Sen. Rick Bennett

Maddy summaryThis bill directs Maine's Department of Health and Human Services to create a program offering $25,000 recruitment and retention incentives to behavioral health clinicians during fiscal year 2025-26. It requires clinicians and their employers to sign written agreements outlining eligibility, minimum employment periods, and repayment conditions if employment ends early. The department must establish specific criteria for participation and submit a report on the program to the Health and Human Services Committee by December 3, 2025. The policy directly affects behavioral health clinicians and their employers across the state by providing financial incentives to address staffing challenges.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames a specific bridge in Denmark, Maine, from "Brackett Mill Bridge" to "Brackett Mill Veterans Memorial Bridge." It directs the Department of Transportation to update the official designation for Bridge 5410 on West Main Street (crossing Moose Pond Outlet) to reflect this new name. The change applies solely to the bridge's official title and does not alter any existing laws, funding, or infrastructure. The resolution is procedural and focuses only on the bridge's naming.

Maddy summaryThis bill (LD 463) directs the Maine Department of Transportation to officially rename Bridge 5860 on Pequawket Trail in Brownfield from "New Ten Mile Brook Bridge" to "Brownfield Veterans Memorial Bridge." The resolution specifically applies to the bridge crossing Ten Mile Brook in Brownfield, which is currently known as the New Ten Mile Brook Bridge. The change is purely ceremonial, designating the bridge as a memorial to honor veterans. This is a procedural resolution with no new policy or funding impact.

Maddy summaryLD 360 allocates $100,000 from the General Fund for fiscal year 2025-26 and another $100,000 for fiscal year 2026-27 to support Maine's Dirigo Reads literacy program. This one-time funding directly enables the program's operations during those specific fiscal years. The bill does not alter the program's existing structure, eligibility, or service details - only provides the financial resources. It affects the Dirigo Reads program, which serves Maine students through literacy initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill (LD 196) makes documents obtained by the Government Oversight Committee through subpoenas confidential and exempt from public disclosure. It amends Maine law to ensure papers or records received by the committee in response to its subpoenas are treated as confidential, not subject to public record requests. The policy change directly affects the committee’s handling of subpoenaed materials, preventing them from being shared publicly. The bill does not alter the committee’s authority to issue subpoenas but limits transparency around the documents it receives.

Maddy summaryLD 381 allows Maine homeowners to transfer the remaining balance and interest rate of their existing mortgage to a new primary residence, directly affecting those buying or selling homes. To qualify, homeowners must maintain good payment history, meet lender underwriting standards, and complete the transfer within six months of selling their previous home. The bill requires lenders to transfer the original loan terms to the new property, while any additional funds needed for the new home must be financed at current market rates - though lenders must offer a blended interest rate option. This aims to reduce costs for homeowners moving within the state, promoting housing affordability without altering existing mortgage terms.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Maine's Clean Election Act to include candidates for sheriff and district attorney, who were previously excluded. It amends definitions in the law to explicitly allow these candidates to participate in the public financing system, which provides state funds for campaigns in exchange for limiting private donations. The change takes effect for elections beginning in 2028, aligning sheriff and district attorney races with the existing system for governor, state senator, and state representative candidates. The bill makes no changes to how the system operates for current participating offices, only extending eligibility to these new positions.

Maddy summaryMaine's legislature has passed a resolution (SP 173) applying to Congress to call an Article V convention for proposing a constitutional amendment on campaign finance reform. The resolution specifically targets issues like money's role in elections, corruption risks, and the *Citizens United* Supreme Court decision, but only if Congress fails to propose such an amendment by December 2026. Maine's application is part of a broader state effort to reach the required 38 states (two-thirds) for a convention, though it does not commit Maine to support any specific amendment. This is a procedural step - Maine is not creating new law but seeking to initiate a federal constitutional process.

Maddy summaryLD 207 removes a requirement for cash contributors to participating candidates in Maine's Clean Election program. Specifically, it eliminates the need for contributors to sign a form affirming they used personal funds for cash contributions. This change simplifies the process for candidates receiving cash contributions, as they no longer need to collect these signed forms. The bill directly affects candidates enrolled in Maine's public financing system and their cash donors under the Clean Election Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Joint Rule 215 to clarify the voting requirement for requesting a U.S. Constitutional Convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. It specifies that such a request requires a two-thirds vote of members present in each chamber of the Maine Legislature. The change is procedural, directly affecting how the legislature handles formal requests for a national constitutional convention. Sponsored by Senator Bennett (R.) of Oxford County, the bill does not alter the voting threshold but makes the rule language clearer.