In March 1992, the Legislature approved Resolve 1991, c. 59 which created a Blue Ribbon Commission to examine and recommend changes to Maine’s Workers’ Compensation System.

Members appointed by Gov. McKernan on April 4, 1992:

• Richard Dalbeck, 62, of Cape Elizabeth, a retired Unum Corp. executive;
• Harvey Picker, 76, of Camden, dean emeritus of Columbia University’s graduate school of Public and International Affairs;
• Former U.S. Senator William Hathaway, 68, then serving on the Federal Maritime Commission;
• Former Maine Supreme Court Associate Justice Elmer Violette, 71, of Caribou.

A few days after the announcement, Violette resigned from the panel, citing health reasons. He was replaced by:

• Emilien A. Levesque, 69, of Farmingdale. Levesque had served as chief of the Maine Labor Department and was a former director of the Bureau of Military and Veterans Services.

Consultant: John H. Lewis.

In August 1992 the Commission issued a report available at: http://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/Rpts/kf3615_z99m243_1992_v1.pdf
with proposed legislation, http://lldc.mainelegislature.org/Open/Rpts/kf3615_z99m243_1992_v2.pdf,
to create Title 39-A of the Maine Revised Statutes.

Scope

Materials include all documents related to the establishment, work and recommendations of the Commission from March 1992 through September 1992 (consultant's report, hearing agendas and workplans, work session materials, testimony, correspondence, background articles).

Most of the materials are hyperlinked, with the exception of audio recordings and news articles. Both are available at the Law Library or upon request.

Arrangement

One box and 38 CD-ROMS. Each topic has been assigned a file name which links to the digitized documents. Audio files are available upon request.

Related Materials

• Actuarial report on the evaluation of workers' compensation law changes / Ernst & Young, 1992.
• Legislative history of LD 2464 (115th).

Records Inventory - Box Contents

WC115-BRC-01. Law authorizing Commission.

WC115-BRC-02. Blue Ribbon Commission/Workers Comp Organizational Documents.
Includes correspondence, news articles, material on members of the Commission, the Commission’s budget, communications with legislators and Sarah Tubbesing, executive director of the Legislative Council.

WC115-BRC-03. Consultant’s Resumes.

• John H. Lewis
• John F. Burton, Jr.
• James R. Chelius
• Robert Smith

WC115-BRC-04. Forms for Legislative Calendar.

WC115-BRC-05. Hearing Agendas/Work Plans.
4/20/1992 - 7/14/1992

• Suggested Work Plan
• Agendas
• Schedules
• Summary of Work Sessions

WC115-BRC-06. Requests to Present Testimony.

WC115-BRC-07. Correspondence – Administrative.
3/26/1992 - 9/24/1992

• University of Maine School of Law meeting room
• Maine Blue Ribbon Commission/Preliminary Estimated Costs Impacts/ Adopting the Michigan Plan
• Telephone Credit Card
• Proposals for meeting rooms
• August 1992 memo from Commission Clerk Michelle Bushey on Commission files
• Budget documents, 4/24/1992 - 8/18/1992

WC115-BRC-08_PtA. Correspondence - Vol. I.
4/8/1992 - 6/30/1992
Includes correspondence and news articles.

WC115-BRC-08_PtB. Correspondence - Vol. II.
7/1/1992 - 7/10/1992
Material includes:

• National Council on Compensation:
  

  • Maine Reform Activity
  • Cost Impact Analyses (Maine V. Michigan)
• Restoring the Social Contract: Shared Responsibility and Workers’ Compensation Reform Presented by Sen. Harry Vose 7/2/1992

WC115-BRC-08_PtC. Correspondence - Vol. III.
7/13/1992 - 7/30/1992
Material includes:

• Task Force Reports on Workers’ Compensation from New Hampshire and Connecticut
• Peter Mills article from the Maine Trial Lawyers Association on Workers’ Compensation

WC115-BRC-08_PtD. Correspondence -Vol. IV.
August 1992
Material includes:

• Annual Report on the Status of the Maine Workers’ Compensation System submitted to the 116 th Legislature Aug. 14, 1992
• Workers’ Compensation Commission Tri-Agency Annual Report 1992 (Overview of the Workers’ Compensation Commission Profile of the Maine Workers’ Compensation System).

WC115-BRC-09. NCCI Issues Report.
NCCI Issues Report, 1991 : A summary of issues influencing Workers Compensation

WC115-BRC-10. Testimony.
Includes testimony, numerous news articles and reports

• A Policy Paper on Workers’ Compensation Reform Presented to the Workers’ Compensation Blue Ribbon Commission May 6, 1992 by the Maine Council of Self-Insurers
• Statement of the American Insurance Association – Testimony of Bruce C. Wood before the Workers’ Compensation Blue Ribbon Commission May 15, 1992
• LD 2442 (115th). "An Act to Deregulate Workers’ Compensation Insurance Voluntary Market Rates and to Establish the Workers’ Compensation Employers’ Mutual Fund"
• Testimony of William Black and Martha McCluskey, Public Advocate Office, to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Workers’ Compensation

WC115-BRC-11. Work Session Materials.

• Title 24-A MRSA, c. 43
• Summary of work Session of 7/1/1992 (Lewis checklist)
• Summary of Work Session of 7/10/1992 (Further discussion of the Lewis checklist)
• PL 1991, c. 615." An Act to Maine Changes in the Workers’ compensation System"
• LD 2423 (115th). "An Act to Reform the Workers’ Compensation System"
• Draft State Government’s Workers’ Comp. System, costly, inefficient, discriminatory (an unfinished, preliminary report) January, 1991

WC115-BRC-12. Workers’ Comp Articles.
Numerous local and national news articles. Contact us for PDF.

WC115-BRC-13. Lewis Report.

• A Comparative Analysis of the Maine Workers’ Compensation Law, John H. Lewis, June 25, 1992
• Draft A Comparative Analysis of the Maine Workers’ Compensation Law, John H. Lewis, June 15, 1992

WC115-BRC-14. Workers’ Compensation Group.

• Letters and Communications
• State of Michigan Worker’s Disability Compensation Act of 1969 and Administrative Rules March, 1991
• An Overview of Workers’ Compensation in Michigan by Edward M. Welch
• Workers’ Compensation Group, March, 1992
• Workers’ Compensation Group, May, 1992