Maine Women's Lobby

How They Voted

Stay tuned for news on votes as they occur during the 124th legislative session.

Last session, many of the legislative priorities of the Maine Women's Lobby were met with resounding success.  An "Act to Amend the Laws Governing Stalking" (L.D. 1873), which updates and clarifies the definition of stalking to better account for technologies used by stalkers, passed without opposition in both the House and Senate. Other important successes were: "An Act to Ensure Fair Wages" (L.D. 1697), which will increase the state minimum wage to $7.25 per hour in 2008 and to $7.50 per hour in 2009; and "An Act To Ensure the Freedom of Family Child Care Providers to Jointly Negotiate with the State" (L.D. 2095). This legislation grants family child care providers the right to collectively bargain with the state. With the passage of this bill, these providers will become equal players in making the improvements in child care that Maine's families, businesses, and communities need.

Work-family balance was a continued goal of the Maine Women's Lobby this session. "An Act to Amend the Family Medical Leave Laws to Include Siblings" (L.D. 2132) was passed and enacted by the legislature. Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) is unpaid, job-protected leave that employees can take after the birth or adoption of a child, in the case of serious illness, or to care for themselves or an immediate family member. This bill expands Maine's FMLA to include siblings when financial and living arrangements are shared.

Another necessary bill to help Mainers strike a balance between work and family life, "An Act to Care for Working Families" (L.D. 1454) was narrowly defeated in the House of Representatives. This bill would have ensured that fewer workers would lose their job, or have to work through illness, simply because they get sick. Three out of four low-wage workers lack paid sick days. The bill would have provided a minimum number a paid sick days for workers in businesses with 25 or more employees. Its legislative defeat is only a temporary setback for the Maine Women's Lobby's ongoing campaign to ensure that all Maine employees have access to paid sick leave.  

In 2008, the Maine Legislature helped to protect children from harmful toxic chemicals. "An Act to Protect Children's Health and the Environment from Toxic Chemicals in Toys and Children's Products" (L.D. 2048) requires Maine to adopt a list of priority chemicals of high concern, requires manufacturers to disclose the toxic chemicals they add to products, and authorizes the state to require safer alternatives. The presence of many of these chemicals in our products has been identified as harmful to the reproductive health of women.

The Maine Choice Coalition, of which the Maine Women's Lobby is a member, believes that Maine law appropriately supports the health and safety of young women by allowing minors to access family planning services without parental consent. The Coalition was successful in narrowly defeating a "Joint Order Directing the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services to Report out, to the Senate, a Bill Regarding Parental Consent to Dispense Prescription Drugs to Children" (S.P. 842).

The Maine Women's Lobby joined forces with another dynamic and successful coalition this session. The 140-member-strong Maine Can Do Better Coalition bonded together to fight the harmful cuts proposed in the Governor's supplemental budget, including proposals to eliminate or severely reduce state funding for domestic violence, sexual assault, family planning, and health care services. Primarily due to the successful actions of the Maine Can Do Better Campaign, including the largest State House rally in at least 40 years, many of the harmful cuts were restored in the final budget.  

For a complete wrap-up and to see how your legislators voted on these issues, view the complete roll call.