2026 Legislative Priorities

The 132nd Legislature adjourned on April 29, 2026. We were in Augusta every week, working with lawmakers and partner organizations to protect and defend the civil rights and liberties of all people in Maine.

This page has some of our top priorities and where they landed. Most new laws will take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourned, July 29, 2026.

KEY PROGRESS: LD 1822 was one of the strongest data privacy bills in the nation. It was carried over from the last session. The bill passed initial votes in the House and Senate, making it further through the legislative process than in any other year. We are optimistic that this momentum will get the bill over the finish line in 2027.

See vote counts here, and read our testimony to lawmakers here.

VICTORY: This bill was defeated with a bipartisan majority. LD 1457 would have allowed the Maine Turnpike Authority to install automatic license plate readers on Maine highways. This would have created a surveillance system capable of tracking your movements, storing sensitive location data, and risking exposure of your information if data is ever hacked, accidentally shared, or deliberately misused. It was defeated with bipartisan support.

See vote counts here, and read our testimony to lawmakers here.

NEW LAW: Last session, we championed LD 1971 to prohibit state and local law enforcement from being part of reckless federal immigration operations. The bill passed the House and Senate last summer, and the governor allowed it to become law without her signature in January 2026. It will take effect this summer.

Meanwhile, several local governments across Maine are advancing even stronger protections at the local level. Rockland and Lewiston have passed ordinances we drafted that cover all city staff, not just law enforcement. These measures preserve local resources and protect public workers from being drawn into federal abuses of power. Bangor and Portland are considering similar ordinances.

See vote counts here, and read our testimony to lawmakers here.

NEW LAW: We championed LD 2106 to protect state institutions that provide essential services – such as public schools and libraries – from reckless immigration operations. Now, employees in these locations can only allow agents to enter private spaces if they have a judicial warrant.

See vote counts here, and read our testimony to lawmakers here.

NEW LAW: We authored LD 2058, which clarifies that Maine jails may refuse to hold people detained by federal agents solely for civil immigration violations.

See vote counts here, and read our testimony to lawmakers here.

KEY PROGRESS: LD 340 would enforce speedy trial rights in Maine and protect Mainers from unconstitutional delays in criminal legal proceedings.

Maine is one of only seven states that does not have a law outlining specific timelines to ensure that criminal cases proceed fairly and efficiently, as required by the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The right to a speedy trial is critical to the presumption of innocence and the fair administration of justice.

The bill passed both chambers, but was not funded and did not become law.

See vote counts here, and read our testimony to lawmakers here.

NEW LAW: LD 2150 will ensure that people who receive a no trespass order preventing them from entering a public facility have certain due process rights. It also ensures the process for issuing those orders is fair, transparent, and predictable.

See vote counts here, and read our testimony to lawmakers here.

While all the criminal record sealing bills we supported this session failed, no other legislative session has seen as much progress on clean slate legislation.

Having a past conviction can make people ineligible for job opportunities, professional licenses, housing assistance, education, volunteering with their children’s activities, and more. Once people complete their sentence, they should be able to be full, contributing members of their community and family.

We supported three bills carried over from the last session that would strengthen Wabanaki sovereignty: LDs 391, 395, and 785.