AUGUSTA — A law that clears the way for members of Maine’s law enforcement community to raise money for officers and their family members who are struggling with a serious illness has been signed by Gov. Paul LePage.

The Republican governor signed the law Thursday after it received final passage in the House and Senate with unanimous consent.

The bill introduced by Republican state Rep. Andre Cushing was prompted by a situation in the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, where deputies raised money for the wife of a colleague suffering from cancer. The effort drew donations from outside the department, which was against state law. The donations had to be returned.

The new law permits law enforcement agencies across the state to contribute to fundraisers being run by other agencies.

 


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