Maine Legislature convenes a session unlike any other
The Maine Legislature is open for business this week, but not in a way that would have been recognizable in any previous session.
The Statehouse is still closed to the public. When the House and Senate meet in formal session – likely not before March – they will gather at the Augusta Civic Center, in much the same way they did on “opening day,” Dec. 2, with the House in the cavernous basketball arena and the Senate in the North Wing – a large meeting space that, pre-pandemic, hosted banquets and annual meetings.
Until then, every joint committee – each with three senators and 10 representatives, plus staff – will work almost entirely online, although the House and Senate chairs will quarterback the proceedings from committee rooms at the Statehouse. While legislators are welcome to come to Augusta, leaders are hoping they will mostly stay home, reducing the risk of coronavirus transmission that’s again become a major concern throughout the state.
One apparent problem was cleared up rapidly in pre-session planning: How to get bills to committees in the first place – called “referencing,” a task that often absorbs much of the first weeks of the session.
Read more: https://portlandphoenix.me/statehouse-report-maine-legislature-convenes-a-session-unlike-any-other/