Democrats Kill Child Welfare Records Bill Hours After Both Chambers Passed It
A procedural adjournment vote ended a bipartisan bill, opposed by Gov. Mills, on access to confidential child-death files.
Maine's Legislature wrapped up its 2026 session on April 29 after Democrats used procedural maneuvering to sink a bipartisan bill, opposed by Gov. Janet Mills, that would have let the Legislature's watchdog committee review confidential files while probing the deaths of children in the state's welfare system.
Sponsored by Sen. Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop, the bill aimed to reverse a 2024 ruling from Maine's highest court that limited lawmakers' access to those records. Both chambers had approved it, the House first, then the Senate by a 22-9 margin, but before it could clear its final steps, Senate Democrats called for adjournment; with seven members absent, the chamber voted 16-12 to end the session, effectively killing the measure. Independent Sen. Rick Bennett, running for governor and a supporter of the bill, joined Democrats in that vote.
Republican Sen. Jeff Timberlake of Turner, who sits on the watchdog panel, objected, pointing to years of oversight concerns involving the Department of Health and Human Services. Mills' chief counsel had earlier argued the bill offered no protection against improper disclosure of sensitive material and risked federal funding for the state. Rep. David Boyer, R-Poland, predicted the setback would keep the underlying dispute alive. On the same day, lawmakers also upheld the governor's vetoes of a data center moratorium and a criminal justice measure.
This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.
