PORTLAND — The wish list may not have changed much, but the odds of it getting filled may have increased.

With Democratic Party majorities in the Legislature, and incoming Democratic Gov. Janet Mills set to be inaugurated Jan. 2, 2019, city councilors on Dec. 13 met with nearly all of the city’s legislative delegation to prioritize and organize legislation and determine who will sponsor bills.

Heading the list of priorities was legislation to revise how the state reimburses municipalities for General Assistance vouchers, while also addressing eligibility for immigrants deemed to be legally present in the country who are then seeking asylum

“We are early in the process,” Rep. Michael Brennan, D-Portland, said, adding committee assignments won’t be known until the end of the month, and there will only be one Legislative session per week in the first two weeks of the New Year.

Brennan, a former legislator and the city’s mayor from 2011-2015, is returning to Augusta to replace former Rep. Denise Harlow.

He is not going empty handed; Brennan discussed elements of about 20 bills he intends to sponsor, including one to address the GA reimbursements.

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The state amended its rules in 2015 to reimburse 70 percent of municipal expenses, where it had once reimbursed 50 percent, until a threshold boosted reimbursements to 90 percent. The city would like to retain the 70 percent rate, then see it increased to 90 percent for cities considered service centers (those with homeless shelters) when a threshold is reached.

While Bernstein Shur attorney Alysia Melnick said Mills would be asked about how the state would interpret rules about reimbursements for GA provided to asylum seekers, her colleague, Kate Knox said legislation might also be needed to ensure eligibility from the time an applicant was considered legally present in the country to the time they showed proof of having filed for asylum seeker status.

The gap can last from six to nine months, and those seeking asylum are eligible for GA benefits for 24 months.

Council priorities to promote use of renewable energy are likely to be covered in other bills coming forward, Melnick said, as are some land use bills that could include creating a state tax credit program to develop affordable housing.

Brennan is also sponsoring bills for a $15 million bond to promote housing-first initiatives in the state, and to allocate $250,000 annually to help pay inmate health care costs at the Cumberland County Jail in Portland. 

City Manager Jon Jennings said he would like to see a bill authorizing municipalities to ban firearms in government buildings, and was told the Maine Gun Safety Coalition is interested in finding a sponsor for the same legislation.

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While councilors and legislators had already drafted a list of priorities, it was expanded Dec. 13 with with the addition of of two possible bills affecting Portland Downtown and the Portland International Jetport.

In the case of the former, Portland Downtown Director Casey Gilbert said clarification is needed in state rules governing tax increment finance districts and development districts. Gilbert said the current state rules placing a 30-year cap on districts like Portland Downtown is unneeded, especially because the state does not monitor and report on them as it does TIF districts.

TIF districts are established to set aside increases in tax revenues from development to help fund municipal projects or offset operating costs for entities in the districts.

At the Jetport, Director Paul Bradbury would like to see state laws amended so airports serving more than 20,000 enplaned passengers annually can set their own regulations for transportation network companies such as Lyft and Uber.

David Harry can be reached at 780-9092 or dharry@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidHarry8.

Portland City Councilor Pious Ali, center, leads a legislative strategy session in City Hall on Dec. 13, flanked by Democratic state Reps. Erik Jorgensen, left, and Michael Brennan.


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