Rep. Mike Lajoie

Maddy summaryLD 1356 would change Maine's method for allocating presidential electors from a congressional district system (where electoral votes are distributed by district and two are allocated statewide) to a winner-take-all system (where the statewide popular vote winner receives all of Maine's electoral votes). This change would only take effect if Nebraska modifies its electoral vote allocation to award at least three of its five electoral votes on an at-large basis. The bill amends Maine law to require electors to cast ballots for the statewide popular vote winner under this new system. Maine's current district-based allocation method would remain unchanged until Nebraska implements a similar modification to its electoral process.

Maddy summaryLD 260 is a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to Maine's constitution that would guarantee equal rights under the law for all residents, prohibiting discrimination by the state or local governments based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin. This amendment would directly affect all Maine residents by legally requiring state and local entities to provide equal treatment without regard to these protected characteristics. The resolution requires a statewide referendum in the next November election, where voters would decide whether to adopt the amendment by answering "Yes" or "No" on a ballot. If approved by a majority of voters, the amendment would become part of Maine's constitution, giving the Legislature authority to create enforcing laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the property tax exemption for legally blind residents of Maine, raising the maximum exempt value for primary residences from $4,000 to $10,000. To qualify, an individual must be certified as legally blind by a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or optometry. The exemption applies to property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2026, directly reducing tax burdens for qualifying homeowners. The change provides a larger tax break for legally blind residents without altering eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryLD 507 authorizes Maine to issue $13.485 million in state bonds to fund infrastructure improvements for LifeFlight of Maine, a statewide emergency medical transport service. The bond proceeds would directly support specific projects: $4.15 million for hospital helipad repairs, $2.16 million for refueling depots, $875,000 for communication system upgrades, $1.3 million for weather stations, and $5 million for a new airplane. These investments aim to improve safety and access to critical emergency medical services by upgrading aviation infrastructure. The bond issue requires voter approval via referendum in the next November election, with the funds becoming available only if approved.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires hospitals in Maine to create and submit an annual cybersecurity plan to the Department of Health and Human Services. The plan must outline procedures for notifying authorities and patients of security breaches, maintaining patient care during incidents, and providing cybersecurity training for staff and board members. Additionally, the bill adds cybersecurity intrusions that affect patient access to medical care to the list of sentinel events, which are serious incidents that must be reported. Hospitals must also conduct annual tests of their cybersecurity plans to ensure they work effectively.

Maddy summaryLD 102 allows Maine criminal justice agencies to publicly share limited information about juveniles who are wanted persons under specific circumstances. It permits disclosure of a juvenile's name, date of birth, physical description, photograph, location of alleged escape, and whether they pose a public safety risk only if the juvenile has escaped custody (as defined in Maine law), escaped during arrest/transport, or has a warrant for a crime equivalent to murder or a Class A, B, C, or D offense if committed by an adult. The bill explicitly prohibits sharing any other juvenile history information, including sealed records. This applies only to juveniles who committed offenses that would be serious crimes if committed by an adult, and the information can be shared even if the juvenile turned 18 at the time of the alleged escape.

Maddy summaryLD 1646 amends Maine's Good Samaritan law to expand legal protection for people who call for help during suspected drug overdoses. It removes references to "medical emergencies" and instead covers any call for assistance regarding a person showing symptoms of an overdose (such as confusion, irregular breathing, or unresponsiveness). The bill grants immunity from arrest, prosecution, or revocation of probation for drug-related offenses if the person is identified during a response to such a call. This directly affects individuals seeking medical aid during suspected overdoses and encourages calling 911 without fear of legal consequences for minor drug offenses.

Maddy summaryLD 1671 requires Maine law enforcement agencies to disclose to prosecutors any "credibility information" about an officer who may testify in a criminal case, including sustained findings of misconduct (like evidence tampering), bias, or felony allegations. Agencies must simultaneously notify both the prosecutor and the involved officer of this disclosure. Prosecutors must then give the officer at least 5 days to respond or request a court review before sharing the information with the defendant. This establishes clear timelines and due process for officers while ensuring transparency in criminal proceedings.

Maddy summaryLD 172 requires the Maine State Police to create and maintain a publicly accessible website listing all open missing person cases in Maine. For each case, the website must include a summary of details, a photograph of the missing person, and contact information for the investigating agency. This bill directly affects the Maine State Police, mandating they establish and manage this centralized resource, and benefits the public by providing a single, transparent source for missing persons information. The law aims to improve access to case details for families, law enforcement, and the public without changing existing procedures for handling missing persons reports.

Maddy summaryLD 82 extends a permanent presumption in Maine's workers' compensation law that automatically considers post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) work-related for certain public safety workers. This applies to law enforcement officers, corrections officers, E-9-1-1 dispatchers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel diagnosed with PTSD. Currently, this presumption was set to expire on October 1, 2025, but the bill removes that expiration date. As a result, these workers no longer need to prove their PTSD was caused by job duties to qualify for compensation benefits.