Statehouse

It will be another busy day in the Taxation Committee Thursday when the committee takes public testimony on the "son of TABOR" bill and six other tax measures.

The citizen initiative to change the state's medical marijuana law will get a public hearing at 1 p.m. Monday in front of Health and Human Services. Among other things, the bill allows the establishment of nonprofit dispensaries to provide marijuana to qualified patients.

Believe it or not, there are still laws on the books that refer to people as "lunatics" or "common drunkards." Rep. David Webster, D-Freeport, has a bill in to change that.

The Maine Senate voted 20-15 Tuesday in opposition to a bill that proposes to reduce the income tax on capital gains. Bill sponsor Sen. Doug Smith, R-Dover-Foxcroft, said he's trying to help people in his district, where unemployment rates in some towns are as high as 15 percent.

The buzz at the Statehouse over a tax reform plan backed by Democrats has both parties working hard to get their side of the story out.

The Republican Project, a statewide conservative political action committee, is working to drum up support for L.D. 254, which proposes several changes to state welfare regulations. Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, is sponsoring the measure, which features a five-point plan.

State Sen. Walter Gooley, R-Farmington, thinks so. He's sponsoring LD 1187 "An Act to Allow the Sale and Use of Consumer Fireworks." Gooley said several constituents asked him to submit the bill. He thinks patriotic Americans want to celebrate the 4th of July with more than just sparklers.

Amid all the talk about energy and the economy, Gov. John Baldacci included a rather strongly worded challenge in his State of the State address to those who are seeking to repeal the school district consolidation law.

Gov. John Baldacci delivered his State of the State Tuesday night, touching on various themes from the recession, to laptops, to energy, to health care and education.

Rep. Anna Blodgett, D-Augusta, just a few months into her first legislative session, is taking on a big issue: background checks at gun shows. Blodgett is sponsoring LD 814, which would require anyone selling weapons at gun shows to do an instant background check.