Preliminary lists of working bill titles filed by legislators by cloture, January 10, 2025, as well as the list of bill titles filed by departments and agencies, are now available online here. Titles can be reviewed either by sponsor or by broad subject, while the list of department and agency requests is sorted by the department or agency that submitted the request.
Please note that these are preliminary, working titles that are subject to change.
If you are eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits because you worked in a Social Security covered job or because your deceased spouse did, the amount of your Social Security benefit no longer will be affected by your receipt of a Maine Public Employee Retirement System (MainePERS) benefit. Two Social Security provisions, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), were repealed with the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023.
This repeal of the WEP and GPO does not affect MainePERS service retirement benefits. MainePERS service retirees will continue to receive their same pension benefit amount. The WEP and GPO were offsets to any Social Security benefits someone might be eligible to receive for their Social Security covered employment.
MainePERS members should consult with the Social Security Administration for information about the effect these changes may have on their Social Security benefits.
Further guidance regarding the implementation of this Act is expected from the Social Security Administration, including the continued use of Social Security Form SSA-1945, Statement Concerning Your Employment in a Job Not Covered by Social Security.
For additional information about the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, please click here.
The Maine Legislature directed the Attorney General to convene a working group to develop recommendations for legislation to establish standards and an enforcement system for governing access to motor vehicle telematics systems. The state's new "Right to Repair" law, passed by voters in 2023, allows car owners to send their information to any independent repair shop. The Attorney General is directed to submit to the Legislature a report containing the findings and recommendations of the working group.
The Group is scheduled to next meet on February 12. Details regarding past meetings, along with the makeup of the working group, can be found online here.
The Maine Constitution Poster and Essay Contests through the Secretary of State’s office is now accepting entries. Entries are due by March 7, 2025.
The Maine Poster and Essay Contests is designed to promote the history of Maine, the Maine Constitution, and the importance of democracy and voting. This program is open to Maine students at all grade levels. In 2024, 162 entries were received from students all over Maine.
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade create a poster, while students in grades K-3 draw posters of official Maine symbols. Students in grades four and five draw posters of a Maine history theme of their choice.
Students at the middle/high school levels write an essay from a writing prompt. The prompt for students in grades 6-8 is, “Choose an article of the Maine State Constitution that you believe is the most important and describe why.” The prompt for students in grades 9-12 is, “Research and describe an aspect of Maine voting law that you believe most greatly benefits our democracy.”
Winning entries will receive an award certificate, a ceremony at the Maine Department of the Secretary of State or at their school, and inclusion in a news release about contest winners. Each student who submits an entry will receive a participation certificate.
For more details, visit the Maine Poster and Essay Contests page on the Secretary of State Web site.
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