The Educators for Maine recipients have been selected for the 2011 - 2012 academic year.  Students will be receiving a letter signed by the Governor notifying them of their selection for participation in the program.  This year 24 students were selected from the high school applicant pool, 10 students from the undergraduate applicant pool and six recipients were selected who will be  studying as graduate and/or post-baccalaureate students.

Payment and Refund processing will be available until June 20, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. for all education programs, after that date, schools will not be allowed to request payments for students in 2010-2011. If you have any students remaining to be certified for payment or you need to process refunds, we urge you to visit our EPIC website to process these requests.

The 2011 legislative session is now more than half over, with a mid-June statutory adjournment looming.  Regulatory, tax, and health care reform, labor issues, and proposals dealing with abortion and gambling are still to be considered.  At the top of the list, however, is a $6.1 billion state budget that implicates several policy issues, including state pensions and changes in welfare.

The deadline set by legislative leaders for committees to complete action on all bills was May 13.  Permission has been granted for some bills to be considered after this deadline, but most committees are finished with the vast majority of their work.  Attention will now turn to the floors of the House and the Senate as the full Legislature considers committee recommendations on bills.

The Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee continues to hold public hearings and work sessions on the budget and recent proposed changes made by Gov. LePage.  The budget now will require two-thirds support from the Legislature in order to take effect as emergency legislation prior to adjournment.

In late April, the Governor's Office announced a number of cabinet changes.  Darryl Brown will no longer serve as Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.  He now serves as the Director of the State Planning Office.  Jim Brooks, Director of the Bureau of Air Quality, is the Acting Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.  Phil Congdon resigned as Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, and George Gervais has been nominated by the Governor to be the new Commissioner.  Finally, the Governor has nominated Lieutenant General Robert Winglass to be Commissioner of Labor. General Winglass served in the Marine Corps until 1992 and served four years in the Maine House of Representatives.

Legislators recently enacted Gov. LePage's health reform package.  Also, a special election for Senate District 7 (Cape Elizabeth, South Portland and part of Scarborough) was held recently, and Representative Cynthia Dill (D) won the race to replace former Senator Larry Bliss (D).  She was sworn in on May 12, 2011, and the composition of the Senate remains as it was before Bliss gave up his seat, 20 Republican members, 14 Democrats, and one Independent.

LD 119, An Act To Allow a Tax Credit for Students Enrolled in Postsecondary Non-degree Programs:  Proposes to amend the educational opportunity tax credit to allow a credit for tuition paid for postsecondary education courses taken as part of a non-degree program, such as the Aspirations Program offered by the University of Maine.  Status:  voted Ought Not To Pass by Taxation Committee.

LD 164, An Act To Extend the Dental Care Access Credit for Dentists Who Practice in Underserved Areas of the State:  As amended by Taxation Committee, extends the sunset date for the program until December 31, 2020; allows a dentist who is currently certified for a credit at a certain level to maintain that level of credit; lowers the credit from $15,000 to $12,000 for dentists determined to be eligible after December 31, 2010; and allows 6 rather than 5 dentists to be certified for eligibility for the credit each year.  Status:  Enacted by Legislature but placed on Special Appropriations Committee Table due to fiscal note.

LD 184, An Act to Promote the Financial Literacy of High School Students:  As amended, would require the Department of Education to develop a program of technical assistance that promotes an integrated model for instruction in personal finance to help secondary school students attain financial literacy.  Requires commissioner to submit an annual report to school boards and superintendents that includes strategies and resources available to implement an integrated model for instruction in personal finance for use in secondary schools.  Also requires the annual report to be provided to the Education Committee and posted on the Department's website.  Status:  Enacted.
 

LD 209, Resolve, to Establish a Stakeholder Group to Review the Maine State Grant Program:  Authorizes FAME to coordinate a review of the program that includes the participation of a stakeholder group of higher education policy makers, agencies, institutions, students and financial aid administrators in the state and report to the Education Committee with recommendations by December 1, 2011.  Status:  Enacted by Legislature and signed into law by Gov. LePage.

