Author: Libby Palanza

Congressional Republicans in Washington D.C. have advanced a bill that would require proof of United States citizenship in order to register to vote in hopes of securing the country’s elections. This proposal has sparked strong push-back from legislative Democrats and the Biden Administration, arguing that it would do nothing to secure elections and only make it harder for Americans to cast their ballots. [RELATED: White House Condemns Proposed Bill Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote] Similar arguments have emerged in the past with respect to the debate over proposed voter ID laws. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act…

Maxwell’s Farm of Cape Elizabeth announced Sunday that 2024 marked their final season after more than 50 years in business. Well-known as a popular destination for pick-your-own strawberries, Maxwell’s Farm has a history stretching back to the 18th Century. Maxwell’s Farm Market opened in Portland in 1973 and, at the same time, the family planted its first crop of pick-your-own strawberries. In a statement posted to their Facebook page, the owners cite “growing challenges for small family farms and increasing barriers at most every turn” as the reasons behind the closure. “We have poured love, stress, sweat, sleepless nights, and…

A Republican member of Maine’s Government Oversight Committee (GOC) has criticized the state’s recent taxpayer-funded effort to “identify institutional and structural deficiencies” within the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) as a “wasteful” and “redundant” endeavor that is “somewhat dismissive” of similar efforts in the past. Sen. Jeff Timberlake (R-Androscoggin) sent a letter in mid-June to OCFS Director Bobbi Johnson expressing concern over the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) decision to contract with Public Consulting Group LLC (PCG) to conduct an internal review of the Office. Maine DHHS and the OCFS have come under scrutiny in recent…

Sen. Angus King (I) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) announced this past Friday that Downeast Transportation Inc. (DTI) has received more than $23 million in federal funding to acquire twenty-three electric buses, as well as charging infrastructure, for Hancock County’s public transit system. This grant will be used to replace twenty-one propane-fueled buses that are currently in use with electric alternatives, as well as to purchase two additional electric buses that will expand the fleet. DTI is responsible for providing public transportation in Hancock County, operating a year-round commuter bus service between Bar Harbor, Bangor, Brewer, Franklin, Milbridge and Ellsworth.…

All four members of Maine’s delegation to Washington, D.C. have issued statements regarding the recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, revealing a stark divide among the state’s elected officials. While Sen. Angus King (I) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) have spoken out sharply against the ruling, Sen. Susan Collins (R) and Rep. Jared Golden (D) have held back on criticizing the decision. In their opinion released Monday, the Justices declared that former presidents enjoy immunity for any exercise of their “core constitutional powers,” as well as presumptive immunity for any remaining official actions. The Justices also stated, however, that…

The Lumbery — a small business located in the Cape Elizabeth town center on Route 77 that sells locally sourced wood, garden beds, and tools — announced plans earlier this week that it will be seeking new ownership. This comes in the wake of a prolonged legal battle between the business and the town that centered around allegations that Lumbery was in non-compliance with the town’s zoning and sign ordinances. Originally filed in October of 2022, the lawsuit accused The Lumbery and its owner Mike Friedland of “encroaching well beyond their approved site plan by storing several pallets of firewood,…

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Monday to send back to the lower courts a pair of cases concerning the constitutionality of laws in Florida and Texas prohibiting social media platforms from censoring users’ content. Despite this expression of unity, the Justices released five opinions in total. Justice Elena Kagan authored the Court’s majority opinion, and concurring opinions were written by Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito. At the center of these cases are a set of laws approved several years ago in Texas and Florida that restricted social media companies’ discretion in regulating the…

The Supreme Court has released a number of key rulings over the course of the past few days, and some of Maine’s elected officials have issued responses to a handful of these decisions. The two press releases published by Gov. Janet Mills (D) concern the Court’s rulings on emergency abortions and the limits of bureaucratic powers. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) posted a statement on X regarding the Court’s decision on presidential immunity. Gov. Mills expressed tepid support for the Justice’s decision regarding emergency abortions, but strongly stated her belief that they should have done more. The Supreme Court’s voted…

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that an Oregon city’s ban on homeless encampments can stand, as it does not violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment.” In determining this, the Court looked not only at the permissibility of the punishments imposed upon those who violate the ordinance, but also at the constitutionality of the ban itself. According to the 6-3 majority, the ban adopted by Grants Pass, Oregon does not represent an Eighth Amendment violation as it does not criminalize public camping on the basis of “status,” a threshold that was established by the Court in…

The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 opinion Monday that presidents are entitled to complete immunity from criminal prosecution for any exercise of their “core constitutional powers” and presumptive immunity for any remaining official actions. The Justices also declared, however, that presidents do not enjoy immunity for “unofficial acts.” Guidance is then provided to the lower courts on how to properly draw the distinction between a president’s official and unofficial conduct while in office. With respect to the allegations leveraged against former President Donald Trump (R) specifically, the Court directly declared some of his acts to be immune while remanding…

