---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Protect Employee Freedom Of Speech"
description: "An Act To Protect Employee Freedom Of Speech"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "131"
identifier: "LD 1756"
citation: "Maine LD 1756 (131)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["EMPLOYEE PROTECTIONS", "LABOR ORGANIZATIONS", "LABOR RELATIONS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Matthea DAUGHTRY"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 51
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2023-04-20"
last_action: "2023-07-11"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/db90a9ef-f094-467c-b701-114556fd502c"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280088871"
source_hash: "1cf5a8ee7697e776ee9f61829e2ce43fa9678bd2ca0f73856dc1168597710cd9"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-me"]
---

# Maine LD 1756 (131) — An Act To Protect Employee Freedom Of Speech

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Adopted Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0702&item=4&snum=131)
2. **Chaptered Law** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0702&item=7&snum=131)
3. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0702&item=1&snum=131)
4. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0702&item=6&snum=131)

## Votes

- ACC MAJ OUGHT TO PASS REP — **75–66** (pass) · lower
- ADOPT SBS-436 — **22–9** (pass) · upper
- PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED — **22–9** (pass) · upper
- RECEDE AND CONCUR — **76–52** (pass) · lower
- ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS RPT — **23–12** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Matthea DAUGHTRY — primary (person)
- Joseph BALDACCI — cosponsor (person)
- Kristen CLOUTIER — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-04-20** Committee on LABOR AND HOUSING suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on LABOR AND HOUSING Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence
- **2023-04-20** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on LABOR AND HOUSING. `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-20** In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-06** Reports Read
- **2023-06-06** On motion by Senator TIPPING of Penobscot the Majority Ought to Pass Report ACCEPTED.
- **2023-06-06** Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 219 Yeas 23 - Nays 12 - Excused 0 - Absent 0 PREVAILED
- **2023-06-06** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2023-06-06** Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME AND PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2023-06-06** Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence
- **2023-06-08** Reports READ.
- **2023-06-08** On motion of Representative ROEDER of Bangor, the Majority Ought to Pass Report was ACCEPTED.
- **2023-06-08** ROLL CALL NO. 139
- **2023-06-08** (Yeas 75 - Nays 66 - Absent 9 - Excused 0 - Vacant 1)
- **2023-06-08** The Bill was READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2023-06-08** Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- **2023-06-08** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED. `reading-3`
- **2023-06-08** In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-12** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2023-06-12** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-12** On motion by Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland Tabled until Later in Today's Session, pending PASSAGE TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence.
- **2023-06-13** Taken from the table by the President
- **2023-06-13** Under suspension of the Rules On motion by Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland The Senate RECONSIDERED whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED `reading-3`
- **2023-06-13** On motion by Same Senator Senate Amendment "A" (S-291) READ and ADOPTED
- **2023-06-13** PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Senate Amendment "A" (S-291) In NON-CONCURRENCE `reading-3`
- **2023-06-13** Sent down for concurrence
- **2023-06-14** The House RECEDED and CONCURRED to PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-291) `reading-3`
- **2023-06-14** ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-15** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2023-06-15** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-15** PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2023-07-06** RECALLED From Governor's Desk pursuant to Joint Order SP 841.
- **2023-07-06** On motion by Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland Under suspension of the Rules The Senate RECONSIDERED whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENACTED `passage`
- **2023-07-06** On motion by Same Senator Under further suspension of the Rules The Senate RECONSIDERED whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Senate Amendment "A" (S-291) `reading-3`
- **2023-07-06** On further motion by Same Senator Senate Amendment "B" (S-436) READ
- **2023-07-06** On motion by Senator STEWART of Aroostook Tabled until Later in Today's Session, pending ADOPTION of Senate Amendment "B" (S-436)
- **2023-07-06** Taken from the table by the President
- **2023-07-06** Subsequently Senate Amendment "B" (S-436) ADOPTED
- **2023-07-06** Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 481 Yeas 22 - Nays 9 - Excused 4 - Absent 0 PREVAILED
- **2023-07-06** PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Senate Amendment "A" (S-291) AND Senate Amendment "B" (S-436) In NON-CONCURRENCE `reading-3`
- **2023-07-06** Sent down for concurrence
- **2023-07-06** The House RECEDED and CONCURRED to PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-291) and Senate Amendment "B" (S-436) `reading-3`
- **2023-07-06** ROLL CALL NO. 354
- **2023-07-06** (Yeas 76 - Nays 52 - Absent 23 - Excused 0)
- **2023-07-06** ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-07-06** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2023-07-06** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-07-06** PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2023-07-11** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-18T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2023-05-18T04:00:00+00:00** Voted - Divided Report
- **2023-06-01T04:00:00+00:00** Reported Out - OTP/ONTP

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/db90a9ef-f094-467c-b701-114556fd502c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).