131st Maine Legislature Scorecard
This scorecard is for the first and second sessions of the 131st Maine Legislature. The Wabanaki Alliance always strives to ensure legislators are recognized for their work. Too often we only harp on contentious legislation, but highlighting where there is unanimity on legislation is important, too. Legislation that ‘goes under the hammer’ because there is no roll call doesn’t make the legislation any less impactful. What it means is legislators in Committees worked on tribal legislation to come to a consensus to justify a unanimous vote out of committee to support the tribes. These types of bills do not receive roll call votes. However, in this scorecard, we gave credit to legislators for supporting legislation which was beneficial to the tribes even if there was no roll call vote. Unfortunately, this was not the case in all tribal legislation. Those votes are counted in this scoreboard as well.
Read more about our priority bills and related legislative votes below or in our 131st Maine Legislature Bill Tracker and check your legislators’ ratings in our House Scorecard and Senate Scorecard.
LD 229: An Act to Compensate Tribal Governments for Basic Training for a Law Enforcement Officer Hired by Another Government Agency
Sponsor: Representative James Dill
Status: Passed unanimously by both the House and Senate. Became law without the signature of the Governor.
More info: LD 229 bill brief
House and Senate: A yes on the scorecard is an indication of support for this legislation which did not have a roll call.
LD 229 was a unanimous vote in the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. This bill includes tribal governments and full-time law enforcement officers trained at the Indian police academy at the federal law enforcement training center in the laws that provide that whenever a full-time law enforcement officer trained at a police academy at the expense of a particular governmental entity is subsequently hired by another governmental entity as a full-time law enforcement officer within 5 years of graduation from the academy, that governmental entity must reimburse the first governmental entity according to a specified formula. This currently occurs between Maine municipalities.
See how your Representative and Senator voted on LD 229.
LD 336: An Act Regarding State Recognition of Native American Tribes
Sponsor: Rep. Jennifer Poirier
Roll Call: #308
Status: The bill died as it did not pass the Senate or House.
More info: LD 336 bill brief
House: The majority Ought Not to Pass vote was accepted. A vote of yes on roll call #308 Ought Not To Pass is in support of the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
Senate: The Ought Not to Pass Report was accepted.
This legislation would have had the state recognize a new tribe in Maine. The state does not have the authority to recognize tribes. That distinction belongs to the federal government. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has a process for tribes to be recognized as sovereign nations. State governments do not have this authority.
See how your Representative and Senator voted on LD 336.
LD 1349: An Act to Review State Lands and Waterways That Have Sacred, Traditional or Other Significance to the Wabanaki People
Sponsor: Rep. Benjamin Collings
Status: This legislation was passed in the House. However, it languishes on the Special Appropriations Table waiting to be funded.
More info: LD 1349 bill brief
House: A yes vote on Roll Call #492 supports the Wabanaki Alliance’s position on the legislation.
Senate: No action in the Senate besides placing this on the Appropriations Table.
This bill establishes the Commission to Review State-owned Lands and Waterways to identify which state-owned lands or waterways have sacred, traditional or other significance to the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians or Mi’kmaq Nation and develop a process to return lands and waterways to the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and Mi’kmaq Nation.
See how your senator and representative voted on this bill.
LD 1642: An Act to Strengthen the Teaching of Wabanaki Studies in Maine Schools
Sponsor: Rep. Laurie Osher
Status: Passed and became law.
More info: LD 1642 bill brief
House and Senate: A YES on the scorecard is support for the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
This bill establishes the Wabanaki Studies Commission to ensure the inclusion of 18 Wabanaki studies in education curricula. It directs the Department of Education to establish and fund teacher education programs in Wabanaki studies. It directs the State Board of Education to adopt rules to require the completion of a Wabanaki studies component in the qualifications for certifying teachers.
See how your senator and representative voted on this bill.
LD 1679: An Act Regarding the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission
Sponsor: Rep. Aaron Dana
Status: Passed and became law.
House and Senate: A YES on the scorecard is support for the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
LD 1679 provides staggered terms for members of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission appointed by the Governor. It also reduces the quorum for the commission when there are vacancies.
