Given the challenges associated with large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine Legislature is conducting much of its business via remote virtual meetings using the Zoom platform. Here is a guide to how you can participate in the legislative process this year.
Submitting Written Testimony
Once a public hearing has been scheduled for a bill, you can submit written testimony to the committee via the State’s online testimony submission system. On this page you will be asked to select the committee hearing the bill, then the date of the hearing, and then you will select the bill itself. You will then enter your testimony — you can either upload a document or copy and paste into the testimony field. Using this online testimony submission portal ensures that all members of the committee, in addition to the clerk and analysts, receive your written remarks.
Presenting Oral Testimony
You can register to give oral testimony using the same online testimony submission platform discussed above. When filling out the form, be sure to check the box that states “I would like to present my testimony live.” This will ensure you receive the Zoom link for the public hearing. In order to testify live on a bill, you will need to sign up using this form at least 30 minutes prior to the posted start time of the hearing. Registrations received after that time will be accepted at the discretion of the committee chairs.
Monitoring Committee Meetings
If you simply want to watch committee proceedings, instead of giving oral testimony, you can choose to listen or watch either live or at a later time.
Listen to audio of committee proceedings on the Maine Legislature website
Watch committee meetings via YouTube
What to Expect When Participating in a Public Hearing via Zoom
After signing up to present your testimony live, you will receive an invitation to a Zoom meeting (Public Hearing) and will need to follow the link in that email to register. Once you have registered, you will receive another link generated by Zoom to join the meeting. Wait until the day of the meeting to click the link to join. A reminder will be sent to you on the morning of the meeting with the link attached.
When you click the link to join the meeting, you will be in a “waiting room.” You will be able to see and hear the committee members and the proceedings, but you will not be seen or heard. The committee chairs and clerk will be watching who is in attendance in the waiting room. The chairs will also have a list of all who are scheduled to testify. The chairs and clerk will admit people 2-3 at a time from the waiting room into the meeting to give their testimony. During the transition from the waiting room to the meeting, you will see a box with a blue spooling circle and a message saying “Joining.” Please be patient during this time, often this takes 5-7 seconds. When you can see the participants again, you will be in the meeting and will be able to see yourself on screen.
You should remain muted until you are called on to speak. The committee chair will indicate when it is your turn to give testimony. After you have given your testimony and answered any questions the committee may have, you will be returned to the waiting room. Expect the same 5-7 second delay on your return. When you can see the participants again, you are back in the waiting room. You should then leave the Zoom meeting. If you wish to continue watching the public hearing, you can do so on the committee’s YouTube channel.
If you have questions about an upcoming public hearing, you can reach out directly to the committee clerk. Contact information for clerks can be found on each committee’s page on the Maine Legislature website.
Update for the First Regular and First Special Sessions of the 130th Maine Legislature
Presenting the Legislative Digest of Bills and Summaries of Enacted Laws for the First Regular and First Special Sessions of the 130th Maine Legislature.
The digest is posted on the page linked below where you can also find a digest for each individual committee.https://mainelegislature.org/opla/130th-bills-and-enacted-law-summaries/11689.