6/24/99
mbrown@agate.net
The relief cry of sine die in legislative halls doesn't mean it's all over and done with. Not by a big bunch. It literally means ''without fixing a day for a future meeting."
And that's not quite true either. There's the veto day (or days) and the legislature's second session date is set by the constitution. Even if adjourning sine die meant what it said there is the little matter of carry-over bills. These are bills where the sponsors see the light; that is, the bills have no chance of passing for many reasons but the sponsors want to keep them alive and kicking. So they request that their bills be "carried over" to the next session.
State legislators in the session just adjourned requested and received permission to carry over an incredible 316 bills of every stripe, color and cost.
The bills run the gamut of liberalism, conservatism and just plain bizarre.
Three bond issues have been carried over. One, $25 million "to help increase fish production at state hatcheries ran into big trouble so Sen. Marge Kilkelly, D-Lincoln, and chair of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee withdrew the bond issue hoping the next or "short" session beginning in January would be more favorable. This gives SAM and other sportsmen clubs time to lobby the bill.
Also carried over was a $25 million bond bill "to build or rehab regional psychiatric facilities." Sen. Beverly Daggett, D-Augusta, and chair of Legal Affairs had that one preserved.
And then there was the $10 million bond bill to support the construction of the Gulf of Maine Aquarium. A couple of heavy hitters from the Portland and Cape Elizabeth, Speaker Steve Rowe and Senate Minority Leader Jane Amero, had that one salted away for next session. Both, by the way, are term-limited in the current 119th Legislature.
Then there's crabmeat. Carried is a bill that exempts crabmeat from certain regulations that does not cross state lines. That could mean that the good stuff goes out of state and the exempt stuff stays home.
And there's the bill that would require that all fines collected by state agencies be deposited in the General Fund. That one is carried but will die because IFW, the courts and others who keep the fines in their budget accounts will set their lobbyists loose to kill it.
If the state wants to encourage the expanded use of Maine Port facilities it will have to wait until the next session. (Why not ask Gov. King in the meantime why he shot down the Sears Island Cargo Port to appease the Sierra Club?)
Oh, they go on and one. Licensing home inspectors, decriminalizing violation of seafood dealers, qualifications of weighmasters, promoting economic development all over the state, licensing home contractors, polygraph tests to law enforcement personnel, requiring ambulance operator courses, (and kids will love this one) requiring high school students to earn a "certificate of mastery" before graduating.
And more. Ombudsman for Human Services, a free hunting license to a person who has lost one arm, limiting mandatory overtime, a retirement plan for rangers at Baxter State Park (except for Caverly who got fired), the political use of union dues, doing business with Burma (Burma?), municipal clerks must attend at least one training session, importing wine to Maine residents, establishing a North Atlantic Cold Water Observatory, develop a Department of Children, reforming county government, local option sales taxes.
Enough already.
And want to bet that legislators will completely ignore the constitution in the second session? Here's what the constitution essentially says: The second session shall convene on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in January. The session shall be limited to budgetary matters, the governor's call, emergencies, committee study reports and written petitions.
If legislators adhered to the constitution, which they will not, the second session could be over in two weeks saving taxpayers a bundle of bucks. Then again savings is not in the constitution and the pols would spend any savings anyway.
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