Bangor workshop reviews state bills: LD347 cannabis revenue, LD349 same‑day registration and passenger rail funding

City staff at a Bangor City Council workshop summarized scheduled legislative hearings and recommended the council consider supporting a bill, LD 347, that would return a portion of state adult‑use cannabis sales and excise tax revenue to the municipalities where sales occur.

Staff said the city and its municipal partners — including the mayor’s coalition and municipal associations — are seeking a share of revenues that currently are retained at the state level. "When adult use cannabis tax came into play, that was a new revenue source that was wholly absorbed at the state level. None of that money trickles down to local governments," city staff said. Staff urged the council to be selective about which bills to support this session and suggested LD 347 as a priority because it could reduce pressure on property taxpayers.

Councilors also discussed LD 349, which the transcript identifies as an act to repeal same‑day voter registration. City Clerk Lisa Goodwin told the council LD 349 had a public hearing that day and said she would prepare written testimony opposing it. "I personally am against it because I think it's going to disenfranchise the voters," Lisa Goodwin said. Council discussion included uncertainty about how many Bangor voters use same‑day registration; staff corrected an earlier estimate and stated that "we have hundreds" of same‑day registrants in some elections.

The council briefly discussed a passenger rail measure (listed in the transcript as a recently renumbered bill to direct the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority to apply for federal funding and to identify a corridor connecting Portland to Orono). Staff said this was a time‑sensitive funding opportunity tied to federal bipartisan infrastructure funds and noted the council had supported similar measures in prior years. Staff said they would circulate prior testimony and follow up by email to confirm council support.

Other items noted in the legislative briefing included a bond proposal for cold storage that may connect to the city’s commercial kitchen work and a bill related to wastewater treatment sludge disposal; staff said they would gather additional information and the city clerk would pull test data and past testimony where available.

Ending — City staff will circulate materials and draft testimony where requested; no formal council votes on legislative positions were recorded at the workshop.