03/25/2025
Additional information:
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON TESTIMONY FOR WEDNESDAY
There will be TWO Blocks of Testimony, you will get 3 minutes each. See Below.
Dear Judiciary Committee Members, Bill Sponsors and Interested Parties,
The committee will be conducting public hearings on eight bills on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 beginning at 9:30 a.m. Because a large turnout is expected for these hearings, the committee chairs are adopting the following procedures to ensure that all members of the public who wish to testify may do so in as efficient a manner as possible.
Grouping of bills for public hearing:
Given the overlap in the subject matter of these eight bills, they will all be heard in two joint public hearings broken up in the following blocks:
Hearing Block 1 – Beginning at 9:30
LD 677 - An Act to Update the Statutory Definition of "Machine Gun" and Prohibit Possession of a Rapid-fire Device (Sen. Carney)
LD 953 - An Act to Change the Definition of "Machine Gun" in the Maine Criminal Code (Sen. Haggan)
LD 1109 - An Act to Reduce Gun Violence Casualties in Maine by Prohibiting the Possession of Large-capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices (Rep. Beck)
LD 1126 - An Act Requiring Serial Numbers on Fi****ms and Prohibiting Undetectable Fi****ms (Rep. Zager)
Hearing Block 2 – Immediately following the public hearing in block 1
LD 424 - An Act Concerning the Concealed Carrying of a Handgun by an Individual Who Is 18 Years of Age but Under 21 Years of Age (Rep. Collins)
LD 829 - An Act to Standardize the Laws Regarding the Carrying of Concealed Handguns in State Parks (Sen. Haggan)
LD 1049 - An Act to Eliminate the Duty to Inform a Law Enforcement Officer When Carrying a Concealed Handgun Without a Permit (Rep Poirier)
LD 998 - An Act Regarding an Employer's Authority to Prohibit an Employee from Storing a Firearm in the Employee's Vehicle (Rep. Collins)
Length and order of testimony:
Testimony length: Other than the primary sponsor of each bill, the spoken testimony of each person will be limited to 3 minutes. Please understand that, in order to allow all persons an opportunity to speak, you will only be called once to speak per each hearing block. If you are unable to complete your full remarks during this time, please provide written testimony so that committee members can read the remainder of your remarks after the hearing.
Order of testimony: For the public hearings on the above bills, the chairs intend to maintain one list of persons wishing to testify for each hearing block. The chairs plan to take testimony in the order in which persons sign up to testify, including from persons wishing to testify IN FAVOR, IN OPPOSITION and NEITHER FOR NOT AGAINST the bills in the hearing block, with a goal of finishing the days hearings by around 5pm or 6pm.
After all members of the public have testified: The chairs will invite members of the Legislature, including bill co-sponsors, to testify in favor, in opposition or neither for nor against these bills.
Persons testifying in person: If you plan to testify in person:
You may sign up to testify in the rotunda on the Fourth Floor of the State House beginning at 8:00 a.m.. Based on when you sign up, you will be assigned to a group of persons to testify.
Because the Judiciary Committee room is quite small, several other rooms have been set aside for those who are waiting to testify. You will be able to listen to the hearing from those rooms. You may also use your own electronic device to watch the livestream of the hearing from the committee’s webpage: https://legislature.maine.gov/Audio/ #438.
If you are speaking and also want to provide written testimony, you must bring 20 copies of your testimony to the committee room when you testify. Please do not put your testimony in the collection box or submit your testimony online if you are going to testify in person — committee members appreciate having the hard copy of your testimony in front of them while you are speaking. A copier is available in the Law Library on the Second Floor of the State House for a fee.
After you testify, you will be asked to exit the Fourth Floor of the State House to make room for other members of the public who wish to testify.
Under Rule 8 of the Judiciary Committee’s Rules of Procedure, persons “are not permitted to hold or display signs, posters, placards or props . . . in the committee room.”
Persons testifying remotely (online): If you plan to testify over Zoom:
You may register to testify at https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/
If you also wish to submit written testimony, you may do so electronically using the same link that you use to register to testify. It is best if submit your testimony at the same time that you register to testify.
After you testify, you will be asked to exit the Zoom meeting. You may watch the remainder of the public hearing from the committee’s webpage: https://legislature.maine.gov/Audio/ #438.
Under Rule 8 of the Judiciary Committee Rules of Procedure, persons “are not permitted to hold or display signs, posters, placards or props . . . while they are visible on the committee’s livestream.
Use this form if you wish to testify using Zoom before a committee at a public hearing on a bill or confirmation or to submit written testimony.
