PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine might create a special commission to review the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
The COVID-19 Review Commission would be tasked with studying the way Maine has handled the pandemic. The Maine State Senate has unanimously granted initial approval to the creation of the commission.
Republican Sen. Lisa Keim, who touted the creation of the commission months ago, said the commission would be able to assess the outcomes of the actions Maine’s government took during the pandemic. She said it is “very important that we have a full, thorough review of state government’s actions and their effectiveness.”
If the commission is created, it would have to submit an interim report about its findings to the Maine Legislature by Dec. 6. A final report would be due about a year later. The Maine Legislature must first approve the creation of the commission.
Maine has been the site of more than 68,000 cases of the virus since the start of the pandemic. That is less of a burden than most states that have similar population sizes.