The United States Supreme Court ruled Friday to curtail the power of government agencies to adopt sweeping regulatory powers based on nebulous direction from Congress. The 6-3 opinion overturned a 1984 decision that has given federal agencies significant leeway for four decades to interpret ambiguous statutes guiding their rulemaking largely without interference from the courts. Dissenting from the majority were Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, the three progressives on the Court. For the past forty years under so-called “Chevron Deference,” federal agencies have been given the discretion to interpret “silent or ambiguous” statutes as they saw…

On Thursday, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision dismissing as “improvidently granted” a case out of Idaho concerning apparent conflicts between state and federal policy regarding the provision of emergency abortions. This case centered on the question of whether or not federal law mandates doctors to perform abortions in a wide range of emergency circumstances regardless of what may be permitted by the state. The Justices also vacated the stay they issued in January, thus allowing for emergency abortions to be performed in Idaho for a variety of reasons regardless of any state law to the contrary. At the…

A group of nine Louisiana families have filed a lawsuit against the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (LSBESE) and others in response to the state’s recently-approved law requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public school classrooms. Under this legislation, schools will have until January 1 of next year to display “a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches” in every classroom with the Ten Commandments as its “central focus” and “printed in a large, easily readable font.” The text of the bill includes the Ten Commandments among “historical…

The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling Wednesday declaring a lack of standing in the case against the members of the federal government, including the Biden Administration, for allegedly violating American’s First Amendment rights by pressuring social media companies to censor certain speech. Authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the majority opinion asserts that neither the states nor the individuals who brought the case had standing to sue the federal government and seek an injunction. Because the case was decided on the basis of standing, the Court did not directly weigh in on the First Amendment issues raised related to…

The Supreme Court is set to consider the constitutionality of state restrictions on certain forms of “gender-affirming care” for minors. It was announced Monday that the justices granted cert to a case out of Tennessee concerning recently approved regulations preventing medical professionals from giving children medication or surgery to treat expressed discomfort with their gender. Approved in 2023, the policy at the center of this case bans health care providers from giving children under the age of 18 “any puberty blocker or hormone” for the purpose of “enabl[ing] a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent…

The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will soon be hearing a case concerning the extent to which federal agencies must consider secondary environmental impacts when deciding whether or not allow a proposed project to move forward. The case — Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado — focuses on the proposed 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway, which would transport oil and minerals from northeast Utah. Although the project initially received a green light from the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit went on to reverse this approval last year, ruling that further…

A recount will be conducted in Gorham after the town’s $53 million school budget — and its accompanying 9.05 percent property tax rate increase — was approved earlier this month by just four votes. According to the Gorham Republican Committee, a senior resident initiated recount proceedings following the announcement of the results. Because there weren’t any rules in place for such a situation, Gorham defaulted to the procedures outlined in state law. This meant that in order for a recount to be conducted, a petition with at least 100 signatures needed to be submitted. Sent in two days prior to…

Mainers are divided over former President Donald Trump’s (R) upcoming sentencing with respect to what they believe is the most appropriate outcome, according to the Pine Tree State Poll, a States of Opinion Project, conducted by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center. This poll also asked Mainers about President Joe Biden’s (D) recent handling of the border crisis and his overall job performance in office. Just over 50 percent of respondents expressed disapproval, including more than 60 percent of Independents. Fifty-one percent of respondents indicated that they believe a large fine would be a fitting sentence for former…

A Supreme Court ruling Thursday will allow for proceedings to continue in a Texas woman’s case against local officials for allegedly arresting her as a form of retaliation in 2019. Sylvia Gonzalez, who was 72 years old at the time, had taken office as a council member in Castle Hills, Texas, following a successful campaign in which she had been openly critical of the city manager, Ryan Rapelye. Immediately after she began serving in this position, Gonzalez started helping to collect signatures on a petition to remove Rapelye from office. As Gonzalez was packing up her belongings following a two-day…

Louisiana has become the first and only state in the country to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school and publicly-funded college classroom. Several civil liberties groups have indicated that they are prepared to challenge the new law in court. Under the recently approved legislation, schools will have until January 1 of next year to display “a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches” in every classroom with the Ten Commandments as its “central focus” and “printed in a large, easily readable font.” “If you want to respect the rule…