LD 835, An Act To Strengthen Maine's Economy through Improvements to the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit:  As amended, this Opportunity Maine-sponsored bill would remove restrictions on the term of eligible loans and make the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit refundable, allowing a full reimbursement for education loan payments for college graduates who live and work in Maine.  The Taxation Committee voted to include a new sunset of July 1, 2022 to require reconsideration of the program to determine whether it should be continued.  Status:  Nearing final passage by full Legislature.

LD 944, An Act to Increase College Attainment:  Would require secondary school students to complete a federally accepted free application for federal student aid and at least one application to a postsecondary educational institution to assess eligibility for financial aid.  Status:  Not reported out of Education Committee.

LD 1008, An Act to Limit the Use of Social Security Numbers by State Agencies:  As amended, would require the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to create a policy to provide guidance to state agencies to limit their use of social security numbers in outgoing written correspondence and interdepartmental correspondence by either not including a social security number at all or using only the last 4 digits of a number.  Status:  Nearing final enactment.

LD 1173, An Act to Make Changes to the Maine College Savings Program:  Makes changes to the Maine College Savings Program, also known as NextGen or the NextGen College Investing Plan, by vesting the act of "holding" the program fund in the authority and not the Treasurer of State; by clarifying that in holding the program fund, the authority may invest, reinvest or commingle the assets in the program fund as authorized or may cause such assets to be invested, reinvested or commingled.  Also alters the composition of the Advisory Committee on College Savings to include more members with experience in and knowledge of institutional investment of funds.  Status:  On Governor's desk for signature.

LD 1174, An Act To Help Maine's Employers To Recruit Skilled Workers by Expanding the Availability of the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit:  Another Opportunity Maine bill, as amended would provide that the Job Creation Through Educational Opportunity Program tax credit be available to participants who receive an associate or bachelor's degree at an accredited community college, college or university not located in this State only if the associate or bachelor's degree is awarded after December 31, 2011. It applies to qualifying educational opportunity loans entered into before July 1, 2022; the intent of this limitation is to require reconsideration of the program to determine whether it should be continued. Status:  Nearing final enactment by full Legislature.

LD 1422, An Act To Prepare Maine People for the Future Economy:  Sponsored by Sen. Brian Langley, Senate Chair of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, the bill:

1.  Establishes an education policy, core priorities for the state's education system, education system goals, benchmarks and intervention strategies;

2.  Requires the development of a strategic plan to achieve the goals within the policy framework;

3.  Requires that the state budget document present proposed expenditures on early childhood development, public education, adult education, higher education and workforce development in a manner that facilitates evaluation by the Legislature of whether funds are being appropriated and allocated in a manner that best accords with the established policy framework, advances the established goals and implements the strategic plan;

4.  Requires that the Commissioner of Education adopt rules prescribing a uniform process for kindergarten screening in a manner that facilitates reliable and consistent measurement of statewide kindergarten readiness;

5.  Requires school administrative units to award high school diplomas based on standards established by rule; and

6.  Requires that, beginning with the class of 2015, students graduating from high schools demonstrate proficiency in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics, science and technology, social studies and health, physical education and wellness. Beginning with the class of 2018, students graduating from high schools must demonstrate proficiency in the content areas of career and education development; English language arts; world languages; health, physical education and wellness; mathematics; science and technology; social studies; and visual and performing arts.

Status:  Public hearing held recently by Education Committee.  Committee voted to carry over the measure to the next session.

LD 1558, Resolve, To Study Allocations of the Fund for a Healthy Maine:  This resolve establishes a commission tasked with reviewing whether allocations of the Fund for a Healthy Maine are properly aligned with the state's current public and preventive health priorities, strategies and goals and recommending adjustments to allocations as necessary.  Status:  Not yet reported out of committee.

To follow the proceedings of the Legislature, please visit:
http://www.maine.gov/legis/