The 132nd Maine Legislature’s special session, absent a statutory adjournment date, is set to conclude this week. Democratic leaders want to be done with work by June 18 for adjournment. In order to get there, lawmakers this week face a packed schedule to finalize votes on controversial bills and pass the second biennial budget, as Democrats navigate funding challenges to support their proposed spending increases.
The First Regular Session initially adjourned on March 21, 2025, but was constitutionally-required to enact the first biennial budget within 90 days before the state’s fiscal year-end. The statutory adjournment date for that session was June 18, which remains the target for wrapping up the special session. The second biennial budget, a Democratic initiative, prioritizes new programs and spending, unlike the first budget, which was touted as a baseline for essential government functions. Republicans, lacking the votes to block the budget, oppose the new spending and would need support from Democrats in competitive districts to stop it.
MONDAY’S LEGISLATIVE PUSH
The first session day of the week is likely to be a long one, even though the published calendars are short. In the House, it is only 46 pages and comprised of 19 divided reports on topics including firearms in vehicles, bail officers, the foreclosure process and two bills on data privacy. The Senate is only scheduled for 32 pages with only two divided reports. Light calendars this far into a session mean that both chambers will be seeing a lot of supplemental work added to their calendars and will be swapping legislation between the bodies. This will go on for hours as Representatives and Senators work towards finishing at a reasonable hour so they can get some sleep and do it all over again on Tuesday morning.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY: DEALS AND DEADLINES
The day before adjournment is always interesting as opportunistic deals are cut with the clock ticking. The Republicans in the minority will see a lot of hurry up and wait over the course of a 12-to-24-hour day of work as the majority party debates within itself on bill outcomes and spending. Republicans will be shut out of any planning or scheduling. The rank-and-file GOP will not even know when they are expected to be in their seats to vote until the bell starts ringing. It is a sound, at this point, that many legislators hear in their sleep.
This is largely how legislative sessions have closed under Governor Janet Mills (D) and during the Democrat’s total control of both ends of the state house over the last six years. The decision making is not between Republicans and Democrats. It is between the few Democrat centrists left and the ever-expanding progressive Democrats that make up the majority of their caucus.
The Democrat legislative centrists tend to be older and have a background in occupations that are based in the real world like former city manager Representative Bill Bridgeo (D- Augusta) or University of Maine Biological Scientist Representative James Dill (D-Old Town). These centrists are but a small minority of the Democrat Caucus. Many of who are wary of the cautionary tale of former Representative Bruce White (D-Waterville). When Rep. White voted against LD 1619 last year — the most extreme pro-abortion law in America — the Democrats launched a primary challenge against him with a progressive, and ended his time under the dome.
Representative Grayson Lookner (D-Portland) and Representative Amubureen Rana (D-Bangor), who are both community organizers, are representative of the younger and larger progressive wing of the Democratic legislative caucus. Both have been vocal on the House floor advocating for far-left bills and spending. They are backed up slightly older, institutional progressives like Representative Marc Malon (D-Biddeford) and Representative Rafael Macias (D-Topsham). Rep. Malon works outside the legislature as the Party Affairs Director of the Maine Democratic Party. Rep. Macias serves on the board of the powerful progressive advocacy organization, the Maine Peoples Alliance. Outside of caucus both of these organizations will provide the heft to move progressive priorities on the House floor.
These two intra-party factions, the centrists and the progressives, will be where the real debate will happen over the next 72 to 96 hours. The big decisions will be made behind closed doors by one party during caucuses with the votes on the floor being predetermined political theater.
Meanwhile, Republicans will be left waiting in the dark as the Democrats deliberate alone for long hours. The only brakes to be applied on bills and spending will not come from the minority party. Governor Janet Mills from her second-floor office wields with her veto pen holds the only power to pump the brakes on the legislative majority. Gov. Mills background as a prosecutor align her more closely with the centrist wing of elected Democrats. This has historically caused conflict with the priorities of the progressive wing of the legislative majority. Republicans will want to make popcorn while they watch the Democrat-on-Democrat prize fight that plays out this week.
TIME RUNS OUT OR OVERTIME?
Eventually the second biennial budget will pass, and the legislature will be close to adjournment. There will be a veto day in the weeks to come where the legislature will vote on overturning any vetoes from the Governor. Also, there will be many bills from Democrats that were passed and were not funded in the budget. These exist in limbo on the special appropriations table. If the legislature adjourns Sine Die those bills will be dead.
There have also been many bills carried over from this session to the Second Regular Session that begins in January 2026. Several legislative sources have said that Democrats may attempt to call the legislature back into session in August to work through some of these carry over bills and address the unfunded bills with potential collected tax revenue if it exceeds projections.
This week, if the legislature does not adjourn Sine Die (without day), but rather simply adjourns until August or the Fall, they can keep the session open. They will not need Gov. Mills to call another emergency special session for the legislature to finish their work. This may be the preferred method to “sherpa,” or carry up the hill, unfunded bills to funding sources after the start of the new state fiscal year in July.
There are many internal battles to be fought this week amongst the factions of legislative Democrats. Republicans will be largely irrelevant to the decisions that will be made as the Democrats have enough votes to pass what they want without them. This is why we have had three, and possibly four majority budgets including this week, pass the legislature in recent years. The only person who has the power to be a check and balance on legislative progressive Democrats is the governor.
POLITICAL FUTURES
The legislature will be done this week at some point. All legislators will be excited for their summer vacation. A few prominent law makers are expected to announce runs for their next higher office over the summer. State House rumors include a Senator Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) run for Governor as an Independent and a Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) challenge to Senator Susan Collins (R-ME).