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a 2017 policy imposing a one-time tax on certain shareholders regardless of whether or not their earnings had been distributed was constitutional. Despite speculation that the opinion could potentially shed light on the constitutionality of a future “wealth tax” on unrealized capital gains, the Justices emphasized in their majority opinion that they did not need to “resolve that disagreement over realization” to make their decision. “Those are potential issues for another day, and we do not address or resolve any of those issues here,” the Justices said. Back in 2005, the defendants in this…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R) expressed support Tuesday for Stacey Neumann’s nomination to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Maine. The Senate will eventually be responsible for voting on whether or not Neumann should be confirmed for the position. Neumann was selected by President Joe Biden (D) to fill the seat left vacant U.S. District Judge Jon Levy after he announced his retirement this past spring. Judge Levy was first appointed to the position in 2014 after spending more than a decade on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Prior to his retirement, Levy oversaw some…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Tuesday that $2.4 million worth of grants have been awarded to municipalities throughout the state to “help prepare for climate effects” and “improve energy efficiency.” These grants are to be used for projects that help to “protect infrastructure from damaging storms or rising sea levels, increase local planning capacity, and improve energy resilience and efficiency.” All of these awards were distributed through the Community Resilience Partnership, a program that was established in 2021 to “help local communities undertake projects that increase resilience to climate effects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” A $5 million additional allocation…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced this past Wednesday that $8.6 million worth of high-speed electric vehicle (EV) chargers will be installed throughout the state across 17 locations. The installation of these 52 chargers was funded in part by a $5.7 million federal grant awarded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, a $7.5 billion initiative of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. $2.8 million in state taxpayers’ dollars was also allocated for the project through the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, which is Mills’ blueprint for investing nearly $1 billion in federal funds intended to help Maine…

Maine’s plan to “expand access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable internet across the state” using a $272 million federal grant was approved Monday by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This funding comes through the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which was established by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The BEAD Program is housed under the umbrella of the NTIA’s Internet for All initiative that was launched in 2022. According to a press release from Gov. Janet Mills (D), this is the largest grant that the state has ever received for internet expansion.…

Secretary of State Shenna bellows announced Friday that a recount has been requested for the State Senate District 24 Democrat primary race. The recount will take place at 1pm on Thursday, June 20, in Augusta at 45 Commerce Drive, Suite 13 and will be open to the public. Candidates Denise Tepler and Jean Guzzetti were separated by just 24 votes, or about .66 percent. Tepler came out ahead with 1822 votes, and Guzzetti was found to have trailed slightly behind with 1798 votes following the June 11 primary. Recounts are not mandatory by state law, but they may be requested…

With the 2024 presidential election just a few months away, now is the time for Mainers to begin taking steps to ensure they are prepared to cast their ballots on or before November 5. Maine residents are able to register to vote in person at any point up to and including election day. Online registration must be completed by 11:59pm on Tuesday, October 15, and registration forms submitted by mail must be received by the same date. Those registering to vote for the first time must provide “identity documents that show you have established your voting residence in the State…

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Friday the final question wording for a citizens’ initiative that is set to go before Maine voters this November. Validated by Secretary Bellows in February, the law proposed by the initiative aims to change campaign finance law in the state by limiting the value of donations made to qualifying political action committees (PACs). The final question wording that will appear on the ballot this November is: “Do you want to set a $5,000 limit for giving to political action committees that spend money independently to support or defeat candidates for office?” Maine state law…

On Tuesday, Gorham residents approved by just four votes a more than $53 million school budget accompanied by a 9.05 percent property tax rate increase. 1,827 voters supporting the proposal, while 1,823 opposing it, meaning that the proposed FY25 budget was passed by a margin of only four votes. The 9.05 percent property tax hike included in this budget will translate to a $320 annual increase on a home assessed at $400,000, bringing the total education component of this hypothetical bill from $3,516 to $3,836. Currently, the school property tax rate for Gorham residents is $8.79 per $1,000 of assessed…

The Supreme Court released a unanimous opinion Thursday morning rejecting an effort to roll back the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recently-loosened restrictions on the administration of mifepristone, a drug used in medication-induced abortions. This was the first time that the Court has considered an abortion-related case since overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Much of the discussion during oral arguments back in March focused not on the merits of the case, but rather on the issues of standing and the scope of relief being sought by the challengers. In the unanimous opinion authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the Court…

The United States House of Representatives voted Wednesday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for his refusal to turn over the audio from President Joe Biden’s (D) interviews with special prosecutor Robert Hur. Attorney General Garland is now the third person in his position to ever be held in contempt of Congress. The federal investigation into President Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified information ended last year with no formal charges being filed, due in part to Hur’s assertion that a jury would likely view the president as a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”…

Westbrook residents voted Tuesday to reject the town’s proposed $51.7 million school budget that included a nearly 16 percent increase in the school property tax rate. According to the Portland Press Herald, this was reportedly the first time that Westbrook voters have ever rejected a school budget at the ballot box. The proposal was voted down by a margin of just 53 votes, or by about 2.78 percent. In total, 48.38 percent of Westbrook voters supported the school budget, while 51.16 percent opposed it. The proposal on which residents voted Tuesday was reportedly 9.6 percent more expensive than the budget…

