John, 

We made real progress this session—from securing investments in climate resilience to defending clean energy and voting rights, Maine Conservation Voters (MCV) and our partners are working to hold the line and secure a vibrant climate future. But as you’ll see in the legislative wrap-up below, many critical issues are still on the line.

To keep fighting—and winning—we need you with us. 

As part of our Summer Sustainer Campaign, MCV has a goal to recruit 25 new monthly donors to power our year-round advocacy for the environment in Maine, our democracy, and the future for generations to come. Your ongoing support gives us the stability and strength to keep showing up, session after session. Plus, every dollar you donate will be matched 12 times–your $10 monthly gift, or $120 annually, would be $240, but only if you start your monthly gift by September 22.

I am reaching out to you to ask you to become a Kennebec Friend monthly donor today to help us reach this goal before the first day of fall.

Together, we can turn policy into progress. 

Onward,
Nick Janzen (he/him/his)
MCV Policy & Partnerships Director

Dear John, 

Now that the end of this year’s state legislative session is behind us, the team here at MCV is pleased to share a comprehensive update on the many policy priorities we worked on together.

We're proud of the forward progress Maine made this year to set up our communities, environment, and working people and families to survive and thrive. In the face of national headwinds, ambitious state and local action on climate and environmental issues is more important than ever. And, while the last six months of advocating in Augusta were not without some nail-biting moments, and even disappointments, the overall results for people and nature were a positive testament to the hard work of legislative champions, strong coalitions, and the advocacy and activism of you – our supporters – who care deeply about protecting the Maine we all love.

Please also stay tuned for our Environmental Scorecard, which will be published in early fall. The Scorecard presents a unique opportunity to learn how your legislators voted on bills and policies that affect the environment, climate, our communities, and democracy. Holding our elected officials accountable for the votes they take each year is a cornerstone of our work here at Maine Conservation Voters.

✅Increase storm preparedness for Maine communities, homes, and infrastructure On the back of the winter storms of 2023-2024, the Maine Legislature enacted bipartisan legislation, LD 1, to enhance Maine's emergency planning at the local and state level as well as fund climate adaptation projects to make communities, infrastructure, and people safer from the threat of extreme weather fueled by climate change.

✅Achieve 100% clean electricity for Maine by 2040 Every year, Maine sends billions of dollars out of state to purchase expensive natural gas and oil. LD 1868 updates Maine’s laws to keep our money in state and achieve 100% clean electricity by the year 2040. This move will help foster a homegrown energy industry — keeping our hard-earned dollars in state, creating good union jobs, and saving ratepayers as much as $1,300 per year by 2040, according to a study conducted by the State’s energy office.

✅Oppose rollbacks and exemptions to Maine’s waste laws Maine has some of the strongest product stewardship laws in the nation, creating more transparency and accountability for packaging being managed in Maine. LD 1423 and LD 1582 were attempts from corporations and lobbyists to weaken our Extended Producer Responsibility and Bottle Bill laws, respectively, and deny communities the money they rightfully deserve for managing corporations’ waste. LD 1582 was successfully killed and LD 1423 was amended substantially to eliminate loopholes and exceptions. 

✅Establish a cabinet-level Department of Energy LD 1270 directs Maine to establish a new cabinet-level Department of Energy Resources. This will create the administrative infrastructure necessary to achieve 100% clean electricity for Maine, facilitating key energy procurements with an eye on efficiency, innovation, and rate-savings.

✅Stand up to attacks on voting rights The Maine Legislature heard public testimony on a citizen-initiative, LD 1149, that would have set unfair, unpopular, and draconian limits on absentee voting. This bill would've reduced the time period for early absentee voting, eliminated ongoing registration for absentee voting, limited the number of ballot drop boxes, and more. With advocacy from MCV and our partners, the Legislature declined to adopt this bill, sending it to voters, so they can defeat it at the ballot this November. Learn more and see the ballot language for yourself here.

❌Modernize Maine's Growth Management Act Maine’s Growth Management Act is a law that dictates how communities plan and execute new development. As currently written, this law makes communities follow a costly and time-consuming planning process. LD 1940 sought to provide communities with the flexibility to pursue a more streamlined path to address pressing needs, like building affordable housing, adapting to climate change, and supporting economic growth. Despite fierce advocacy from MCV and our partners, this bill died. We will return to this fight in future legislative sessions.

❌Create and expand safer transportation options Transportation is the largest source of emissions in our state because, frankly, you need a car to get anywhere. More public transportation and improved bike networks and walking paths will make our state more navigable, safer for residents and visitors, and address rampant emissions from passenger vehicles. LD 1138 was a first step toward this vision of Maine, requiring state agencies, like the Maine DOT, to help meet state climate goals. Sadly, the bill died thanks to potent opposition from lobbyists and special interests.

❌Expansion of the Juniper Ridge landfill The Maine Legislature enacted LD 297, a bill that would allow the private waste management company Casella to increase the size of the state-owned Juniper Ridge landfill and continue to bring in out-of-state waste for another 2 years. This move will purportedly help manage PFAS-containing municipal sludge but is short-sighted and exacerbates existing public health risks posed by the landfill. Residents have reported ash coating their cars after uncontrolled burns on-site and red eyes and sore throats. The state and Casella need to find a long-term solution to managing the municipal sludge that prioritizes the health of residents and the environment.

