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Maine House of Representatives
| Maine House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | 4 terms (8 years) |
| 2012 session start: | January 4, 2012 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | Robert Nutting, (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Philip Curtis, (R) |
| Minority leader: | Emily Ann Cain, (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 153 |
| Democratic Party (72) Republican Party (77) Independent (1) Non-voting (2) Vacancy (1) | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | Article IV--Part Third, Maine Constitution |
| Salary: | $13,526/year Sess. 1, $9,661/year Sess. 2 + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 (153 seats) |
| Next election: | November 6, 2012 (153 seats) |
| Redistricting: | Maine Legislature has control |
Contents |
Members of the Maine House of Representatives are elected to two-year terms. They are subject to term limits of no more than four consecutive two-year terms.[3]
Sessions
In 2010, the House of Representatives was in session from January 6th to April 12th.
Article IV, Part Third of the Maine Constitution establishes when the Maine State Legislature, of which the House of Representatives is a part, is to be in session. Section 1 of the Part states that, following a legislative election, the Legislature is to convene its first regular session on the first Wednesday of December. The second regular session of the legislature is to convene in the next even-numbered year. This second session is to convene on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in January. Section 1 also instructs the Legislature to enact statutory limits on the length of its regular sessions.
Section 1 also establishes the procedures for convening special sessions of the Legislature. A special session can be convened by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, with the consent of a majority of legislators from each political party.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the House was in session from January 4 through April 14, was in recess from April 14 through May 13, and adjourned May 14.
Major issues
Lawmakers are facing a $221 million budget deficit. They are also looking to restructure the state Medicaid system, reduce energy costs and improve charter schools.[4]
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the House was in session from December 1, 2010-June 28, 2011. Maine statutes required the legislature to adjourn by June 15, however, pursuant to Joint Order S.P. 520, the regular session was extended for five legislative days, slated to end on June 22, 2011.[5] However, on June 16, Governor Paul LePage ordered lawmakers home for 12 days, only to return to the statehouse for a special veto session to begin June 28. [6]
Session highlights
Increased security
State representatives appropriated $546,000 during the 2011 session to improve security in the House after the publication of three separate studies suggesting improvements in Capitol Police practices. Beginning in September 2011, visitors to the capitol will have to pass through walk-through metal detectors and their baggage will be subjected to X-ray scans. Capitol Police Chief Russell Gauvin suggested the security upgrades will be complete by the beginning of the 2012 legislative session.[7]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the Legislature was in session from January 6th to April 12th. [8]
Elections
2012
Elections for the office of Maine House of Representatives will be held in Maine on November 6, 2012. All 153 seats will be up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 15, 2012.
Maine state representatives are subject to term limits and may not serve more than four two-year terms. In 2012, 26 state representatives will be termed-out of office.
2010
Elections for the office of Maine House of Representatives were held in Maine on November 2, 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 15 for candidates with partisan affiliations and June 1 for others. The primary election day was June 8, 2010.
In 2010, candidates running for state house raised a total of $1,607,976 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [9]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Public Fund | $1,268,577 |
| Newendyke, Mel | $4,575 |
| Celli, Michael | $4,559 |
| Maine Association of Realtors | $4,400 |
| Maine Credit Union League | $4,050 |
| Maine Dental Association | $3,650 |
| Dow, Dana Lowell | $3,025 |
| Dirigo PAC | $2,600 |
| Tessier, Paul L | $2,572 |
| Millercoors | $2,450 |
Qualifications
Section 4 of Part 1 of Article 4 of the Maine Constitution states, "Qualifications; residency requirement. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives, unless the person shall, at the commencement of the period for which the person is elected, have been 5 years a citizen of the United States, have arrived at the age of 21 years, have been a resident in this State one year; and for the 3 months next preceding the time of this person's election shall have been, and, during the period for which elected, shall continue to be a resident in the district which that person represents."
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
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If there is a vacancy in the House, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat[10] [11]. The Governor must call for an election and allow all political committees representing the vacant seat to set all deadlines[12] [10] [11]. The person elected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term[13].
Representatives
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 72 | |
| Republican Party | 77 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Non-voting | 2 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | |
| Total | 153 | |
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. Duties of the Speaker include preserving order and decorum, deciding all questions of order, and appointing all committee members.[14][15]
Current leadership
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2011, members of the Maine legislature are paid $13,852/year (first regular session) and $10,082/year (second regular session). Legislators receive $38/day per diem for one of two options: housing or mileage and tolls. Additionally, legislators receive $32/day for meals.[16]
The $13,852/year that Maine legislators are paid as of 2011 is an increase over the $12,713 they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem is the same as in 2011.[17]
When sworn in
Maine legislators assume office after the first Wednesday in December after their election.
Current members
Standing committees
Maine House of Representatives has 6 standing committees:
- Bills in the Second Reading
- Elections
- Engrossed Bills
- Ethics
- Leaves of Absence
- Rules and Business of the House
Joint Standing Committees of the 125th Legislature
There are sixteen (16) Joint Standing Committees in the Legislature:
- Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
- Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee
- Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Education and Cultural Affairs
- Energy, Utilities and Technology
- Environment and Natural Resources
- Health and Human Services
- Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
- Insurance and Financial Services
- Judiciary
- Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
- Marine Resources
- State and Local Government
- Taxation
- Transportation
- Veterans and Legal Affairs
External links
- Official website of the Maine House of Representatives
- Official list of the current members of the Maine House of Representatives
- Project Vote Smart on the Maine House of Representatives
- Official website of the Maine House Democrats
- Official website of the Maine House Republicans
- Project Vote Smart list of candidates for Maine House of Representatives in the November 2, 2010 election
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ State legislative term limits
- ↑ Bangor Daily News, "Maine lawmakers return Wednesday for 2012 session," January 3, 2012
- ↑ Maine.gov, 125th Legislature Session Schedule, June 16, 2011
- ↑ Bangor Daily News, State lawmakers headed home but only for 12 days, June 16, 2011
- ↑ Boston.com, "Maine set to beef up State House security," July 18, 2011.
- ↑ 2010 session dates for Maine Legislature
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Maine House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Maine Legislature "Maine Election Law"(Referenced Statute 21A-381)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Maine Legislature "Maine Election Law"(Referenced Statute 21A-382)
- ↑ Maine Legislature "Constitution of Maine"(Referenced Section Article IV, Section 5)
- ↑ Maine Legislature "Maine Election Law"(Referenced Statute 21A-361)
- ↑ Rules of the Maine House of Representatives Part 2 - Speaker
- ↑ Maine House Leadership links
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
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