Lawmakers are returning to Augusta this week with topics of core concern to Mainers topping the agenda.
AUGUSTA, Maine — As Maine lawmakers return to Augusta for the start of the legislative session Wednesday, a packed agenda is already taking shape — with affordability emerging as a central theme across energy and healthcare policy.
For many Mainers facing high bills this winter, energy is top of mind. That concern is reflected in the Legislature, where the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning, before the session formally begins.
The committee will take up several proposals addressing nuclear energy, net energy billing, and how Maine pays for electricity.
Rep. Reagan Paul, R-Winterport, is proposing L.D. 343, which calls for the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to begin annual bidding for small modular nuclear reactor projects. If approved, the move could reintroduce nuclear energy to Maine for the first time since the Maine Yankee plant closed in 1996.
Net energy billing, which helped grow solar farms across the state, is at the center of two competing proposals: L.D. 32 and L.D. 1936.
Sen. Stacey Guerin, R-Penobscot, is proposing to dismantle the system entirely with L.D. 32, while Sen. Nicole Grohoski, D-Hancock wants to reform net energy billing to prioritize Maine-owned projects and protect low-income customers.
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A third bill from Rep. Steven Foster, R-Dexter, goes even further, proposing a major restructuring of how energy projects are funded. Instead of utilities raising rates, costs would be paid through the state’s general fund. State mandated projects would be limited to the funds available in Maine’s coffers.
Healthcare policy is also expected to dominate the shorter session, with a focus on workforce shortages, access to care, and MaineCare reimbursement rates.
There are three key bills aiming to strengthen Maine’s healthcare workforce. L.D. 581 looks to expand scholarship funding for eligible medical students. L.D. 1932 would increase the reimbursement rate for at-home MaineCare support workers. And L.D. 1311 would bolster support for medical students in and from rural areas throughout their schooling.
Another proposal, L.D. 331, would require the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse 75% of a hospital’s applicable costs for MaineCare within 90 days. Currently, hospitals can wait years for full payment. Northern Light Health supports the change, saying it would significantly shorten payment timelines.
Also under consideration is a plan to strengthen the Fund for a Healthy Maine, ensuring it receives $65 million annually. The fund supports public health initiatives like smoking prevention campaigns, low-income dental care, and school-based health centers.
Part of that proposal would direct revenue from the recent tobacco tax increase to the fund. That tax, which took effect Monday, raises the cost to $3.50 per pack of cigarettes.
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