Maine legislation · 132nd Legislature
Maine LD374: Resolve, to Establish the Commission to Make Recommendations for Equity in the Compensation of Prosecutors and Public Defenders
Status: Failed, April 29, 2026
Resolve, to Establish the Commission to Make Recommendations for Equity in the Compensation of Prosecutors and Public Defenders in the State
What the bill says
An Act to Provide Comparable Compensation and Benefits for Deputy and Assistant District Attorneys, Assistant Attorneys General and Public Defenders" Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 'Resolve, to Establish the Commission to Make Recommendations for Equity in the Compensation of Prosecutors and Public Defenders in the State' Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following: 'Emergency preamble.
From the introduced text:
An Act to Provide Comparable Compensation and Benefits for Deputy and Assistant District Attorneys, Assistant Attorneys General and Public Defenders" Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 'Resolve, to Establish the Commission to Make Recommendations for Equity in the Compensation of Prosecutors and Public Defenders in the State' Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following: 'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and Whereas, prosecutors and public defenders fill vital roles in the State's criminal justice system, ensuring not only public safety within our communities but also the preservation of the fundamental rights of the accused; and Whereas, in recent years, the State has invested in developing a public defender system to address the constitutional crisis created by the limited availability of counsel to represent indigent defendants in criminal proceedings in the State; and Whereas, it is essential to ensure equity in the compensation and benefits afforded to assistant district attorneys, assistant attorneys general and assistant public defenders to address and prevent recruitment and retention difficulties that exacerbate delays in the criminal justice system; and Whereas, this legislation establishes a commission tasked with studying the compensation packages and benefits of prosecutors and public …