Maine lawmakers are quietly voting on whether to return to work next week

Good morning from Augusta, where lawmakers are deciding if and when to return for a special session.

Legislative leaders are polling members right now about the possibility of the full Legislature returning on Tuesday to address a heap of unfinished business left over from this year’s regular session.

That includes a number of funding bills that received unanimous support from the budget committee on Monday. Many major issues are still mired in negotiations, such as a transportation bond that contractors and state transportation officials say is desperately needed, tax conformity legislation or a technical errors fix-it bill that would free up Maine Clean Election Act funding for the general election.

Coming back for a special session requires majority votes from four groups — House Democrats, House Republicans, Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans — and the lone Green Independent in the Legislature, Rep. Ralph Chapman of Brooksville. House Republicans blocked the extension of the regular legislative session in April because they refused to allow a $3.8 million bill for Medicaid expansion start-up costs to be included in a package with the other spending bills. They have won that fight and the bill could be considered on its own — though a spokeswoman for House Speaker Sara Gideon said Democrats are confident the courts will force the issue..

 

READ FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE AT LINK BELOW:

 

http://stateandcapitol.bangordailynews.com/2018/06/14/maine-lawmakers-are-quietly-voting-on-whether-to-return-to-work-next-week/

400959_350938951601503_183022885_n.jpg