☀️ LD 785, Restoring Wabanaki sovereignty
☀️ LD 395, Federal law access

🎙️ Public hearing 4/22: LD 1474, Wabanaki studies

Sponsor: Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec)
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony >>

SUMMARY
This bill provides that a citizen of a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or band in Maine is not required to pay a fee for admission to any state-owned park, historic site, camping area or beach managed by the State. The bill also specifies that to qualify for free admission, a person is required to present a qualifying tribal identification, as approved by the respective tribal government, to the park attendant or other designee of the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Read the complete bill text»

⚠️STATUS: Committee voted OTP; Full Legislature will vote soon.
The Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry held a public hearing March 11 (read the public testimony) and a work session for March 18. The committee voted that the bill Ought to Pass. It now goes to the full Legislature for a vote.  

TAKE ACTION

• • Contact your legislators. Contact your legislators and ask them to vote YES on LD 14. Find your legislators here»

Sponsor: Rep. Allison Hepler (D-Woolwich)
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill.

SUMMARY
This bill amends several laws pertaining to fishing for elvers in Maine, the miniature transparent “glass eels” that leave the open ocean to enter estuaries and ascend rivers in late winter, early spring and throughout the summer months. Proposed changes would:

• • Reduce the penalty for selling elvers without using an elver transaction card from permanent suspension for the first offense to three years for the first offense and permanent for a second offense. 
  • Allow an elver fishing license holder to empty, under supervision, another license holder’s tagged fyke net.
  • Prohibit elver harvesters from holding elvers for longer than 6 hours and from holding elvers within a residential dwelling. Violation of these provisions is a Class E crime.
  • Change the elver fishing-license lottery date from Feb. 15 to March 15.
  • Read the full bill text here >>

⚠️STATUS: Voted OTP by the committee; Full Legislature will vote soon
The Committee on Marine Resources held a public hearing on LD 44 March 13 (read the public testimony) and held a work session March 13. The committee voted the bill ought to pass as amended. The bill next goes to the full Legislature for a vote.

TAKE ACTION

• Contact your legislators. Contact your legislators and ask them to vote YES on LD 44. Find your legislators here» 

Sponsor: Rep. Jennifer L. Poirier (R-Skowhegan)
The Wabanaki Alliance opposes this bill. Read our testimony >>

SUMMARY This bill provides for state recognition of the Kineo St. John Tribe as a Native American tribe. Recognition does not create, extend, or form the basis of any right or claim to land or real estate in the state or any right to conduct gambling activities prohibited by law. The Kineo St. John Tribe and the individual members of the tribe remain subject to all the laws of the State. LD 812 is one of two bills introduced this session by Rep. Poirer that seeks to bypass the federal recognition process established by the Office of Federal Acknowledgement within the Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. Leaders of the federally recognized Wabanaki Nations believe that this federal process should be the one to determine whether a group merits recognition. Read the full bill text >>

⚠️STATUS: Committee will issue a divided report; Full Legislature will vote soon.
The Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing March 12 (read the public testimony) and held a work session for March 19. The majority of the committee voted the bill Ought Not to Pass, but the committee will issue a divided report. The bill will next go to the full Legislature for a vote. 

TAKE ACTION

• • Contact your legislators. Contact your legislators and ask them to vote NO on LD 812. Find your legislators here»

Sponsor: Rep. Jennifer L. Poirier (R-Skowhegan)
The Wabanaki Alliance opposes this bill. Read our testimony >>

SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Maine Commission on Native American Indian Affairs, a five-member panel of experts appointed by the governor to review and make recommendations on applications for state recognition of Native American Indian tribes in the state. The ultimate decision whether to confer state recognition would lie with the Legislature. The bill stipulates that state-recognized Native American Indian tribes and their members remain subject to state law and clarifies that recognition may not be construed to grant any state-recognized tribe or its members any right or claim to land or real estate in Maine or the right to conduct any gambling activities otherwise prohibited by law. LD 813 is one of two bills introduced this session by Rep. Poirer that seeks to bypass the federal recognition process established by the Office of Federal Acknowledgement within the Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs. Leaders of the federally recognized Wabanaki Nations believe that this federal process should be the one to determine whether a group merits recognition. A similar bill introduced in the previous session by Poirier died in the House. Read the full bill text >>

⚠️STATUS: Committee issued a divided report; Full Legislature will vote soon.
The Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing March 12 (read the public testimony) and has scheduled a work session for March 19. The majority of the committee voted the bill Ought Not to Pass, but the committee will issue a divided report. It next goes to the full Legislature for a vote.

TAKE ACTION

• • Contact your legislators. Contact your legislators and ask them to vote NO on LD 813. Find your legislators here»  

Sponsors: Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Daniel Sayre (D-Kennebunk)
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill.