❌Updates to Maine's Net Energy Billing program Lawmakers started out with a worthy cause: to reform Maine's Net Energy Billing (NEB) program to put money back in the pockets of ratepayers. But, in pursuit of ratepayer savings, lawmakers enacted LD 1777, making drastic changes that will harm Maine's solar industry. Community solar projects will be temporarily ineligible for net metering (a successor program won't be put in place till January 2026 at the earliest) and community solar owners will be hit with new utility fees. MCV, along with other clean energy advocates at the State House, fought hard to achieve a compromise that would've still saved ratepayers nearly a billion dollars over 16 years and preserve the vital components of NEB that incentivize clean energy development, but lawmakers opted to pursue a more hardline approach that could cause lasting damage to Maine's clean energy industry.

Maine's Legislature operates on a two-year cycle, and each cycle has two regular legislative sessions. These bills were carried over to the second legislative session of the 132nd Maine Legislature.

⏳Make polluters pay for climate damages The Maine Climate Superfund Act, LD 1870, would establish a crucial funding mechanism to help Maine recover from extreme weather events and mitigate the effects of future storms. This bill would direct the state to recover funds from the world’s largest oil and gas polluters to pay their fair share for the climate damages they’ve caused to Maine. We’re working with the Mills Administration, along with colleagues in New York and Vermont, who passed similar legislation last year, to find the most efficient way to implement this law in Maine ahead of the next legislative session.

⏳Create a fairer energy system that values people over profits Transitioning to clean energy means electrifying our energy grid, and it is a top priority for MCV that this transition be equitable and puts people before the profits of utility executives. The Energy Fairness Act, LD 1949, will create a fairer, more equitable energy system, by establishing disconnection protections for vulnerable customers and introducing more checks and balances to hold utility companies accountable. It will limit expenses that can be passed onto ratepayers and clarify opaque electricity bill line items, so people know what they’re actually paying for.

⏳Prevent future spills of toxic PFAS Maine has taken many important steps to address PFAS contamination, but last summer’s spill of PFAS-laden firefighting foam was a wake-up call to the urgency of this issue. LD 222 would allocate the funds and resources necessary to responsibly dispose of PFAS firefighting foam stored around the state. With a tight budget, this bill is sitting on Governor Mills’ desk until the next legislative session. Another bill, LD 400, was funded and enacted to first identify and catalogue all of the toxic foam in Maine. This work will help inform how much funding is needed to carry out LD 222.

⏳Fund the Land for Maine's Future program LMF is Maine’s most successful and celebrated land conservation program and for good reason. Over nearly four decades, LMF has helped conserve more than 650,000 acres of working forests, farmland, and waterfront. The program is critical to protecting Maine’s natural character, historic traditions, and longstanding trades. All 16 counties have benefited. A host of bills were proposed to fund this vital program, all of which were carried over for consideration in the next legislative session.

⏳Protect Maine Waterways by addressing stormwater pollution Extreme weather fueled by climate change has led to increased stormwater runoff throughout Maine. It carries a toxic slurry of pollution that is harmful to people and the environment. LD 646 would build on existing work from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and establish a Stormwater Study Commission to evaluate current laws and recommend new strategies to prevent and treat stormwater pollution.

⏳Recognize the inherent and federal rights of the Wabanaki Nations Under the U.S. Constitution, federally recognized tribes have a government-to-government relationship with the United States and the power to regulate affairs on tribal land. This includes the inherent right to sustain their traditional cultural values and practices, establish their own form of government, determine citizenship requirements, enact legislation, and establish law enforcement and court systems. The State of Maine has denied the Wabanaki Nations’ tribal self-determination, effectively treating the Wabanaki Nations as municipalities and denying them many rights and protections guaranteed by federal Indian law. LD 395 seeks to enshrine these rights and protections into statute for the Wabanaki Nations. Governor Mills has historically and notoriously opposed Wabanaki rights and, as such, this bill was strategically carried over to build increased political support.

⏳Give voters more meaningful choices at the ballot box with Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Over the past four statewide elections, ranked-choice voting has given voters more meaningful choices at the ballot–that’s why a majority of Mainers support RCV. The more opportunity Maine voters have to express preferences for candidates who will champion our climate, environment, and democracy, the better off our state will be. LD 1666 sought to do just that by expanding RCV to races for governor and the state legislature, just as Maine voters originally intended when they adopted RCV at the ballot in 2016. After having been enacted by the House and Senate, the Legislature recalled the bill from the Governor’s desk because of her last minute objections and carried it over to the next legislative session. MCV will continue to work with lawmakers and the Governor to find a path to fully implement RCV before the 2026 gubernatorial election.

Thanks to your dedication and support, we’ve taken significant steps toward making Maine a healthier, more sustainable place for everyone. But, the work doesn’t stop here. We’re committed to continuing to advocate for the bills that were carried over to the next session, beginning in January. We’ll take these policy fights head-on and keep pushing for wins that will help shape the future well-being of Maine and everyone who calls it home.

Thanks again for being in this work with us. Your commitment to conservation and our climate future is what drives real change.

Onward!