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Appropriations committee clears dozens of items; ICE‑records restriction and data center tax change advance, biomarker coverage fails
Summary
Committee moved many bills off the special appropriations table: LD21106 (limits on access to certain records/ICE) passed 8–5; LD713 (data center incentives study/exclusion) advanced 8–5; numerous other bills were advanced or voted on, while LD107 (biomarker testing insurance) failed.
The Appropriations Committee cleared a large slate of measures Wednesday, moving many bills off the special appropriations table and approving a mix of funding changes, pilot projects and policy adjustments.
Key votes and outcomes included: LD21106 (limit consent for entry into non‑public areas and restrict access to certain protected records) — advanced after debate over exemptions for law enforcement and recent ICE activity; the committee recorded an 8–5 vote in favor. LD713 (exclude data centers from the business equipment tax exemption and require a study by the Department of Economic and Community Development on incentives) advanced after members debated whether data centers create long‑term jobs; the motion carried 8–5. LD785 (task force recommendations on Indian claim settlement implementation) moved with an ongoing appropriation of $317,144 for FY2027 and passed 9–4.
Other actions included unanimous or lopsided approvals to move routine or technical measures off the table: LD524 (technology‑facilitated sexual abuse protections) and LD10004 (adjusting implementation/reporting dates) were advanced without substantive fiscal change; LD2118 transferred the Natural Areas Program into the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as a cost‑neutral reassignment. LD2225 was used as a vehicle to carry language for a regional code‑enforcement officer pilot and was advanced after committee amendment to strike funding sections.
The committee also addressed smaller appropriations: one‑time funds of $47,000 for the Maine Multicultural Center (LD783) and $17,000 one‑time to preserve a long‑term care ombudsman position in Arista County (LD145) were approved. LD562 (increase funeral‑home reimbursement rates tied to Chief Medical Examiner cases) was advanced with a modest ongoing allocation ($12,000) to boost base rates.
Not all proposals advanced. LD107 (require health insurance coverage for biomarker testing) saw impassioned support citing patient benefits and potential Medicaid savings but failed on a close vote. LD984 (require AEDs and bleeding control kits in large state buildings) failed on recorded voice tally (three in favor, ten opposed).
What happens next: Bills advanced out of appropriations will proceed to further legislative action according to regular legislative scheduling; failed measures may be revisited in future sessions.