SUMMARY This bill addresses a gap in state law by establishing tax treatment for the Mi’kmaq Nation that is equal to the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. LD 982 would exempt the Mi’kmaq Nation from state sales and income tax for activities occurring on tribal trust or reservation lands and allow the tribe to generate sales tax revenues from sales on Mi’kmaq land.  If passed, this legislation will:

• Improve economic opportunities available to the Mi’kmaq Nation and its citizens.
• Encourage economic development within the lands of the Mi’kmaq Nation, which will benefit not only the nation and its citizens but also to surrounding communities and the state.
• Clarify and simplify the application of the state’s tax laws to the Mi’kmaq Nation as well as to its lands and citizens. This will reduce the costs of tax compliance to the nation and its citizens as well as reduce the cost to the state of administering its tax laws.

LD 982 is similar to legislation that received favorable votes in committee and the Maine House but died on the Senate Appropriations Table. Read the full bill text >>

⚠️STATUS: Committee voted OTP; Full Legislature will vote soon
The Committee on Taxation held a public hearing on this bill on March 26 (read the public testimony). Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey testified in support of this bill; read his testimony here. The committee held a work session on April 8 and voted that the bill Ought to Pass as amended.

TAKE ACTION

• • Contact your legislators. Contact your legislators and ask them to vote YES on LD 982. Find your legislators here»  

Sponsor: Rep. Laurie Osher (D-Orono)
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill.

SUMMARY
This bill creates the position of Wabanaki Studies Specialist within the Maine Department of Education to oversee compliance with the 2001 Wabanaki Studies Law, which requires the inclusion of Wabanaki history, economic and political systems, and culture in the curricula of all public K-12 schools. According to a 2022 report by the Wabanaki Alliance, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, ACLU of Maine, and the Abbe Museum, most school districts in the state have largely ignored the law since it was enacted, which prompted the introduction of this legislation. LD 1474 requires ongoing funding for the Wabanaki Studies Specialist and for contracted Wabanaki advisors to advance the implementation of Wabanaki studies across the state. LD 1474 also directs the state Board of Education to require completion of a Wabanaki studies component within teacher certification requirements and ensures funding is available to hire Wabanaki advisors and educators who would help the Wabanaki studies specialist create short-term courses that would be available to all Maine teachers. A similar bill (which also included additional provisions related to African American Studies) was approved by the 131st Legislature but died on the appropriations table last spring along with dozens of other unfunded bills. Read the full text of LD 1474>>

Learn more in our Take Action Post on LD 1474.

🎙️STATUS: Public hearing April 22
The Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs will hold a public hearing at 1 pm on Tuesday, April 22 in Room 208 of the Cross Building.

TAKE ACTION

• Submit testimony. Use the talking points in our Take Action Post on LD 1474 and follow the steps in the Legislative Toolkit on this page to submit testimony in support of this bill either in writing before the hearing or during the hearing via Zoom or at the State House. 
• Contact your legislators. If your legislators sit on this committee, email them and ask them to vote Ought to Pass on LD 1474. You can also share your written testimony with your legislators and ask them to support the bill. Find your legislators here»  
• Write a letter to the editor. Turn your testimony into a letter to the editor! Find tips and newspaper contact info in our LTE Guide. 
• Listen in. If you can’t attend the hearing in person, you can listen in HERE. 

Sponsor: House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor)
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony >>

SUMMARY
This bipartisan bill amends the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act and the 2023 Mi’kmaq Nation Restoration Act to prevent the state from taking Wabanaki land for public uses,  often referred to as “the right of eminent domain.” This would apply to land located within Passamaquoddy Tribe territory, Penobscot Nation territory, Houlton Band Trust Land and the Mi’kmaq Nation Trust Land. By removing language that gives the state eminent domain power over tribal lands, LD 958 restores a fundamental principle that the Wabanaki Nations are sovereign governments with inherent power to regulate their territories. Read the full bill text >> 

Learn more in our Take Action Post on LD 958.

⏳ STATUS: Awaiting 2nd work session
The Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing April 4 (read the public testimony) and tabled the bill during an April 9 work session. A second work session has not yet been scheduled.

TAKE ACTION

• • Submit testimony. You can still submit testimony in support of LD 958! Use the talking points in our Take Action Post on LD 958 and follow the steps in the Legislative Toolkit on this page to submit testimony in support of this bill before the work session on April 9. 
  • Contact your legislators. If your legislators sit on this committee, email them and ask them to vote Ought to Pass on LD 958. You can also share your written testimony with your legislators and ask them to support the bill. Find your legislators here»  
  • Write a letter to the editor. Turn your testimony into a letter to the editor! Find tips and newspaper contact info in our LTE Guide. 

Sponsor: Rep. James F. Dill (D-Old Town)
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill.

