Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0023

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHTH MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Sara Gideon
Sara Gideon
Sara Gideon
Sara Gideon, Speaker of the House
, Speaker of the House
, Speaker of the House
, Speaker of the House 
Robert B. Hunt
Robert B. Hunt
Robert B. Hunt
Robert B. Hunt, Clerk
, Clerk
, Clerk
, Clerk 
http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm
http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm
http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm
http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/hcalfr.htm 
Printed on recycled paper 
17th Legislative Day 
Thursday, March 2, 2017 
Calling of the House to Order by the Speaker. 
Prayer by Reverend Scott Wilson, Rangeley Free Baptist Church. 
National Anthem by Alexis Handy, Lewiston. 
Pledge of Allegiance. 
Doctor of the day, Craig Curtis, M.D., Dedham. 
Reading of the Journal of Tuesday, February 28, 2017. 
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HOUSE ADVANCE JOURNAL AND CALENDAR - Thursday, March 2, 2017
(4-2)  On motion of Representative ESPLING of New Gloucester, the following House 
Order:  (H.O. 23) 
WHEREAS, each elected member of the Maine House of Representatives has signed the 
Legislative Code of Ethics; and 
WHEREAS, the Legislative Code of Ethics clearly states: “No Maine Legislators will 
accept any employment that will impair their independence and integrity of judgment nor will 
they exercise their position of trust to secure unwarranted privileges for themselves or for others. 
The Maine Legislator will be ever mindful of the ordinary citizen who might otherwise be 
unrepresented and will endeavor conscientiously to pursue the highest standards of legislative 
conduct inside and outside of the State House."; and 
WHEREAS, Representative Ryan Tipping of Orono served on the Joint Standing 
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs from January of 2015 through November of 2016; 
and 
WHEREAS, while seeking reelection, Representative Tipping was paid at least $9,000 
beginning in May of 2016 by the Citizens Who Support Maine Public Schools, a political action 
committee that received funds from the Maine Education Association and National Education 
Association, over a period of 6 months to advocate for and actively campaign in support of the 
imposition of a significant tax increase on the Maine people and small businesses to provide 
additional funding for public education; and 
WHEREAS, Representative Tipping publicly acknowledged his payment from the 
political action committee that was largely funded by the teachers unions was compensation for 
his "reaching out to elected officials" for the purpose of lobbying for the passage of the 
aforementioned policy initiative; and 
WHEREAS, Representative Tipping's acceptance of payment from the teachers unions 
and subsequent lobbying work on behalf of the teachers unions while serving on the Joint 
Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs may be viewed as a conflict of interest; 
and 
WHEREAS, Representative Tipping's appointment in January of 2017 as chair of the 
Joint Standing Committee on Taxation, which is the committee of jurisdiction that will hear any 
bills that seek to alter or amend the tax increase for which Representative Tipping was paid to 
campaign, may constitute a serious conflict of interest and may also be a violation of the 
Legislative Code of Ethics; and 
WHEREAS, Representative Tipping's ability to objectively consider legislation that will 
be presented in the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation, which he chairs, may be 
compromised; and 
HOUSE ADVANCE JOURNAL AND CALENDAR - Thursday, March 2, 2017
WHEREAS, questions concerning Representative Tipping's conduct threaten to cast a 
shadow over all of the work of the 128th Maine Legislature; and 
WHEREAS, the integrity of the Maine House of Representatives is being called into 
question by the very people we represent; and 
WHEREAS, the House Ethics Committee exists for the purposes for investigating 
potential violations of the Legislative Code of Ethics; now, therefore, be it 
ORDERED, that the House Ethics Committee shall convene no later than March 30, 
2017 to thoroughly investigate the actions of Representative Ryan Tipping and the potential 
violation of the Legislative Code of Ethics, and that, by April 30, 2017, the committee shall 
make such recommendations to the full House as it considers appropriate. 
_________________________________