AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives is asking Congress to respect state sovereignty.
By a 79-67 vote today, the Republican-controlled House passed the nonbinding resolution that says some congressional mandates exceed federal power. It 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.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.