SUMMARY
This bill provides an exception to prohibitions against buying, selling, or offering for sale certain wild animals and wild birds. It would allow Penobscot Nation citizens living in Maine who have lawfully killed or trapped and registered a bear, deer, moose, wild turkey, or wild bird within the Penobscot Nation territory to buy, sell, or use that wild game within Penobscot Nation territory. This allowance covers food venues such as restaurants, lodging places, food trucks, and recreational or sporting camps. Read the full bill text >>

⏳STATUS: Awaiting public hearing
The Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife had scheduled a public hearing for April 2, but that hearing was canceled. A new hearing has not yet been scheduled. 

TAKE ACTION

Stay tuned for actions you can take!

Sponsor: Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Cumberland)
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill.

SUMMARY
This bipartisan bill protects Wabanaki rights by restoring tribal self-government to all federally-recognized tribes in Maine. Based on 22 consensus recommendations from a bipartisan task force convened by the Maine Legislature in 2019, the legislation addresses long-standing issues with the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act governing the relationship between the state and the tribes in Maine. It repeals or amends provisions in the Settlement Act that for more than 40 years have treated the Wabanaki Nations as akin to municipalities, rather than as sovereign nations with rights and powers under federal Indian law held by more than 570 other federally recognized tribes in all other U.S. states.

Under the Settlement Act, tribes in Maine have been unable to benefit from more than 150 federal laws passed since 1980, missing out on opportunities for economic development, to increase access to health care, respond to natural disasters, and expand environmental protections. According to a 2022 Harvard report, achieving parity with the other federal tribes would lead to significant job creation and greater economic development opportunities for the Wabanaki Nations and their rural neighbors in Maine. The bill also includes a requirement to create a dispute-resolution process for settling disputes between the state and the Wabanaki Nations. Read the full bill text>> 

STATUS: Held until second half of legislative session.
The bill will be heard by the Committee on Judiciary during the second half of this legislative session, which will begin in January 2026.

TAKE ACTION
We will have talking points and specific actions you can take to support LD 785 before the public hearing in early 2026.

Sponsor: Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Cumberland)
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill.

SUMMARY
This bipartisan bill amends the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act and the Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act so that the Wabanaki tribes can benefit from most existing and future federal laws that apply to the more than 570 other federally recognized tribes. Under the Settlement Acts, when Congress passes federal legislation, Wabanaki tribes in Maine must be explicitly written into the legislation. The Wabanaki Nations are the only federally recognized tribes to be treated in this way. LD 395 would modernize the Settlement Acts, ensuring that the tribes in Maine are not excluded when Congress passes federal legislation for tribes nationwide as they have been at least 151 times in the past 40 years, according to a 2019 report by the Suffolk University Law School. This would benefit not only the Wabanaki Nations, but also rural Maine, according to a 2022 analysis by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. The bill excludes federal tribal gaming laws, stipulating that the Wabanaki Nations would be subject to state gaming laws. It also extends to the Mi’kmaq Nation — which did not participate in the original Settlement Acts — the same rights and provisions granted to Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. Read the complete bill text» 

STATUS: Held until second half of legislative session.
The bill will be heard by the Committee on Judiciary during the second half of this legislative session, which will begin in January 2026.

TAKE ACTION
We will have talking points and specific actions you can take to support LD 785 before the public hearing in early 2026.

Sponsor: Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony >>

SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Maine Board on Place Names as an advisory board and requires the board to establish policies and procedures for naming and renaming places and serve as a consultant to the state employee who serves as an unofficial liaison to the United States Department of the Interior, United States Geographical Survey, United States Board on Geographic Names, Domestic Names Committee for the purpose of naming and renaming those places in the State under the jurisdiction of the United States Board on Geographic Names. LD 247 also requires municipal officers and county commissioners to notify and work with the Maine Board on Place Names if a place name in a municipality or unorganized territory is found by the Maine Human Rights Commission to be offensive. The board would be required to submit a report by December 15 of each odd-numbered year on municipalities that have petitioned to name or rename a place, recommendations for changes to existing place names, and recommendations for suggested legislation. That report would go to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government;  agriculture, conservation and forestry matters; and inland fisheries and wildlife matters. Finally, the bill amends the definition of “place” in the provision of law that prohibits offensive names for places in the State. Read the complete bill text»

🎙️ STATUS: Withdrawn
The Committee on State and Local Government held a public hearing on LD 247 February 12 (read the public testimony). However, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, has announced that she plans to withdraw the bill — not because the proposal doesn’t have merit, but because of the current political realities at the federal level. “If decisions about geographic names can be made unilaterally at the federal level, without regard for local and historical considerations, then efforts to establish a consistent and fair process in Maine becomes significantly more challenging,” Talbot Ross said.