Maine’s school consolidation efforts have moved from the theoretical to the practical as school units all over the state vote on consolidation plans. The debate over consolidation has by no means faded away, and despite months and months of arduous labor, about half of the proposed plans went down to defeat recently. The number of units in the state is still above 200, a long way from the 86 now required by law.

There have been dozens of bills submitted this year to repeal, revise, fold, spindle or mutilate the school consolidation law. Some of them defer the penalties for a time; others get rid of them altogether. One bill would exempt specific schools from the law. The trouble is, it does not seem totally fair to the schools that did their duty, to let the non-consolidators take a pass.

The governor, for one, thinks the penalties should stand, serving as the line in the sand that says the state means business. The Maine Municipal Association would swap penalties for incentives, rewarding towns that have met the requirements of the consolidation law and leaving the others alone. Sifting through these highly charged issues will absorb a lot of the Legislature’s attention this session, and the temperature will rise when and if penalties actually are applied.

In the meantime, other bills pile up, directing where traffic lights should be installed, promoting lactation and coming to the aid of towns with nuisance beavers. The Legislature’s “Bill Status” Web site shows Hancock County legislators have an assortment of bills in the hopper covering a range of subjects. Some legislators are more prolific than others, some work in specific policy areas reflecting their occupational backgrounds or other life experience, while others seem to dabble in a variety of issues.

Rep. Brian Langley of Ellsworth has two bills in so far, both having to do with food product sales. A restaurant owner, he is sticking close to what he knows, always wise when it comes to legislating. Rep. Kim Rosen of Bucksport has three, two of modest scope but one that would provide substantial additional protection for victims of domestic violence. Rep. Rosen’s LD 567 provides that a court could require a person charged with a domestic violence crime or violation of a protective order to wear an electronic monitoring device. Domestic violence cases have tragic endings often enough to warrant serious consideration of her proposal.

Rep. Jim Schatz of Blue Hill has 16 bills in play so far, covering dark skies, road signs, pesticide spraying, genetically modified plants and seeds, and OUI to name a few. Rep. Elsie Flemings of Bar Harbor has had none come through on the bill list yet, though she has indicated she will file some. Rep. Ben Pratt of Eddington has none yet either. Rep. Rob Eaton of Sullivan has just one so far; it would require school bus drivers and attendants to report suspected child abuse. Rep. Hannah Pingree, Speaker of the House and representative for some of Hancock County, has one also.

Senators, who represent about six times more people than House members, often have a proportionately greater number of bills. Not so with the Hancock County senators. Sen. Richard Rosen has a mere five titles out so far. A school consolidation bill and two from his former life as a member of the Taxation Committee dwarf his bills on road rage and vanity license plates. Having few bills of his own to manage will mean he will have fewer distractions while he is chained to his desk in Room 228, where he serves as the Senate Republican lead on the Appropriations Committee.

Sen. Dennis Damon has just three titles listed, but he is known to have more coming through the pipeline. Chairing both the Transportation and Marine Resources committees, he would also be a happier camper with fewer bills of his own. The Transportation Committee is the only committee besides Appropriations that must develop a budget. The senator’s same-sex marriage bill has not yet been listed on Bill Status, but the reaction even before the bill is printed makes it certain that it will place a big demand on his time.

Of course, by the time all bills have been drafted and posted, final totals could be very different. Only about a third of the bills expected are showing at this point. Despite all the criticism about the total number of bills submitted, plenty of us (and you know who you are) are all too quick to urge lawmakers to find a legislative solution to a mighty small problem. Legislators can always say no, but few do. After all, that’s what they are there for, isn’t it?