Hepler introduces legislation to modernize
Maine’s bottle redemption program

Rep. Allison Hepler, D-Woolwich, introduced legislation last week before the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee that would modernize Maine’s beverage container redemption laws, also known as the “Bottle Bill.”

With an amendment introduced by Hepler, L.D. 1909 would make numerous changes to support redemption centers and the bottle redemption program. These include moving to a material-based bottle-sorting process, linking biannual bottle handling fee increases to inflation, reallocating unclaimed deposits to support and invest in recycling and reuse systems, and creating a commingling cooperative to manage the redemption program with representative stakeholder input. The legislation would also require an annual report back to the Legislature on the status of the program beginning Feb. 15, 2024.

“We all benefit from a successful bottle redemption program — handling fee increases alone was never the entire solution, only part of it,” Hepler said. “Redemption centers play an important part in our communities and are vital to the success of our bottle redemption law. These investments would ensure a high bottle return rate to protect our environment; provide convenient redemption information to consumers, small beverage companies and tourists alike; and extend equity, sustainability and predictability for redemption centers.”

The bill received strong support from redemption centers and the Natural Resources Council of Maine, among others.

“Over the past 45 years, Maine’s Bottle Bill program has been extremely effective at reducing litter, increasing recycling, creating jobs, funding charities and reducing costs for municipalities and taxpayers,” said Sarah Nichols, Sustainable Maine program director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “Maine people are proud of the Bottle Bill, and we should be. When the beverage industry attempted to roll back the Bottle Bill in a referendum in 1976, Maine voters rejected that effort by a margin of six to one.”

The Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a work session on the bill in the coming weeks.

Committee advances Golek bill to support
weatherizing manufactured homes

The Legislature’s Labor and Housing Committee recently voted to move forward a measure from Rep. Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, that would improve access to energy-efficiency programs for low- and moderate-income Mainers living in manufactured homes.

As amended, L.D. 815 would require the Maine State Housing Authority and Efficiency Maine Trust to increase outreach efforts to residents of manufactured housing to improve awareness about energy-efficiency grant and loan programs that are available.

In 2020, 62,000 of the Maine’s 747,000 housing units were mobile homes.

“Improving outreach efforts will help raise awareness about the programs available for Mainers to better weatherize their homes,” Golek said. “Directing the Maine State Housing Authority and Efficiency Maine Trust to work together to improve awareness about their programs will help Mainers who own manufactured homes make much-needed updates, lowering their energy costs and helping our state meet our long-term, clean-energy goals.”

The cost of heating oil in Maine has increased significantly over the last several years. According to the Governor’s Energy Office, the statewide cost of heating oil was $3.60 a gallon as of May 1, up from $2.55 a gallon in May 2021.

Golek bill to study establishing child care
facilities in schools moves forward

The Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee voted last Thursday to advance an amended version of L.D. 1520, a measure from Rep. Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, that would direct the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to study the feasibility of placing child care facilities in schools. The vote was 6-4 in favor with three members absent.

“Access to affordable child care is essential for a strong Maine economy,” Golek said. “We need to think outside the box to find innovative ways to increase access to affordable child care, which will help Maine families make ends meet and allow our small businesses to recruit and retain a strong workforce. This legislation will bring key stakeholders to the table to study a potential way to do just that.”

The study would focus on providing child care to the infants, toddlers and preschool children of school employees, along with other community members as space allows. The study would also explore how facilities could be incorporated to provide a learning environment for child care education and child development courses. A report of the study’s findings would be due to the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee no later than December 2023.

The bill faces votes in the House and Senate in the coming days.