and municipalities) from adopting policies that block cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The bill specifically bans rules or practices that prevent officials from asking about immigration status, sharing immigration status information with federal agencies, or maintaining records related to immigration status. It defines key terms like "immigration detainer" (a federal request to hold someone) and clarifies that local entities must comply with federal immigration law requests. This bill directly affects all Maine state and local government agencies and law enforcement officials who interact with federal immigration authorities.

Maddy summaryLD 1628 allows Maine municipalities to create local rules regulating exterior lights. It enables towns to require property owners to adjust lighting - such as angling lights downward or adding shields - to prevent excessive brightness, noise, or safety risks that disturb neighbors or affect public health. This directly impacts residents and businesses with outdoor lighting, like streetlights, security lights, or signage. The bill does not create new statewide rules but gives local governments the authority to address light pollution issues within their communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits state, county, or municipal government accounts (including departments, agencies, boards, commissions, or officials acting in their official capacity) from restricting users' comments on content they post to social media platforms. It specifically prevents government entities from blocking comments on their own posts, as long as the platform allows commenting. The law does not affect a platform's ability to enforce general content rules or remove inappropriate content. This applies to all government social media accounts operating in Maine.

Maddy summaryLD 1622 increases Maine's state income tax deduction for retirement benefits, specifically raising the maximum deductible amount for tax years 2024-2025 to the federal Social Security maximum benefit. The bill allows residents to subtract a larger portion of pension, IRA, and military retirement income from taxable income, calculated as the lesser of total retirement income or the adjusted deduction limit (which subtracts Social Security benefits). This change directly affects Maine residents receiving retirement income who file state tax returns, potentially lowering their tax liability. The deduction mechanism applies to all retirement benefits reported as pension or annuity income on federal returns, excluding certain early withdrawals.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how Maine municipalities calculate their annual property tax levy limits. It requires the State Treasurer to post annual revenue forecasts by April 15th to help towns plan budgets, and establishes a new formula using "average personal income growth" and a "property growth factor" to set the tax limit. The tax limit for a municipality is now based on the previous year's levy multiplied by one plus this growth factor, directly affecting all Maine towns and cities that set property taxes. The changes aim to provide clearer, data-driven guidance for municipal budgeting.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Maine's Department of Administrative and Financial Services to deny or not renew cannabis cultivation registrations for locations with repeated violations under state cannabis laws or other applicable regulations. It authorizes a 10-year moratorium on such locations for issuing or renewing cultivation licenses, preventing new or renewed operations there. The moratorium also prohibits relocating licensed cultivation facilities to these restricted areas. This policy directly affects cannabis cultivators and businesses operating in locations with a history of regulatory non-compliance under Maine's medical and recreational cannabis laws.

Maddy summaryLD 1880 requires Maine voters to present a valid photo ID at polling places to cast a ballot. Voters without photo ID can cast a challenged ballot but must either complete a religious objection affidavit (if they have a religious objection to being photographed) or present photo ID within four days after the election. The bill also mandates the Secretary of State to provide free nondriver photo ID cards to eligible voters aged 18 or older who lack a driver's license. This bill directly affects all voters in Maine by modifying election procedures and expanding access to free identification options.

Maddy summaryLD 718 requires Maine municipal clerks to issue absentee ballots only to voters registered in that specific municipality, including voters and designated immediate family members or third parties who are also registered residents. It eliminates the previous "ongoing absentee voter status" system, which allowed voters to receive ballots automatically for multiple elections without reapplying each time. The bill amends voting statutes to mandate residency verification for all absentee ballot requests and repeals provisions enabling indefinite absentee voting. This directly affects voters seeking absentee ballots, ensuring ballots are only sent to those currently registered in the requesting municipality.

Maddy summaryLD 668, titled "An Act To Abolish Ranked-Choice Voting," would repeal Maine's existing ranked-choice voting (RCV) statutes and revert election procedures to standard plurality voting. The bill specifically removes provisions requiring RCV ballot formatting, instructions, and counting methods (such as tabulating ranked choices), mandating instead that all elections use the standard method where the candidate with the most votes wins. This change would directly affect all statewide and local elections in Maine that currently use RCV, including races for governor, U.S. Congress, and state legislature. The bill does not create new voting rules but eliminates the RCV framework from Maine law.