AUGUSTA – Lawmakers have set aside some high-profile bills in this legislative session — including proposals to address cyberbullying, change the state’s sex offender registry and to let nonunion workers decide whether to pay a share of union dues — leaving them to be taken up again in January,

With this year’s session due to end this week, the Legislature has carried over more than 120 of the 1,587 bills that were introduced. By comparison, 88 were carried over from the first year of the previous two-year session, in 2009.

The second year of every two-year session is shorter — typically ending in mid- to late April — and dedicated to emergency bills, budget issues, bills from the governor and bills held over from the first year.

The decision to carry over the “fair share” bill — which would repeal the state’s authority to automatically withdraw a portion of union dues from the paychecks of nonunion state workers — surprised many observers, after Republicans pushed for the bill to get a late-session public hearing.

After a large rally opposing the bill, and a long public hearing, the Legislature’s Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee voted early this month to delay action until next year.

The committee’s Senate chairman, Chris Rector, R-Thomaston, said the panel needed more information before it could vote. There was confusion during the public hearing because two versions of an amendment to the bill were circulated.

Labor union leaders, who opposed the bill, said Republicans didn’t have the votes to pass it so it was held over.

Another area of contention next year will be bond bills, 26 of which were held over. Gov. Paul LePage made it clear in his budget address in February that he did not want the state to borrow money this year, giving lawmakers a clear signal to hold off consideration of bonds.

Eighteen of the bond bills are sponsored by Democrats, while eight are sponsored by Republicans. They propose borrowing for rail lines, research and development, a container port on Sears Island and downtown revitalization, among other things.

Other bills that will come up in 2012 are:

• L.D. 199, “An Act to Strengthen Maine’s Election Laws by Requiring Photograph Identification for the Purpose of Voting,” sponsored by Rep. Rich Cebra, R-Naples. Hotly debated in the House and Senate, the bill was held over after it failed to pass.

The bill was considered a mandate to cities and towns because it was projected to cost money to implement. As a mandate, it needs two-thirds approval in the House and Senate, and it lacked that level of support.

• L.D. 1514, “An Act to Amend the Sex Offender Registration Laws,” sponsored by Rep. Anne Haskell, D-Portland. The bill would update the existing registry by instituting a tiered system for offenders who are newly convicted. It also would add a risk assessment responsibility to the Department of Corrections.

Haskell said the bill was carried over because it didn’t get printed until late in the session and there wasn’t enough time to give it full consideration.

• L.D. 980, “An Act to Prohibit Cyberbullying in Public Schools,” sponsored by Rep. Don Pilon, D-Saco. The bill would require school boards to adopt policies against hazing, harassment, bullying and cyberbullying. It would make harassment by cyberbullying a civil violation.

Pilon said the bill was carried over because he needs more time to study how other states are handling the issue.

• L.D. 806, “An Act to Provide Public Access to Price Lists of Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgical Facilities,” sponsored by Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham. The bill would require hospitals and surgical facilities to post, in a public area, the prices they charge for the 100 most common procedures in the hospital.

• L.D. 145, “An Act to Protect Homeowners Subject to Foreclosure by Requiring the Foreclosing Entity to Provide the Court with Original Documents,” sponsored by Rep. Roberta Beavers, D-South Berwick. The bill would require a mortgage holder to produce the original mortgage note as part of the civil foreclosure complaint.

Despite a unanimous vote in support from the Judiciary Committee, intense lobbying from the banking industry threatened the bill, so it was sent back to committee, Beavers said.

• L.D. 227, “An Act Relating to the Establishment of Casinos,” sponsored by Rep. Linda Valentino, D-Saco. The bill would authorize three casinos in the state, subject to a competitive bidding process.

Voters this fall will likely decide the fate of three proposed gambling facilities, in Lewiston, Biddeford and Calais, so the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee held off on the bill pending the outcome of the elections, Valentino said.

• L.D. 1095, “An Act to Facilitate the Construction and Operation of Private Prisons by Authorizing the Transport of Prisoners Out of State,” sponsored by Sen. Doug Thomas, R-Ripley. The bill would allow private prisons to be built in the state and would let the state corrections commissioner send a prisoner out of state for any purpose.

• L.D. 120, “An Act to End Taxpayer-funded Campaigns for Gubernatorial Candidates,” sponsored by Rep. Tyler Clark, R-Easton. The bill would eliminate Clean Election Act funding for gubernatorial candidates. At one point, LePage proposed the same idea in the two-year state budget. Administration officials later said they preferred to let the Legislature take up the matter.

Clark said the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee put off a vote this year pending a U.S. Supreme Court decision in the McComish v. Bennett case, which is a legal challenge to Arizona’s version of Clean Elections.

• L.D. 565, “An Act to Provide Funding for the World Acadian Congress,” sponsored by Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash. The bill calls for $250,000 for the international event planned for northern Maine in 2014. It was held over pending available funding.

• L.D. 1143, “An Act to Require That Law Enforcement Officials Collect DNA Samples from Persons Arrested for Certain Crimes,” sponsored by Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-Augusta. The bill would require those who are arrested, charged or indicted in serious crimes such as murder and gross sexual assault to submit DNA samples as part of the booking process.

It was referred back to the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee by the Appropriations Committee because of the estimated $165,473 cost in the first year and more than $300,000 cost in subsequent years. Maloney said she will spend time this summer seeking alternative sources of funding.

MaineToday Media State House Writer Susan Cover can be contacted at 620-7015 or at:

scover@mainetoday.com