A group of Democratic lawmakers are looking to give Mainers who do not have a permanent residence an alternative means by which to register their vehicles.
Rep. Daniel Sayre (D-Kennebunk), the primary sponsor of LD 611, explained that he was inspired to bring forward this bill after he was made aware that a homeless Mainer was prevented from registering their vehicle and paying excise tax to a municipality due to their lack of permanent housing.
LD 611 would allow allow individuals with “no residing place” to pay excise tax directly to the Secretary of State’s Office in the event that a municipality turns them away, giving them the ability to legally operate their vehicles.
Cosponsoring the bill are Sen. Joe Rafferty (D-York), Rep. Lydia V. Crafts (D-Newcastle), Rep. Cassie Lynn Julia (D-Waterville), Rep. Amy D. Kuhn (D-Falmouth), Rep. Adam R. Lee (D-Auburn), Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland), Rep. Ambureen Rana (D-Bangor), and Rep. Eleanor Y. Sato (D-Gorham).
“A person who is refused (registration at a town office) loses the right to operate their motor vehicle legally, which threatens their ability to make a living and possibly also the loss of the only safe shelter they possess,” Rep. Sayre said in his testimony before the Legislature’s Transportation Committee.
“This approach provides a simple means to enable unhoused Mainers to continue to operate their motor vehicles lawfully,” he added.
The Secretary of State’s Office also offered testimony in support of this bill, noting that any excise tax they collect would be sent directly to the state’s General Fund.
Similar reports of homeless individuals’ being turned away when attempting to register their vehicles have also been received recently by the Secretary of State.
“The Secretary of State’s office has been contacted by an increasing number of individuals who own a vehicle and are unhoused when the town in which they reside will not collect their excise tax,” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said.
“They want to comply with the law and register their vehicles to avoid driving an unregistered vehicle or possibly having their vehicle impounded because it is not registered,” she added.
Secretary Bellows then pointed out that the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) already collects excise tax for Mainers in unorganized territories and those who are part of the address confidentiality program, suggesting that this bill would have a “very minimal impact” on the agency.
Bellows also explained that this legislation would not prevent municipalities from collecting excise tax from homeless residents, rather it would give these individuals an alternative in the event that a city or town turns them away.
Michael Allen, a representative of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), briefly testified neither for nor against the bill, raising “a couple of technical concerns” with the legislation.
More specifically, Allen noted potential issues with the use of the term “residing place,” which does not have a clean definition preexisting in state law.
He also said that the “qualification that an individual be a ‘resident of this State’ somewhat contradicts with the qualification that the individual also have ‘no residing place.'”
Not all lawmakers, however, are supportive of this proposal. Some expressed concerns over the potential unintended consequences that may arise from implementing this change.
Rep. Wayne Parry (R-Arundel), for exampled, reportedly posited during the public hearing for LD 611 that this legislation could open the door for nefarious individuals from out-of-state to register their cars in Maine.
Similarly, Rep. Steven Bishop (R-Bucksport) voiced concerns that allowing people to register their vehicles without an address could make it more difficult for police to track down criminals via their license plates, as their addresses would not be on file with the state.
“The opposition was just a hypothetical,” Sayre was quoted by the Portland Press Herald as having said in response to these concerns. “It’s absolutely not meant to create a back door for nefarious types.”
LD 611 will continue to be considered by members of the Transportation Committee in the coming weeks, including as part of a work session where lawmakers will give the bill a more in-depth review.
Depending on the Committee’s final recommendations, LD 611 — or an amended version of it — may eventually face a vote before the full House and Senate at some point in the near future.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="37803 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=37803">16 Comments
What about using the address on their drivers license and or on the insurance policy?
The tax folk say:
A Resident of Maine is an individual that was domiciled in Maine for the entire taxable year or maintained a permanent place of abode in Maine for the tax year and spent more than 183 days there.
By this definition, if someone spent 183 days in a town, their legal address would be “the streets of [the town].
What do they do when they arrest someone — you can’t prosecute someone without an address…
More insanity from the democrats .
Sixteen years old to vote and now nobody needs a permanent address.
Register these folks to vote in all our state and local elections immediately .
I’m sure that will be the next box on their list to check .
Democrats never stop pissing me off .
What else would one expect from from sheenah the candidate for Maine State Governor? “The Secretary of State’s Office also offered testimony in support of this bill.”
Take the fucking bus!!!!! You can ride it for free if you’re a fucking homeless!!!!
This has got to be a Southern Maine thing because all the town offices I know WANT you to register your vehicle there (and not other towns you legally could) because they want the couple hundred dollars in tax money.
Just another way to destroy a productive society with responsible people who participate …. Lets create a society of homeless car dwelling Vagrants who are parasites of the working class , Seriously you can’t think this up even if you drop a hit a 4 way window pane ..
I’m without words…..🤦♂️
And they can afford insurance?
In the meanwhile, ferals pretending to be asylum seekers or refugees, are getting nice new apartments, money for houses, money to buy businesses, free cars, free medical, welfare even for grown ass young adults living with the useless never will work parents, but our homeless real Americans have to live in their cars. Something really wrong here
You can’t afford a place to live but you can afford a car?
whose pockets will that money end up in.
They don’t bother with insurance. The tax payers cover it with a line item on their insurance called “coverage for uninsured drivers”. Once again the normal people get the short end. I found this out when one of Mills “new mainers” hit me.
Why not make it easy for them to find homes by deporting all of the illegal aliens/bogus asylum seekers bleeding Maine Taxpayers dry ?
Never pass it would decrease lawbreakers. Someone is up for re-selection.
You cannot insure a vehicle without providing the address on the registration where it will be parked or stored.