ME legislature: Corrections workers can blame high blood pressure & heart disease on their job.

LD 1149 An Act To Establish a Rebuttable Presumption Regarding a Corrections Employee That Contracts Hypertension or Cardiovascular Disease

The bill will be heard April 12, 2013 at the Maine legislture's Labor etc committee during their 9:30am -noon session  Listen to the committee live click here

Summary "This bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that if a corrections employee contracts hypertension or cardiovascular disease, the disease arises out of and in the course of employment."

Maine Legislature hears LD 661 An Act To Prohibit Sale or Possession of Synthetic Cannabinoids

On March 22, 2013 Maine Legislature LD 661 An Act To Prohibit Sale or Possession of Synthetic Cannabinoids  Listen to the testimony here.

Intro Rep Goode  2min 30sec

Rep Goode Q&A 4min

Cosponsor Rep Beavers 4min

Testimony 1 Rep McKinney 7min 38sec

Testimony 1a Rep McKinney Q&A  11min 7 sec

Testimony 2 Dylan Young 5min 29 sec

Testimony 3 DA Rushlau 8min 4sec

Testimony 4 Susan Lamb NASW 2min 4sec

Testimony 5 John Pelletier 2min 35sec

Testimony 6 MCLU 2min 52sec

Testimony 6  Garvey (partial) 2min 57sec

Maine Legislature 2013 hearing on LD 166 bath salts bill

LD 166  An Act To Criminalize Importation of So-called Bath Salts Containing Synthetic Hallucinogenic Drugs

3/22/13 Hearing before the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee

Introduction and bill supporters 21 min 23sec

Opponents of the bill 4min  4min 45sec

Maine Legislature hears Positive Reentry Parole Bill AUDIO MP3S

March 22, 2013, the Maine Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee heard testimony on  LD 873 An Act To Establish Positive Reentry Parole & on  LD644 An Act To Increase the Penalties for Crimes Involving Illegal or Prescription Drugs 

LD 873 An Act To Establish Positive Reentry Parole

Introduction_1min 36sec Sponsor 1 Senator Tuttle 4min 37sec. Sponsor 1 Sen Tuttle_Q&A 4min Sponsor 2 Rep Andrea Boland 2min 30sec 2

SUPPORTERS OF LD 873 Kay Page MPAC 3min 17sec July Garvey MPAC 4min 46sec Sharill Saunders MPAC 3min 35sec Ed Scott ex-prisoner_5min 13sec Susan Murphy Episcopal Priest 4min 54sec 

OPPOSED TO LD873
Jody Breton, Dept Corrections 3min 58sec Denise Marr 5min 40sec Diane Gagnon, 3min 3sec 
Rhonda Walters 4min
Mary Farrar 2min 25sec
Cathy McDaniel 4min 22sec
"Vicky" 1min 25sec
Debra Cunningham 3min 37sec
Julia Colpitz 5min 52sec
Robert Thompson 2min
Arthur Geddy 4min 12sec
Jeffrey Rushlau DA 4min
Lloyd Cherry 1min 22sec
Elizabeth Ward Saxl 3min 10sec
Gale Walters 2min
John Pelletier 3min 34 sec to close of meeting

END

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LD644 An Act To Increase the Penalties for Crimes Involving Illegal or Prescription Drugs  (meeting in progress)
Supporter
Jeffrey Rushlau Dist Attorney 8minutes 2seconds

Opponent
July Garvey MPAC 2min 25sec
ACLU-Maine 3 minutes

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Maine legislators 3/4/13 Listen to testimony on LD 573 Felon anti voting rights bill.

Listen below to speakers at the March 4, 2013 public hearing on LD 573 “Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Restrict the Voting Privileges of Incarcerated Felons.” (mp3s) (BDN story on hearing)

INTRODUCTION

Bill introduced by Representative Gary Knight  7min 54sec

Rep Knight questioned 7min 34 sec

BILL SUPPORTERS

Jackie Dion  5min 40 sec

Tim Mills  1min 43sec

Bill OPPONENTS

Shenna Bellows MCLU 6min33sec

Shenna Bellows questioned 8min33sec

Shenna Bellows testimony & QA 15min 15sec

Valerie Marsh MLWV 5min30sec

Paul T. McCarrier 3min 16 sec

Bob Talbot "8th generation Mainer" 9min 45sec

Steve Lewicki & QA 8min 7sec

Leslie Manning 2min 5sec

Joanne Sternthall 3min 44sec

Julie Flynn Sec State office to CLOSE of hearing 5min 40 sec

COMPLETE HEARING ON  LD 573.  80 MINUTES

Maine Legislature hears anti-prisoner-voting bill LD 573

Listen below to speakers at the March 4, 2013 public hearing on LD 573 “Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Restrict the Voting Privileges of Incarcerated Felons.”  Would change Maine Constitution to  ban Maine class A felons from voting while incarcerated. (BDN story on hearing) ** KJ story

Audio Recordings (mp3s)
INTRODUCTION
Bill introduced by Representative Gary Knight  7min 54sec
Rep Knight questioned 7min 34 sec

BILL SUPPORTERS
Jackie Dion  5min 40 sec
Tim Mills  1min 43sec

Bill OPPONENTS
Shenna Bellows MCLU 6min33sec
Shenna Bellows questioned 8min33sec
Shenna Bellows testimony & QA 15min 15sec
Valerie Marsh MLWV 5min30sec
Paul T. McCarrier 3min 16 sec
Bob Talbot "8th generation Mainer" 9min 45sec
Steve Lewicki & QA 8min 7sec
Leslie Manning 2min 5sec
Joanne Sternthall 3min 44sec
Julie Flynn Sec State office to CLOSE of hearing 5min 40 sec

COMPLETE HEARING ON  LD 573.  80 MINUTES

Julie FLynn Secretary of State office 5min 40sec



Bob Talbott & questions 9 min 45 sec 04-Mar-2013 22:34 1.7M melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 22:46 1.4M melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 23:06 642k melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 23:09 366k melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 23:16 1009k melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 20:18 1.4M melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 21:46 1.3M melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 21:52 997k melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 21:56 301k melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 22:01 1.1M melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 22:19 1.5M melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 22:16 2.6M melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 22:24 966k melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 22:29 575k melegis_ld573_novote..> 04-Mar-2013 20:05 13.6M

Maine Legislature rejects LD 1707 "anti-gang" bill Listen to podcast

On February 9, 2012, Maine solidly rejected prison industry lobbyists promoting  LD 1707 "An Act To Define, Prevent and Suppress Gang Activity in the State". The bill would have increased lock-em-up penalties for being in a "gang", sharply redefining "gang" to be any assembly or three or more people that might somehow be contemplating breaking ANY known law.

Listen to the  postcast of the 2/9/12 committee worksession and final vote on the bill  (This can also be heard  here (mp3)

Despite the federal cash blandishments and frightening scenarios set out by the there's-a-gang-under-every-bed crowd, Maine's conservative legislature, especially its Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, was rightfully suspicious of increasing state government power to repress organizations by deeming them "gangs". The committee gave the bill a hearty "Ought Not To Pass", killing the bill. 

PREVIOUSLY On January 27, 2012, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, held a public hearing on   LD 1707 "An Act To Define, Prevent and Suppress Gang Activity in the State"

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To listen to  recordings of the1/26/12 public hearing on lD1707: Click Here