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House suspends committee referral and sends MaineCare emergency bill to Senate after contested votes
Summary
The Maine House voted to suspend the usual committee referral process and pass a bill described as a MaineCare emergency, drawing objections about bypassing committee review and a failed motion to indefinitely postpone the measure before the bill was sent to the Senate.
The Maine House of Representatives voted on May 7 to suspend the chamber—s usual referral rules and advance a bill described by supporters as an emergency funding measure for MaineCare, sending the measure to the Senate without a committee hearing.
Supporters said the bill had already been debated in prior budget work and that moving it directly would avoid using limited committee and staff resources. Opponents objected to bypassing the committee process and to limiting public scrutiny.
Representative Collamore of Pittsfield objected on procedural grounds, saying, "it is very concerning to me and I do not support this not being sent to committee and waiving those rules." The chair replied that "this bill was introduced in legislative council as an after deadline bill" and that the council—s rationale was that the policy had already been debated in both chambers and in committee previously.
After a division vote, the House suspended Joint Rule 308 (the rule that all bills be referred to committee) by a vote of 69-63. Representative (Newport) then moved to indefinitely postpone the bill; that motion failed, 55-85. Following the failed postponement, the House passed the measure to be engrossed and sent it to the Senate.
Members who objected said the action removed an ordinary opportunity for committee review and public testimony. Members who supported the suspension argued the bill implements measures already discussed in prior supplemental and budget bills and described the vote as an up-or-down decision on an emergency appropriation.
The chair told the House the bill had been introduced as an after-deadline bill and that, as an emergency measure, final enactment would later require a two-thirds vote in the House. The House—s actions send the bill to the Senate with the House—s votes and procedural actions noted.
What happened next will depend on whether the Senate likewise suspends its committee referral rules; the chair explained that if the Senate sends the bill to committee the chambers would resolve any nonconcurrence later in the process.
