Maine Senate adopts Holocaust-era recognition and multiple awareness resolutions, confirms several nominations and rejects campaign finance measure

The Maine Senate on March 17, 2025, adopted a joint resolution recognizing the Holodomor as an act of genocide and approved multiple joint resolutions designating March and May awareness observances, confirmed several nominations to state boards and commissions, and passed a package of bills to be enacted. In a contested roll call the Senate accepted a majority committee recommendation not to advance a proposed campaign-finance measure by a 19-16 vote.

The Holodomor resolution—formally describing the 1932–33 famine in Ukraine and citing the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide—was presented and moved for adoption and subsequently adopted in concurrence, joining Maine with other states that have recognized the famine as genocide. The chamber also adopted a joint resolution recognizing March 2025 as Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month and another designating May 4–10, 2025, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week; a separate joint resolution honored the role of Irish immigrants and Irish Americans in the American War of Independence.

Those measures were presented by members of the Senate and moved for adoption by voice vote or unanimous consent. For example, Senator Grahowski moved the Holodomor resolution; Senator Garen moved the Bleeding Disorders resolution; and Senator Stewart moved the Irish-heritage resolution. The Senate adopted the various joint resolutions and expressions of legislative sentiment and sent them down for concurrence.

The chamber confirmed a series of nominees reported by standing committees. The transcript records committee recommendation votes for several nominations in which the roll-call totals printed in the record were “0” in favor and “35” in opposition (yeas/nays as announced in the transcript); the presiding officer announced those nominations were confirmed after the committee recommendation was sustained. Confirmations recorded in the transcript include:

- Simon Fairland of Bangor for appointment to the Finance Authority of Maine — confirmed after committee recommendation was sustained. - Michael J. Foley Jr. of Cape Elizabeth for appointment to the Finance Authority of Maine — confirmed after committee recommendation was sustained. - William C. Tracy of Wales for reappointment to the Finance Authority of Maine — confirmed after committee recommendation was sustained. - Edward S. David, Esq., of Farmington for reappointment to the Maine Human Rights Commission — confirmed after committee recommendation was sustained. - Paul H. Gendro of Waterville for reappointment to the Workers' Compensation Board — confirmed after committee recommendation was sustained. - Ronald P. Green Jr. of Plymouth for reappointment to the Workers' Compensation Board — confirmed after committee recommendation was sustained.

The Senate also advanced several bills to be enacted. The Committee on Engrossed Bills reported that the following acts were truly and strictly engrossed and passed to be enacted:

- An act to designate the warden of the Maine State Prison as chief administrative officer of Baldock Correctional Facility. - An act to revitalize the Maine Temporary Assistance for Needy Families advisory council. - An act to facilitate the improvement of credit scores of residents of Department of Corrections facilities. - An act regarding licensure of emergency medical services personnel.

One contested item produced extended debate and a roll call. During consideration of a divided report from the Committee on an item involving campaign-finance reform (the bill number was not specified on the floor), Senator Bennett argued at length in favor of advancing a proposal that would allow state action under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to address campaign finance. After debate and a requested roll call, the Senate recorded 19 votes in favor of accepting the majority “ought not to pass” report and 16 against, meaning the majority recommendation (not to advance the proposal) prevailed.

Senator Bennett said on the floor: “Our politics is broken. We see that unhappily in this building,” and urged members to reject the majority report so the proposal could move forward. Senator Stewart, who also spoke during the exchange, said he had “reservations around Article V conventions” and sought clarification about the proposal’s scope and whether it would apply equally to unions and corporations.

The Senate conducted a lengthy series of procedural referrals, committee reports, and recognition items during the session and adjourned to meet again on March 20, 2025. Several ceremonial recognitions were read into the record (students, senior-games medalists, Future Farmers of America guests and others), but those items were ceremonial and are not the focus of this summary.

Votes at a glance (selected items from the transcript): - Adoption — Joint resolution recognizing the Holodomor as genocide: moved by Senator Grahowski; outcome: adopted (sent for concurrence). - Adoption — Joint resolution designating March 2025 as Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month: moved by Senator Garen; outcome: adopted (sent for concurrence). - Adoption — Joint resolution designating May 4–10, 2025, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week: moved by Senator Moore; outcome: adopted (sent for concurrence). - Adoption — Joint resolution honoring Irish immigrants’ role in the American War of Independence: moved by Senator Stewart; outcome: adopted (sent for concurrence). - Confirmation — Simon Fairland (Finance Authority of Maine): committee recommendation sustained; nominee confirmed. - Confirmation — Michael J. Foley Jr. (Finance Authority of Maine): committee recommendation sustained; nominee confirmed. - Confirmation — William C. Tracy (Finance Authority of Maine, reappointment): committee recommendation sustained; nominee confirmed. - Confirmation — Edward S. David, Esq. (Maine Human Rights Commission, reappointment): committee recommendation sustained; nominee confirmed. - Confirmation — Paul H. Gendro (Workers' Compensation Board, reappointment): committee recommendation sustained; nominee confirmed. - Confirmation — Ronald P. Green Jr. (Workers' Compensation Board, reappointment): committee recommendation sustained; nominee confirmed. - Passage to be enacted — Four engrossed acts (see list above): passed to be enacted; to be presented to the governor. - Committee divided report (campaign-finance related item, bill not specified): Motion to accept majority "ought not to pass" report prevailed on roll call, yeas 19, nays 16; outcome: measure not advanced.

Sources and limits: All facts, vote tallies and quotes in this summary are taken from the meeting transcript. Where the transcript did not provide a bill or LD number for an item (notably the campaign-finance matter), the summary notes that the specific bill identifier was not specified on the floor. The Senate recessed and adjourned with further committee work pending; additional materials and committee reports may provide fuller bill identifiers and text.

Ending note: The Senate returned several items to standing committees and confirmed a slate of nominees; the Holodomor recognition and the awareness-month resolutions were the most prominent substantive policy- and values-oriented actions on the floor during this session.