After compromise, Mills supports expansion to Maine’s ‘Good Samaritan’ law

Advocates in Maine’s restoration group have reached an settlement with Gov. Janet Mills on a invoice to broaden the state’s so-called “Good Samaritan” regulation.

Maine’s present “Good Samaritan” regulation supplies immunity from arrest or prosecution to anybody who calls 911 to report a drug overdose and to the one that wants medical assist. However with Maine seeing document numbers of deadly drug overdoses, lawmakers voted this week to broaden that safety to different folks on the scene in hopes of encouraging extra folks to shortly name for assist throughout these essential first minutes.

Echoing issues raised by regulation enforcement, Mills stated that immunity was too broad and threatened to veto the invoice. However the two sides reached a compromise this week that may lengthen the immunity to anybody “rendering support” on the scene, so long as they have not dedicated any violent crimes, resembling sexual assault or crimes towards youngsters.

Senator Chloe Maxmin, the Nobleboro Democrat who sponsored the invoice, stated the modifications will nonetheless assist save lives.

“The leaves the invoice because the strongest Good Samaritan regulation within the nation and the settlement that we got here to with the governor’s workplace is supported by the restoration advocates who’ve been engaged on this invoice,” Maxmin stated on Thursday.

Maxmin stated the present “Good Samaritan” regulation is just too slim as a result of it solely applies to a “very restricted set of 5 offenses,” resulting in confusion that might discourage somebody from calling for assist. For example, she stated individuals are protected if they’re violating their probation however not if they’re violating their bail. However the revised invoice makes clearer who’s protected and who shouldn’t be — with violent offenders nonetheless being liable to arrest or prosecution, Maxmin stated.

Mills, a Democrat who served as Maine’s legal professional common and as a prosecutor, had despatched a letter to Maxmin in addition to legislative leaders earlier this week stressing that she couldn’t signal the primary model of the invoice and urging lawmakers to recollect it from her desk.

“The governor is grateful to Senator Maxmin and the restoration group for his or her partnership and collaboration,” Mills’ spokeswoman Lindsay Crete stated in an announcement on Thursday. “This modification will shield those that are serving to to save lots of a life whereas not shielding those that are unwilling to assist — an vital stability that builds on the work of the Good Samaritan regulation the Governor signed in 2019. She is glad that she is going to be capable to signal into regulation a compromise that makes progress.”

Lawmakers are anticipated to take up the revised invoice on Monday, which is meant to be the ultimate day of the 2022 legislative session.