See how your senator and representative voted on this bill.
LD 1834 RC 412: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Establish an Officer on Tribal Relations
Sponsor: Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross
Status: The bill remains on the Special Appropriations Table.
More info: LD 1834 bill brief
House: A yes vote on roll call # 412 was in support of the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
Senate: No action was taken except to carry it over.
LD 1834 establishes the Office of Tribal-State Affairs within the Department of the Secretary of State to promote positive government-to-government relations between the State and the Indian tribes in a neutral manner and without advocating either for or against the interests of the State or of the Indian tribes. The office is directed by a Deputy Secretary of State for Tribal-State Affairs appointed by the Secretary of State after consulting with the chiefs of the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and the Mi’kmaq Nation.The office has the authority to notify the chief of each affected Indian tribe of proposed legislation that expressly references the Indian tribe or that will have a substantial and unique effect on the Indian tribe or its members; on request, to facilitate the participation of the affected tribe in the legislative process; in consultation with the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, to facilitate effective communication and collaboration between the Indian tribes and the Legislature, judicial branch, executive branch departments, agencies, boards and commissions and quasi-independent state entities; to develop or identify, and promote, training programs to promote cultural competency and effective communication and collaboration between the State and the Indian tribes; and to monitor the effectiveness of the Tribal-State Collaboration Act.This legislation was passed in the House. However, it languishes on the Special Appropriations Table waiting to be funded.
See how your senator and representative voted on this bill.
LD 1835: An Act to Require the State to Notify Indian Tribes and Indian Nations When New Laws Are Enacted That Need to Be Certified
Sponsor: Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross
Status: Passed and became law.
More info: LD 1835 bill brief
House and Senate: A yes on the scorecard is support for the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
LD 1835 requires the Secretary of State, within 15 business days after the final adjournment of a legislative session, to notify the chiefs of the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians or the Mi’kmaq Nation of each item of legislation enacted during the legislative session that, pursuant to federal law, will not take effect unless the Secretary of State receives written certification that the nation, tribe or band agrees to the legislation.
See how your senator and representative voted on this bill.
LD 2004: An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nationsd
Sponsor: Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross
Status: House failed to override the Governor’s veto so the legislation died.
More info: LD 2004 bill brief
House: Yes votes on Roll Call #289 are in support of the Wabanaki Alliance’s position. Yes votes on Roll Call #348 to override the Governor’s veto are in support of the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
Senate: Yes votes on Roll Call #425 are in support of the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
LD 2004 would have allowed the tribes access to future federal laws passed to benefit tribal nations across the country. This would have placed the tribes on a similar footing as the other 570 federally recognized tribes across the United States. Currently, the tribes located in Maine are the only tribes in the country that must specifically be written into federal legislation to receive the benefits of federal laws for tribal nations. This legislation would have had the tribes located in Maine have access to all federal tribal legislation passed unless they were specifically written into the law not to have access like the other tribes across the country.
See how your senator and representative voted on this bill.
LD 2007: An Act to Advance Self-determination for Wabanaki Nations
Sponsor: Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross
Status: Passed and became law
More info: LD 2007 bill brief
House: Yes votes on Roll Call #481 are in support of the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
Senate: Yes votes on Roll Call #668 are in support of the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
The legislation recognizes the exclusive jurisdiction of the tribal courts of the Wabanaki Nations over Class C, D and E crimes committed within the relevant Wabanaki Nation’s respective Indian territory or jurisdiction land.
See how your senator and representative voted on this bill.
LD 2228: An Act to Establish the Wabanaki Veterans Memorial
Sponsor: Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross
Status: Passed and became law
House and Senate: A yes on the scorecard is in support of the Wabanaki Alliance’s position.
The legislation passed, requires the State House and Capitol Park Commission to develop and implement a memorial to honor the Wabanaki’s defense and protection of their homelands and their service in the United States Armed Forces. The memorial must be in Capitol Park and must fit within the plan for Capitol Park and is subject to available funding for the park.
See how your senator and representative voted on this bill.
