Rep. David Boyer

Maddy summaryLD 1431 authorizes Maine's Secretary of State to create an interstate voter registration cross-check program. The program would compare Maine's voter registration lists with those of other states to identify individuals registered in multiple jurisdictions, helping maintain accurate voter rolls. Maine must protect all voter data - including names, addresses, birth years, and registration details - during data exchanges, and the program must comply with federal voter registration laws. The Secretary of State may contract with private data systems to support this effort, but costs cannot exceed existing voter registration maintenance funding. This bill directly affects Maine's voter registration system and the privacy of registered voters' information.

Maddy summaryLD 277 would repeal Maine's current law prohibiting most businesses from opening on Sundays and certain holidays. This change would allow retail stores, restaurants, and other commercial establishments to operate freely on those days without legal restrictions. The bill directly affects businesses currently barred from Sunday and holiday operations under existing law. It removes the prohibition by repealing two specific sections of Maine law (17 MRSA §3202 and §3204) that enforced the ban.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires superintendents from both the sending and receiving school districts to approve student transfers between school administrative units. Transfers must be approved if the parent consents and the receiving district has adequate physical space without needing new staff. The bill also prohibits charging tuition for approved transfers, protects special education funding levels, and ensures transferred students are treated as residents of the receiving district for state funding purposes. Parents can appeal denials through the commissioner and state board of education.

Maddy summaryLD 726 amends Maine law to require municipalities hiring law enforcement officers within 5 years of their academy graduation to reimburse the original training municipality for the officer's training costs. The bill increases reimbursement rates: 160% of costs in year one (up from current 80%), decreasing to 40% in year five. This directly affects all Maine municipalities that train officers at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy or Indian Police Academy, as they must now recoup higher training expenses when officers move to other municipalities. The change applies to officers hired within five years of graduation, with no reimbursement required after that period.

Maddy summaryLD 1525 establishes firewood banks in Maine as organizations that collect donated firewood and provide it free to residents in need of heating assistance. The bill requires the Bureau of Forestry to maintain a public online list of all operating firewood banks, develop operational resources for them, and mandate that state timber harvesting on state-owned land within 50 miles of a listed bank must offer 8 to 13 cords of hardwood as a donation. It also provides liability protection for firewood banks and their host municipalities, and directs environmental guidance for managing waste and environmental impacts related to their operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Maine's Secretary of State to offer applicants a driver's license or nondriver ID card that does not meet federal REAL ID standards, while still being valid for all state identification purposes. It directly affects Maine residents applying for these identification documents. The key provision creates a new option alongside the existing REAL ID-compliant licenses, ensuring non-REAL ID cards remain acceptable for state requirements like voting or accessing services. This change does not alter federal airport security rules but provides an alternative for state-level identification needs.

Maddy summaryLD 671 would eliminate Maine's state income tax for tax years beginning January 1, 2026, removing this tax from residents and businesses. It requires the state to review and update laws referencing income tax and establish a new budgeting system for state agencies. Under this system, agencies must justify their entire budget from scratch every eight years (zero-based budgeting) and during other years, submit proposals for 5% and 10% funding reductions. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services must report on necessary legal changes by the 2026 legislative session to implement these provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Maine political parties to choose their own method for selecting nominees in primary elections, instead of being required to use ranked-choice voting. Parties can decide at their state convention (held between March 1 and August 1 during general election years) whether to use ranked-choice voting or an alternate method, and must include this choice in their party rules. If a party selects an alternate method, it must notify the Secretary of State by October 1st of the year before the primary election. The bill applies to all parties holding primary elections for the general election, changing the default process without mandating a specific voting system.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Maine's Secretary of State to set, by January 31st each year, the start date for absentee ballot voting in state and federal elections. The start date must be at least 30 days before the election, and absentee ballots must be accepted until 8 p.m. on election day. All cities and towns in Maine must follow these standardized dates when issuing and accepting absentee ballots. The bill does not apply to military or overseas voters, who have separate absentee voting procedures under existing law.

Maddy summaryMaine's LD 1831 creates a new "micro cannabis facility" license to help small businesses operate more efficiently. This license allows businesses to cultivate up to 1,000 square feet of cannabis, manufacture products, and sell directly to consumers - all without needing separate licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, or retail. The bill sets low fees ($500 application, up to $2,500 annual license) and requires tracking of cannabis products under existing state regulations. It directly affects small cannabis businesses that previously needed multiple licenses to handle all operations.