Rep. Kim Haggan

Maddy summaryLD 512 allows students in Maine secondary schools with 200 or fewer students to enroll in another school district. Parents must notify their home district by April 1st and provide the receiving school's acceptance letter by May 1st. The receiving district bills the home district for tuition based on the state's per-student funding rate, capped at the maximum allowable tuition. This change enables small-school students to access broader educational options within Maine's public school system.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens Maine's rules for keeping executive session discussions confidential. It creates a formal process for public bodies to investigate and penalize members or attendees who disclose private discussions without approval. Penalties include being barred from future executive sessions or access to confidential information, after a hearing and a 2/3 vote by the body. The process includes investigation steps, confidential ethics committees, and appeals to the body or Superior Court.

Maddy summaryLD 735 protects Sears Island's coastal sand dunes by requiring state agencies to obtain certification from an indigenous lands protection committee before authorizing any development on the island. This committee, composed of representatives from five Maine tribes and a gubernatorial appointee, must confirm proposed development areas do not contain sacred indigenous sites. The bill repeals prior laws permitting a wind terminal project and a conservation plan for a specific 10-acre parcel, and establishes a two-thirds vote requirement for any land development legislation conflicting with EPA regulations, with sponsorship limited to legislators from the affected district.

Maddy summaryLD 963 requires the Maine State Housing Authority to create a standard application form for subsidized housing by December 1, 2025. This bill directly affects municipal housing authorities and their contractors who administer subsidized housing programs, mandating they use this uniform form for all applications. The key provision establishes a single, consistent application process statewide, reducing confusion for applicants and streamlining administrative work for housing providers. This change aims to improve efficiency and accessibility in Maine's subsidized housing system without altering eligibility criteria or funding levels.

Maddy summaryLD 642 requires the University of Maine System to give enrolled parents or pregnant students priority in course registration to help them schedule classes around child care needs. The bill mandates that university trustees distribute informational flyers and posters about this priority to all students, with posters displayed in campus locations and on each campus website. This policy directly affects parents and pregnant individuals enrolled in the University of Maine System's colleges and universities. The law creates a concrete administrative requirement for the university system to implement and communicate this registration priority.

Maddy summaryThis bill (LD 162) is a simple resolution to rename a specific bridge in Carmel, Maine. It directs the Department of Transportation to officially designate Bridge 2976 on Main Road (currently called the Maine Central Railroad Crossing Bridge) as the "Kevin M. Howell Memorial Bridge." The resolution commemorates Kevin M. Howell and has no policy or financial impact beyond the name change. It is purely a ceremonial act with no direct effect on residents, laws, or government operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires healthcare facilities (like hospitals and nursing homes) to obtain written consent from a parent or legal guardian before withholding life-sustaining measures or creating a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order for an unemancipated minor under 18. It prohibits facilities from hindering parents seeking second opinions or transferring their child to another provider, and mandates they continue life-sustaining care during transfers. The bill establishes a presumption that continuing life is in the minor’s best interest, meaning courts cannot override parental objections to life-sustaining care unless there is complete destruction of the minor’s brain, circulatory, and respiratory systems. It applies directly to minors under 18 who are not emancipated, under state supervision, or in military service.

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.