{"id":1352,"date":"2025-07-15T13:37:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T13:37:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/?page_id=1352"},"modified":"2025-09-15T15:51:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T19:51:34","slug":"faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/faq\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"cs-content\" class=\"cs-content\"><div class=\"x-section e1352-e1 m11k-0 m11k-1 dark\"><div class=\"x-bg\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><div class=\"x-bg-layer-lower-image\" style=\" background-image: url(https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/background-with-logo-1.jpg); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center; background-size: cover;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"x-row x-container max width e1352-e2 m11k-4 m11k-5 m11k-6\"><div class=\"x-row-inner\"><div class=\"x-col e1352-e3 m11k-9\"><div class=\"x-text x-content e1352-e4 m11k-a m11k-b\"><h1>Legislative Scorecard<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"x-section e1352-e5 m11k-0 m11k-2\"><div class=\"x-row x-container max width e1352-e6 m11k-4 m11k-5 m11k-7\"><div class=\"x-row-inner\"><div class=\"x-col e1352-e7 m11k-9\"><ul class=\"x-menu-first-level x-menu x-menu-inline e1352-e8 m11k-d m11k-e\" data-x-hoverintent=\"{&quot;interval&quot;:50,&quot;timeout&quot;:500,&quot;sensitivity&quot;:9}\"><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1360\" id=\"menu-item-1360\"><a class=\"x-anchor x-anchor-menu-item m11k-f m11k-g\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/\"><div class=\"x-anchor-content\"><div class=\"x-anchor-text\"><span class=\"x-anchor-text-primary\">Scorecard<\/span><\/div><i class=\"x-anchor-sub-indicator\" data-x-skip-scroll=\"true\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"&#xf107;\"><\/i><\/div><\/a><\/li><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1361\" id=\"menu-item-1361\"><a class=\"x-anchor x-anchor-menu-item m11k-f m11k-g\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/governor\/\"><div class=\"x-anchor-content\"><div class=\"x-anchor-text\"><span class=\"x-anchor-text-primary\">Governor<\/span><\/div><i class=\"x-anchor-sub-indicator\" data-x-skip-scroll=\"true\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"&#xf107;\"><\/i><\/div><\/a><\/li><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1365\" id=\"menu-item-1365\"><a class=\"x-anchor x-anchor-menu-item m11k-f m11k-g\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/session-at-a-glance\/\"><div class=\"x-anchor-content\"><div class=\"x-anchor-text\"><span class=\"x-anchor-text-primary\">Session At a Glance<\/span><\/div><i class=\"x-anchor-sub-indicator\" data-x-skip-scroll=\"true\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"&#xf107;\"><\/i><\/div><\/a><\/li><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1364\" id=\"menu-item-1364\"><a class=\"x-anchor x-anchor-menu-item m11k-f m11k-g\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/special-mentions\/\"><div class=\"x-anchor-content\"><div class=\"x-anchor-text\"><span class=\"x-anchor-text-primary\">Special Mentions<\/span><\/div><i class=\"x-anchor-sub-indicator\" data-x-skip-scroll=\"true\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"&#xf107;\"><\/i><\/div><\/a><\/li><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1362\" id=\"menu-item-1362\"><a class=\"x-anchor x-anchor-menu-item m11k-f m11k-g\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/faq\/\"><div class=\"x-anchor-content\"><div class=\"x-anchor-text\"><span class=\"x-anchor-text-primary\">FAQ<\/span><\/div><i class=\"x-anchor-sub-indicator\" data-x-skip-scroll=\"true\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"&#xf107;\"><\/i><\/div><\/a><\/li><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1363\" id=\"menu-item-1363\"><a class=\"x-anchor x-anchor-menu-item m11k-f m11k-g\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/about-scorecard\/\"><div class=\"x-anchor-content\"><div class=\"x-anchor-text\"><span class=\"x-anchor-text-primary\">About<\/span><\/div><i class=\"x-anchor-sub-indicator\" data-x-skip-scroll=\"true\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"&#xf107;\"><\/i><\/div><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"x-section e1352-e9 m11k-0 m11k-3\"><div class=\"x-row x-container max width e1352-e10 m11k-4 m11k-5 m11k-8\"><div class=\"x-row-inner\"><div class=\"x-col e1352-e11 m11k-9\"><div class=\"x-text x-content e1352-e12 m11k-a m11k-c\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<h4><b>What are the issues you included in the scorecard?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The range of bills we scored touched upon a number of issues, including: tax fairness, climate change, housing, workers\u2019 rights, paid family and medical leave, child care, transgender rights, and immigration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h4>How do you determine the governor\u2019s score?<\/h4>\n<p>For MPA\u2019s legislative scorecard, we determine the governor\u2019s score by looking at which bills Gov. Janet Mills signed and which bills she vetoed. We do not score based on bills that became law without the governor\u2019s signature, bills that passed but were not funded, or bills that were carried over to a special session which did not take place. These bills do not count for or against the governor.