Rep. David Boyer

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 summaryThis bill removes specific requirements for "unhosted wallets" from Maine's Money Transmission Modernization Act. It repeals three sections of law (32 MRSA §6100-OO sub-§8, sub-§14, and §6100-UU) that previously applied to digital asset businesses. These provisions affected licensed money transmitters in Maine who offered unhosted wallets (digital wallets not managed by a service provider). The change aims to eliminate regulatory uncertainty threatening digital asset businesses and consumers. The bill takes immediate effect as an emergency measure.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits eligibility under Maine's Clean Election Act by restricting candidates to participating only once as a certified candidate for either legislative chamber within a 15-year period. It amends the law to prohibit individuals who have previously participated as a certified candidate from reapplying for Clean Election Act funding within 15 years for the same chamber (House or Senate). The change directly affects state legislative candidates seeking public financing through the Clean Election Act, preventing multiple cycles of participation. The key mechanism is a new requirement in Section 3 of the law that explicitly bars candidates from reapplying if they've participated in the program within the previous 15 years.

Maddy summaryLD 1650 requires the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services to establish a system compensating paralegals at the average labor market rate for their work assisting indigent clients. This bill directly affects paralegals employed by the Commission to provide legal services to people who cannot afford a lawyer. The key provision mandates that the Commission implement this payment system, ensuring paralegals receive standard market compensation for their role in public defense. The policy change formally updates the Commission's duties to include paralegal compensation under existing public defense funding.

Maddy summaryLD 425 establishes a Conviction Integrity Unit within Maine's Attorney General's Office, separate from the Criminal Division, to review convictions for evidence of actual innocence. The unit can examine cases involving plausible innocence claims, prosecutorial misconduct, or fairness concerns, reviewing all case files and evidence regardless of what was available at trial. If misconduct is found, the unit must report it to the Bar Board, and the Attorney General must file post-conviction review petitions when appropriate. The unit must submit an annual public report detailing all reviews, outcomes, and referrals to the legislature.

Maddy summaryLD 1683 amends Maine's Freedom of Access Act to eliminate fees for public record requests when accompanied by a petition signed by at least 150 registered Maine voters making the same request. This directly affects individuals or groups seeking public records who can gather sufficient voter signatures. The bill requires agencies to provide status updates every 30 working days (instead of relying on a nonbinding agency estimate), and prohibits charging any fees for such requests. These changes aim to reduce barriers to accessing government records by removing cost obstacles for community-driven requests.

Maddy summaryLD 112 establishes a temporary student wage in Maine, setting the minimum hourly wage for secondary school students at 50% of the state's regular minimum wage for at least two years from their first day of employment. This applies specifically to students enrolled in secondary school (grades 9-12) who are employed in Maine, with the reduced rate ending automatically upon graduation. The bill requires employers to transition these students to the full minimum wage once they complete secondary school. This policy directly affects secondary students working in Maine by providing a lower initial wage rate during their education.

Maddy summaryLD 1314 prohibits creditors in Maine from denying, refusing to extend, or canceling credit (including credit cards) solely because a person is an owner, operator, employee of a legal cannabis business, or a registered caregiver under Maine's medical cannabis law. The bill directly affects workers and caregivers in Maine's legal cannabis industry by preventing credit discrimination based on their employment. Key provisions include banning creditors from using cannabis-related employment information in credit decisions without consent and allowing affected individuals to file complaints or sue for violations. This law applies only when federal law doesn't prohibit such credit decisions, as cannabis remains federally illegal.

Maddy summaryLD 1204 removes the disqualification for a conviction of "aggravated cultivating of marijuana" (under Maine law, Title 17-A, section 1105-D) from the list of criminal offenses that bar employment as a direct access worker. Direct access workers provide in-home personal care services, such as assistance with daily living activities, through personal care agencies. This amendment specifically allows individuals with this specific marijuana-related conviction to seek employment in the personal care sector without automatic disqualification.

Maddy summaryLD 777 standardizes the muzzle-loading deer hunting season across all of Maine by requiring a single statewide season length, replacing the current system that allowed regional variations. The bill amends state law to mandate that the commissioner establish one uniform season length for the entire state through rulemaking, rather than permitting different lengths in different areas. This directly affects deer hunters using muzzle-loading firearms statewide and limits the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's authority to adjust season lengths regionally. The bill does not change the existing maximum season length of 12 days.