While Maine residents grapple with rising costs of living, the Maine Senate voted Monday to create a $450,000 taxpayer-funded security program exclusively for state lawmakers — approving home security systems, installation, and ongoing monitoring at legislators’ private residences on the public’s dime.
LD 695, titled “An Act to Improve Safety in Public Service” and introduced by Senate Majority Leader Teresa Pierce (D-Falmouth), passed 19-12 after the Senate accepted the amended version of the measure. The bill establishes the Legislator Residential Security Fund, which would provide sitting lawmakers with state-funded wireless, wired, or hybrid home security systems at their primary residences, along with ongoing monitoring and maintenance costs for as long as they remain in office.
The State House Legislative Council would oversee the program and conduct a competitive bidding process to select licensed security providers. Benefits would end the moment a lawmaker leaves office. (RELATED: Flip-Flop Or Political Play? Governor Mills Embraces Millionaires Tax She Once Opposed Amid Senate Primary Bid)
Supporters pointed to a dramatic rise in reported threats against legislators — from 23 incidents in 2023 to 111 in early 2026 — as well as a series of “swatting” incidents that triggered emergency responses and forced family evacuations from lawmakers’ homes. Proponents argued the fund is a necessary response to a genuine public safety concern facing elected officials.
Republican lawmakers weren’t buying it. Critics argued that running for public office is a voluntary choice — and that the personal security costs that come with it should not be transferred to Maine taxpayers, particularly when those same taxpayers are already feeling the pinch of rising prices and a difficult economic environment.
Opponents also pushed back on the broader premise, noting that heated disagreement with elected officials is not only legal but is a cornerstone of democratic governance — and should not be conflated with actual criminal threats. The concern, critics argued, is that a fund like this sets a dangerous precedent: using public money to upgrade private property for the benefit of the very people who voted to spend it.
At a time when Maine families are being asked to tighten their belts, the optics of legislators voting themselves a taxpayer-funded home security benefit — administered by a council they control — are difficult to ignore.
LD 695 now moves to the Maine House of Representatives for debate and a vote. If the House passes the bill without changes, it heads directly to Governor Janet Mills for her signature, veto, or the option to allow it to become law without signing. If the House amends the measure, it returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote before advancing to the governor’s desk.
If enacted, the Legislative Council would begin selecting security vendors and establishing participation guidelines for the program using General Fund dollars. (RELATED: Maine Marijuana Testing Bill Clears Legislature With Bipartisan Support, Now Heads To Governor’s Desk)
