State Rep. Jon McKane Posts Perfect Voting Record in the Legislature - July 10, 2009
AUGUSTA - State Rep. Jonathan McKane, a third-term legislator from
Newcastle, compiled an outstanding voting record during the First Session of
the 124th Legislature, according to information provided by the Office of
the Clerk of the House. The Republican lawmaker was present for 100 percent
of the roll call votes, one of only 17 House members to record a perfect
score.
Rep. McKane said he considers it his duty to be present when the House is
voting. He said voting is a central part of a legislator's job and
constituents expect their representatives to be in the House Chamber,
especially for roll call votes.
The Legislature considered 1,496 bills during the First Regular Session and
in the House a total of 251 roll call votes were taken. Many bills passed
by the House go "under the hammer" after coming out of committee with
unanimous or near-unanimous support. Roll call votes are usually requested
for more contentious bills with divided committee reports. The Legislature
will convene for the Second Regular Session next January.
Rep. McKane served on the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Marine
Resources and has served on the Joint Standing Committee on Insurance &
Financial Services. His House District includes Bristol, Damariscotta,
Edgecomb, Newcastle, South Bristol and Monhegan Plantation.
Rep. Jon McKane Named to National June 30 2009
Environmental Leadership Group
AUGUSTA - Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree has named
Rep. Jon McKane to an
influential committee on environmental affairs at the
National Conference of
State Legislatures (NCSL). The appointment, which takes
effect immediately,
will bring Rep. McKane into contact with state
legislators from around the
nation to share approaches and solutions to common
environmental issues.
"I'm honored by this appointment and by the opportunity
to represent Maine
at the national level," said Rep. McKane (R-Newcastle),
a third-term
legislator. "The NCSL is an outstanding organization,
and its Environment
Committee serves as a forum for legislators to share
information about
options being considered in other states. The best ideas
don't always come
from the federal government. I think the most innovative
solutions often
come from the states."
Rep. McKane serves on the Marine Resources Committee in
the Maine
Legislature, where he deals with a range of
environmental matters with
regard to commercial marine fisheries management,
aquaculture and processing
and sale of marine fish and shellfish.
The NCSL's Environment Committee educates Congress and
federal agencies as
to state concerns regarding a variety of issues, such as
air quality, water
management and cost-benefit analysis of environmental
regulations. Its
jurisdiction extends to a diverse group of environmental
issues, including
natural disasters, waste disposal, pesticides,
alternative energy and
nuclear waste.
The NCSL, based in Denver, is a bipartisan organization
that serves the
legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its
commonwealths and
territories. It provides research, technical assistance
and opportunities
for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing
state issues; and it
advocates for the interests of state governments before
Congress and federal
agencies.
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Do Mainers Want More Options For Health Insurance?
(NEWS CENTER) -- Is health insurance cheaper on the other side of the Piscataqua River? Rep. Jonathan McKane (R-Newcastle) says it's a lot cheaper, and he wants Mainers to have the chance to buy it.
Rep. McKane is sponsoring a bill called "L.D.290. , An Act To Allow Maine Residents To Purchase Health Insurance from Out-of-state Insurers".
The bill would create a consortium among the New England states to allow consumers in Maine to purchase insurance policies that are offered in those other states, where different regulation and more competition means lower premiums.
But the Maine Superintendent of Insurance, Mila Kofman, says the bill would hurt consumers because they would not have the protection offered by Maine regulations or the oversight of her office. And a lobbyist for Anthem Blue cross/Blue Shield told the Legislature's insurance and Financial regulation Committee on Monday that the proposed law would result in out of state companies insuring only young and healthy Maine customers, leaving older, less healthy people to buy their policies here, driving costs up even more.
But Rep. McKane says Mainers are desperate for some action to reduce the cost of health insurance. He says Massachusetts has 21 companies offering individual polices, while Maine only has two. Greater competition, he says, will make insurance less costly.
NEWS CENTER
