AUGUSTA

Senate rejects bill to require 50 percent win for governor

The Maine Senate has rejected a proposal to amend the state Constitution so that a candidate would need more than 50 percent of the vote to be elected governor.

The Senate’s rejection of the bill Tuesday virtually ended its chances of passage in this session.

The bill came in response to a pattern of Maine governors being elected with less than a majority vote. Under Maine law, the candidate who receives the largest number of votes, even if it’s less than half of the total cast, becomes governor.

The proposed amendment would have required more than 50 percent of the vote for that office — and made a runoff necessary to determine a winner.

House OKs resolution on state sovereignty

The House of Representatives is asking Congress to respect state sovereignty.

By a 79-67 vote Tuesday, the Republican-controlled House passed the nonbinding resolution that says some congressional mandates exceed federal power. The resolution now awaits a Senate vote.

The resolution highlights the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, which lays out federal and state powers, and asserts that a number of federal mandates exceed congressional authority.

Republican Rep. Richard Cebra of Naples urged passage. Cebra cited the federal Real ID anti-terrorism requirements as an example of a law in which the government exceeded its legal bounds.

The House Democratic leader, Rep. Emily Cain of Orono, said the courts already provide a process to determine when the federal government overreaches its authority.

Fossil-fuel reduction bill has support of committee

A bill setting ambitious goals for reducing the use of fossil fuels in Maine has won the support of a legislative committee.

The Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee voted Monday in favor of legislation to extend an existing requirement, to reduce the use of liquid fossil fuels for heating by 30 percent by 2030.

The bill would extend that to oil use in all sectors of the economy.

The bill, which has bipartisan sponsorship, also would add a goal to reduce Maine’s overall oil use by 50 percent by 2050.

Environmental advocates applauded the committee’s action.

Environment Maine Director Emily Figdor said Maine is dangerously addicted to oil, and that has major effects on the environment, economy and national security.

The bill now goes to the House and Senate.

Revised spending package likely to pass House, Senate

A budget update that accounts for a $65 million gap between revenue and spending is closer to approval.

A bill on a revised spending package for the year ending June 30 is up for consideration by the House today. The shortfall comes mostly from overruns in the state Department of Health and Human Services.

With support of the Appropriations Committee, the spending update is expected to win House and Senate passage.

Meanwhile, the Appropriations Committee continues work on a $6.1 billion spending package for the two years starting July 1.