Bear Pond Conservative Chronicles, Ray Cardello, 3/17/24, Volume 1- 18

There is a practice that is seen too frequently in the Maine Legislature, and it is helping to increase distrust and skepticism by Mainers in their elected officials. The Democrats are using “placeholder” bills to hide the true intention of a bill and to buy time to finalize details of the legislation. An example is a proposed bill titled “An Act Regarding Health Care in the State,” filed earlier this year. The innocuous title seemed harmless enough until the actual details were released, and the bill concerned abortion rights. To this day, you cannot find the details on the State of Maine website, but you can get close if you examine the 620 pages of testimony generated by the committee. This action is taken to minimize interference from the public activists who would descend upon the statehouse to protest such a bill, and it is a deceitful practice that is used when the sponsors know a bill will not be popular with the people.

These bills have a name; concept bills are sometimes filed without an outline of the eventual bill, but just a title. About 250 of these pesky concept bills have been submitted in 2024, which is 25% more than 2023, and more than four times the number from 20 years ago. These bills are attracting bi-partisan support to stop the practice of concept bills. Sen. Rick Bennet, R-Oxford, and Rep. Anne Perry, D-Calais, are both veteran legislators and are taking action to reform and stop the use of concept bills. They recognize these are being used to deceive the public, which should never be the goal of legislators. Concept Bills accounted for 11% of all bills introduced in 2024. That is double the number in 2015, and that is not a trend the Democrats should be proud of. House Speaker Rachel Talbot-Ross, D-Portland, defends the concept bills as invaluable tools. In a statement of pure Democrat word-salad, she said these concept bills are essential and problematic.

Nicholas Jacobs, an assistant professor of government at Colby College, says using concept bills can make divisive ideas even more divisive. Rep Perry is finding out just how true the professor’s words are. Though Perry has voiced reservations about concept bills, she is using the practice with L.D 227, which would safeguard gender-affirming and abortion care from out-of-state laws, basically making Maine a sanctuary state for both services. The bill was filed as a concept bill, which may have avoided public interaction, but Perry had no issue seeking the help of Planned Parenthood to draft the legislation. Perry’s experience with L.D 227 has taught her a painful lesson, which has given her the impetus to be an advocate to eliminate the process.

It might be helpful to their cause if the Democrats were not so hypocritical on this subject. Sen Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop, agrees that granges are needed, but not before he uses the concept or placeholder bill to rewrite cannabis laws for Maine. These Democrats who acknowledge change is required recognize it will not happen for this session, so they are making the best of that and using the concept bill process to the max. This legislative session may be the most negatively transformative in Maine history. The question for the future will be when the Republicans regain power, and it will happen eventually, can they reverse many of these atrocious and radical bills, or is the damage to Maine permanent?