AUGUSTA, Maine — It’s only the middle of fall, but it's a new year when it comes to Maine laws.
More than 450 laws went into effect Wednesday, 90 days after the end of the previous legislative session, with topics ranging from simple things to keep in mind to some of the most hotly debated policies of our time.
The Legislature passed multiple bills related to abortion services, with moves that include protecting doctors from legal action and superseding any potential city bans.
One law, in part, made Maine the first state in the country to expand abortion access later in pregnancy if a doctor calls for it, according to Planned Parenthood.
Another new law implemented a $300 tax credit for each child under 17. It replaced an expired COVID-era federal program. House Majority Leader Maureen "Mo" Terry, D-Gorham, championed the bill and said any tax money returned to Mainers is welcomed but that this move could deeply impact families.
"What the federal program did, and what I hope the state program will do, is help lift kids out of poverty," Terry said. "That’s the No. 1 thing."
One law to keep in mind: Mainers already need a permit to burn brush piles. Now we need one for large campfires over 3 feet tall.
Kent Nelson, a specialist with the Maine Forest Rangers, said his rangers won't visit properties with a yardstick to measure flames, but this law would deal with existing threats to forests.
"In the past, we’ve had people who had large fires without permits, and they escaped and caused wildfires," Nelson said. "So, we want to try to prevent that as much as possible."
Though more than 450 bills became law, Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, said his peers typically pass about a quarter of all proposed bills, some of which would become new priorities in the next session.