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# Maine Lawmakers Push Bill to Require Chevron Deference at State Level
- URL: https://broadbandbreakfast.com/maine-lawmakers-push-bill-to-require-chevron-deference-at-state-level/
- Published: 2025-04-08T20:21:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-11T05:54:55.000Z
- Description: Supporters argue the bill would preserve agency expertise in complex rulemaking
- Author: Clara Easterday
- Tags: Maine, David Sinclair, Anne Carney, John Andrews, Elizabeth Warren, Chevron, #with-siderail

April 8, 2025 – Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would require courts to defer to state agencies when reasonably interpreting ambiguous laws, effectively imposing the judicial doctrine of *Chevron deference* at the state level.

The bill, [LD 1408, HP 930](https://legislature.maine.gov/billtracker/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com#Paper/1408?legislature=132), was introduced on April 1 by Rep. **David Sinclair,** D-Bath, and Sen. **Anne Carney**, D-Cumberland, both members of the Judiciary Committee. A public hearing was held Monday, April 7.

Chevron deference, a framework stemming from a 1984 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, directed courts to uphold agency interpretations of unclear laws if deemed reasonable. That precedent was overturned in 2024 by the Supreme Court’s decision in [*Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo*](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-451%5F7m58.pdf?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com), which limited the power of federal agencies and restored interpretive authority to the courts. 

While Maine courts have traditionally applied *Chevron*\-like reasoning, LD 1408 would formally codify that deference in state law. Supporters argue the bill would preserve agency expertise in complex rulemaking. Critics, however, see it as an overreach. [In a recent column](https://www.themainewire.com/2025/04/democrat-bill-would-state-agencies-broad-power-to-interpret-ambiguous-statutes/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com), former State Rep. **John Andrews**, Republican, called it “a potentially monumental change” that would shift legal power from judges to unelected bureaucrats.

The debate mirrored federal efforts to revive *Chevron deference*. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced the [Stop Corporate Capture Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1507?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) last year to restore the doctrine federally and boost transparency in agency rulemaking. Meanwhile, states like Kentucky have moved in the opposite direction, recently banning *Chevron deference* outright.