<\/p>\n\n<h4><b>Why are some bills scored in the House and not the Senate, and vice-versa?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We score bills that received a \u201croll call\u201d vote (where the individual \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d votes on a bill are recorded). Not every bill receives a \u201croll call\u201d in both chambers. Sometimes that\u2019s because the vote was never taken up by one of the chambers. Other times it\u2019s because the bill passed \u201cunder the hammer,\u201d meaning unanimously. We can\u2019t score a bill if we don\u2019t know how each legislator voted on it, so there are a few cases where we could only score it in the House or the Senate.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h4><b>Do absences count against legislators?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We at MPA believe in the importance of having a legislature led by everyday Mainers. However, the challenges of being a working person or someone with caretaking responsibilities makes legislative duties increasingly difficult for some lawmakers. As such, we <\/span><b>do not <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">count absences against a lawmaker\u2019s score as we hope it more accurately reflects who votes to support progressive policies in Maine.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h4><b>What do I do with this information?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First: Please share this scorecard. Every Mainer has the right to know how their elected officials voted, and whether they were actually representing their constituents\u2014or the interests of the super-rich or wealthy corporations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second: Get involved. Write or call your legislator to tell them your thoughts on their votes. Or get involved with MPA by signing up <a href=\"https:\/\/actionnetwork.org\/forms\/join-mpa-2?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here!<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the ultimate form of accountability? Elections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Happy with how they voted? Every seat in the House and Senate is up for reelection in 2026, and if your legislator isn\u2019t termed out (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legislature.maine.gov\/house\/house\/MemberProfiles\/WillTermOut\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here\u2019s a list of those who are<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), then they\u2019re up for reelection. So, volunteer to knock on some doors, make phone calls, and help get them back in office. Unhappy with their score? Volunteer with the person challenging them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h4>Do you have scorecards from past legislative sessions?<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes! Here are scorecards from <a href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2024-scorecard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2024<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MPA-Scorecard23-packaged.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2023<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/REAL-MPA-Scorecard22_03.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2022<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mpascorecard.org\/2021\/legislators\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/mpascorecard.org\/2019\/legislators\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2019<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/mpascorecard.org\/2018\/legislators\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2018<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h4><b>Who do I talk to if I have any other questions about the scorecard?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email MPA Director of Public Policy Cate Blackford at <a href=\"mailto:cate@mainepeoplesalliance.org\">cate@mainepeoplesalliance.org<\/a>.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Legislative ScorecardScorecardGovernorSession At a GlanceSpecial MentionsFAQAboutFrequently Asked Questions What are the issues you included in the scorecard? The range of bills we scored touched upon a number of issues, including: tax fairness, climate change, housing, workers\u2019 rights, paid family and medical leave, child care, transgender rights, and immigration.\u00a0 How do you determine the governor\u2019s score? For MPA\u2019s legislative scorecard, we &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/faq\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1346,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-blank-4.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1352","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>FAQ - Maine People&#039;s Alliance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mainepeoplesalliance.org\/2025-scorecard\/faq\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FAQ - Maine People&#039;s Alliance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Legislative ScorecardScorecardGovernorSession At a GlanceSpecial MentionsFAQAboutFrequently Asked Questions What are the issues you included in the scorecard? 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