Chamber urges greater transparency; candidate responses will measure their commitment to increasing public participation in lawmaking
AUGUSTA – The Maine State Chamber of Commerce is asking all 2024 Maine State House and Senate candidates where they stand on transparency in the legislative process in a questionnaire sent this week to the approximately 350 candidates for the Maine State Legislature. The Maine State Chamber is urging greater transparency in the legislative process. Candidate responses, which the Chamber will share publicly, will help measure each candidate’s commitment to transparency and increasing the public’s ability to participate in lawmaking.
“A clear and transparent process by which a bill can become Maine law is imperative to the public’s and the business community’s ability to participate in policymaking,” said Patrick Woodcock, president and CEO of the Maine State Chamber. “As part of the Maine State Chamber’s efforts to partner on improving transparency in policymaking and increasing the public’s and the business community’s awareness of legislative activity and access to the policymaking process, we are asking all Maine State House and Senate candidates where they stand on this basic governance issue in a brief questionnaire.”
The Maine State Chamber has raised concerns about the increasing erosion of transparency in the legislative process, specifically as it relates to “concept drafts” – or vague placeholder bill proposals that are absent of detailed language – and the lack of advance language on bill amendments as they go before legislative committees.
The Maine State Chamber testified on the need for greater transparency at the Maine State Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee hearing on July 18. In an April 3 letter to legislative leaders urging reforms to the legislative rules to make public policymaking more transparent to and inclusive of the public, Woodcock wrote, “The Maine State Legislature has developed a transparency problem that must be addressed prior to the convening of the next Legislature.”
The four questions for candidates in the Maine State Chamber’s questionnaire are:
- How familiar are you with the process of advancing a legislative proposal from a bill to a law?
- Do you believe that it is important that the legislative process is consistent and transparent to members of the public?
- Would you support legislative rules requiring that the legislative committee process be consistent across all legislative committees?
- Would you support a legislative rule change requiring that all legislation and amendments under consideration be publicly available at least 24 hours prior to a public hearing and/or work session?
The Maine State Chamber wrote to candidates, “Your responses are important to improving legislative transparency and efficiency, and to providing key insights for our members, the business community, and all Maine voters. We plan to publicly share a summary of candidate responses in late August or early September.”
Founded in 1889, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce is Maine’s largest business association, serving as “The Voice of Maine Business” on behalf of thousands of employers of all sizes and sectors across the state. The Maine State Chamber focuses on three pillars – Advocacy, Access, and Awareness – to advance a positive business climate and secure a strong state economy in which Maine businesses can compete and succeed. For more information, please visit www.mainechamber.org.
