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House approves emergency funding measure to increase state police patrols in Washington County
Summary
The House passed an emergency bill to fund additional Maine State Police patrols in Washington County after debate about rural policing needs; the measure passed on a 103-37 vote and was sent to the Senate.
The Maine House voted to approve emergency legislation to fund additional state police patrol services in Washington County, passing the measure on a recorded vote of 103-37.
Supporters said the measure responds to documented needs for rural patrols, drug enforcement and overdose response in Washington County. Representative Atul (Eastman Chasse) described committee work with the county delegation and law-enforcement agencies and urged support for the bill as one of several approaches to improve rural policing.
Representative Reedfield — who earlier said he favored statewide funding for Maine State Police rather than county-specific mandates — said he would vote against this motion because he did not want to single out counties for enforcement priorities. Despite that objection, the floor adopted the motion.
After the vote the clerk read committee amendment A and the bill was passed for first reading and sent to the Senate under suspension of rules as an enacted measure for patrol services in Washington County.
Clerk announcements recorded the roll-call result: 103 yeas and 37 nays. The House action directs the bill forward to the Senate for concurrence.
