A bill that would have allowed the governor and all future governors to shield their working papers from the public was soundly rejected by the House last week, 98-47.

Even opponents of the bill were surprised by the margin of the vote, which showed bipartisan opposition to the idea.

Gov. Paul LePage’s office supported the bill, saying that because lawmakers’ working papers aren’t public records under Maine law, the chief executive’s shouldn’t be.

Specifically, the bill would have created a public records exemption for “records, working papers, drafts and interoffice and intraoffice memoranda” used to prepare legislation or legislative reports.

It would have applied to the governor and “any employee of the governor’s office.”

While the House debate was not long, it was spirited. Rep. Lance Harvell, R-Farmington, summed it up with this zinger:

“Much of what we do here is about power,” he said, according to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. “It’s about power and it’s about secrecy. Power is always advancing. It never contracts. When you go to vote for this, remember this is only a bill that Richard Nixon could have loved and I urge you to vote no!”

The bill now goes to the Senate for a first vote.

PRIMARY BILL WATERED DOWN

A bill sponsored by Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry, that would have allowed Maine to change to a presidential primary state, rather than a caucus state, was changed to a study.

The House voted 85-57 Friday to allow the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee to meet once this summer to develop legislation for the next Legislature to consider.

Raye argued that his bill was a necessary response to problems with this year’s GOP caucuses, in which not all votes were counted, some were lost, and the winner was announced even before Washington County Republicans had a chance to meet.

The bill, L.D. 1882, has passed in the Senate on the first round of voting.

TEEN DRIVING HEARING TUESDAY

Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, got special permission from legislative leaders to introduce a late bill to adopt some of the changes to driving laws proposed by Secretary of State Charlie Summers.

The bill, L.D. 1912, will have a public hearing at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Transportation Committee room.

The bill would increase fines and fees for teenagers who lose their licenses, increase the fine for texting while driving from $100 to $350, and double the time a license is suspended for teenagers who commit moving violations.

Summers brought the ideas to the Transportation Committee earlier this year after a rash of driving deaths involving teenagers.

TOXIC CHEMICALS

Environmentalists hope that a unanimous, bipartisan vote in support of a resolution to urge Congress to update the federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 will spur Maine’s Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to come on board.

The Environmental Health Strategy Center and others say it’s time for the feds to step up protections against dangerous chemicals for children and families. Neither Snowe nor Collins has said publicly whether they will support federal legislation, which will come up for votes in Washington in the coming weeks.

“We want to give as much support as we can to Senators Snowe and Collins in their efforts to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act,” said Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry. “All Americans deserve to know that our laws will protect them and their children based on the best science available.”

SPEAKER LIGHTENS MOOD

House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, isn’t known for his pizazz behind the rostrum.

He doesn’t bang the gavel hard or speak in the booming (Pat Colwell) or charming (Glenn Cummings) voice of some past speakers. Nutting is reserved and polite, and, as he showed last week, he has a good sense of humor.

During a long debate on a bill to change high school diploma requirements, he made this remark: “There are members in their seats who have not spoken.”

Laughter ensued and a few representatives jumped up to say they wanted to answer the speaker’s call for even more debate.

THE END REALLY IS NEAR

Lawmakers plan to finish all non-budget business by the end of this week – they are shooting for Wednesday, but that rarely pans out – and then come back in May for budget votes.

Why the delay?

The Appropriations Committee is waiting for firm numbers from the Department of Health and Human Services and a revenue re-projection before it puts the final touches on budget documents.

GOC MEETING RESET

Last week, we reported that the Government Oversight Committee would meet to discuss whether to authorize an investigation into the Department of Health and Human Services. The meeting was postponed, and is now set for 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Sen. Joe Brannigan, D-Portland, sent a letter to the committee after recent revelations that the department failed to disclose that it had continued Medicaid health insurance for thousands of people who were no longer eligible.

The meeting notice warns that because so much is in flux at the State House, things are always subject to change. “The meeting could be delayed, interrupted or canceled.”