Daily Brief: Lawmakers to unveil bill that outlaws ‘revenge porn’ in Maine

Good morning from the state capital, where there’s another lengthy schedule of lawmaking on tap. 

The Appropriations Committee continues to slog through budget bills related to the attorney general’s office and the Department of Health and Human Services. The committee is expected to take a series of votes today on supplemental spending for the current year, though decisions about Gov. Paul LePage’s biennial budget proposal remain weeks away. 

The Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee will consider ordering a review of the merger that resulted in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, as well as measures to support farms and fisheries and improve permitting for those who cut Christmas trees and evergreen bows. 

The Environment and Natural Resources Committee will tackle the controversial subject of development setback laws involving vernal pools — a law that puts Maine in a decided minority of states nationally — and the Transportation Committee has a long list of work sessions on issues ranging from requiring horse-drawn carriages to be equipped with reflectors to authorizing up to three free sets of license plates for 100-percent disabled veterans. 

The Education and Cultural Affairs Committee will have an interesting debate about which statues should represent Maine in the National Statutory Hall Collection in Washington, D.C. Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, proposes replacing a statue of Maine’s first governor, William King, with a statue of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. 

Chamberlain, who hardly needs any introduction, is the subject of a larger-than-life statue on the Bowdoin College Campus. He was that institution’s president, a Union Army hero of the Battle of Gettysburg, a Medal of Honor recipient and the 32nd governor of Maine. He’s kind of a big deal, but William King is no slouch either. 

King was born in Bath and became Maine’s first governor after we separated from Massachusetts in 1820. He started his career as a shipbuilder in the City of Ships and later became the largest merchant shipping owner in Maine. He was also involved banking, real estate and the production of cotton. 

Politically, King was a member of what was then called the “Democratic-Republican Party” (imagine that?) and represented Maine in the Massachusetts House and Senate before Maine became its own state. He led the effort to separate the two states. Despite his limited education, he served for many years as a trustee of both Bowdoin College and Colby College, which at the time was called Waterville College. 

The debate around Mason’s bill, which is scheduled to start sometime after 1 p.m., should be a delight for history buffs. In case you’re wondering, the other statue that represents Maine in the nation’s capital is of Hannibal Hamlin, who was vice president under Abraham Lincoln. — Christopher Cousins


Outlawing ‘revenge porn’

The top two Republicans in the House of Representatives will host a press conference at 11:30 a.m. today to unveil a bill designed to protect Mainers from a new trend known as revenge porn. This is when one person posts intimate photos or videos of another person without their consent, often after a romantic breakup. According to a press release, there are thousands of websites that feature this material, and some charge substantial fees to the victims in exchange for taking the material off the web.

House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, partnered with the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence to sponsor the bill, which would make posting revenge porn a Class D crime with penalties including a $2,000 fine and one year in jail. Also supporting the bill are Assistant House Minority Leader Ellie Espling, R-New Gloucester, and Democratic Rep. Diane Russell of Portland. Also scheduled to appear in support of the bill are Julia Colpitts of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence and Cara Courchesne of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault. — Christopher Cousins

Dems hire recruiter for 2016 election

Democrats in Maine saw the state Senate slip from their control in 2014, when Republicans won the chamber by picking up five new seats for a 20-15 majority. It was the fulfillment not only of the state GOP, but of national Republican interests, which had identified the Maine Legislature as one of its “Sweet 16 Targets” nationwide.
The election may have only been four months ago, but the campaign cycle never stops. Maine Democrats have made a key hire in their effort to win back the Senate: BJ McCollister started his new job this week as the party’s Senate caucus director. It will be his job to recruit candidates and ensure the party’s incumbents don’t lose when they run for re-election in 2016.
Regular readers will recognize McCollister as the program director for Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, a post he held for three years. Previously, he was southern Maine regional field director for the Senate Democrats in 2010, and worked with the SEIU-based “Change That Works” campaign for health care reform in 2009. — Mario Moretto.

Reading list


Pig pass

Need a chuckle to start your day? Check out Julia Bayly’s blog about a 450-pound pig wandering the snowy roads of Bradford. In a video that’s going viral, a passing motorist on his way home from the dump stops to um, talk to the pig, and give it a homemade peanut butter-chocolate chip cookie.

You’ll notice in the video that a dog can be heard barking in the background. I think the dog wants a cookie too.

Or some bacon. — Christopher Cousins

Christopher Cousins

About Christopher Cousins

Christopher Cousins has worked as a journalist in Maine for more than 15 years and covered state government for numerous media organizations before joining the Bangor Daily News in 2009.