On Tuesday, Lewiston residents voted down a $110 million school budget that would have raised the school portion of the property tax rate by nearly 13 percent. This marked the second time that Lewiston voters rejected a proposal from the town for the school district’s FY25 budget. When residents first considered a proposal from the district in May, more than 65 percent of those who turned out to the polls rejected the budget as it was then written. According to the unofficial results of Tuesday’s election published by the town, the new draft of the school budget was defeated by…

Gorham residents will be asked Tuesday to approve the school district’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which includes a 9.05 percent increase in the school property tax rate. The budget for the 2025 fiscal year (FY25) represents a nearly $3.5 million increase in expenditures over last year’s budget. The School Committee approved this version of the budget in late April, and for the first time in nine years, the Town Council followed suit shortly thereafter without making any modifications, according to the Gorham Times. Voters Tuesday will be asked whether or not they support moving forward with the $53.1…

Voters heading out to the polls Tuesday will likely encounter petitioners seeking signatures for two initiatives in hopes of earning them a spot on the ballot during future elections. The first of these two proposals would require voters to present photo identification in order to cast their ballots in Maine — a so-called “Voter ID” law. The second petition is for a People’s Veto of the Legislature’s decision to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. In Maine, a People’s Veto allows voters to “repeal a piece of legislation passed by the legislature” by using “the initiative and referendum process.”…

On Tuesday, Lewiston residents will be asked to weigh in on a proposed school budget for a second time this year. In May, more than 65 percent of those who turned out to the polls voted to reject the budget as it was then written. Following this vote, Lewiston officials took steps to make more than $1 million in additional cuts. Even with these reductions, however, the proposal would raise the city’s school property tax rate by nearly 13 percent, increasing the school portion of the mill rate by $1.68 and bringing it to a total of $13.85. Superintendent Jake…

Minimum wage hikes for fast food workers touted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Democratic state lawmakers have caused many restaurants in the state have recently to raise prices, layoff employees, and in some cases, close their doors altogether. In 2023, California lawmakers approved legislation that raised the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 an hour. The new price control for labor took effect on April 1. The bill also established the Fast Food Council within the state’s Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) that is tasked with setting “an hourly minimum wage for fast food restaurant employees…

Winthrop Public Schools may soon be putting its fleet of problematic electric school buses back on the road in order to avoid a breach of contract with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). After receiving four electric school buses last year through the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, the district found that the vehicles were riddled with serious problems. The $5 billion federal program launched in October 2022 and has a goal of transitioning all public school bus fleets to 75 percent all-electric buses by 2035. [RELATED: Pingree Applauds $7.7 Million EPA Grant for Electric School Buses Prone to Malfunction…]…

Sen. Angus King (I) and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) have co-signed a letter raising concerns about a recently-approved federal regulation increasing the minimum staffing requirements for long term care facilities. In late April, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a new rule requiring long term care facilities — including those serving veterans — to maintain a higher level of staffing than they have had to previously. Sen. King and Sen. Cramer sent a letter this week to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough highlighting the potential negative effects that this requirement could have on long…

Steve Bannon — who previously served as an advisor to former President Donald Trump (R) — was ordered by a federal judge Thursday to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving a four-month sentence. Bannon was convicted nearly two years ago for failing to comply with a subpoena from the House committee investigating the events that took place on January 6, 2021. Although Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress in July of 2022 and received his sentence in October, the judge stayed his sentence while the case was pending on appeal. The first count…

A federal judge has declined, for a second time, to issue an injunction suspending enforcement of a clause in the Maine Human Rights Act that bars religious schools from receiving state funding if they discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion. Crosspoint Church — which runs Bangor Christian School — filed a lawsuit last year challenging a 2021 amendment to the Maine Human Rights Act that did away with certain exemptions for religious schools that receive funding through the state’s longstanding Town Tuitioning program. Town Tuitioning, first launched in 1873, allows students residing in districts without…

A new report from the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) has revealed that the rise of remote work in recent years has created a disconnect between the number of jobs in the state compared to the amount of worksites. According to the MDOL, a “worksite” is defined as “an economic unit, generally at a single physical location, where services are provided, or goods are produced” and appears to be inclusive of home offices for those who work remotely. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, jobs and worksites typically grew at a similar rate, but the significant increase in those working from…

The Cape Elizabeth Town Council is considering whether or not to ask residents if affordable housing construction should be allowed on the town-owned land at Gull Crest. Last month, a public hearing was held on the matter, during which two members of the public shared their thoughts and the issue was discussed by council members. No official decisions were made at that time, however. As noted by Chair Timothy Reiniger, more information will likely be available at some point this month regarding the feasibility of constructing affordable housing at this site, so the subject will be revisited in the near…

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) sentenced Paulette Harlow, age 75, to a 24-month prison term for her role in blockading a Washington, D.C. abortion clinic in October of 2020. Harlow is the tenth and final person to be convicted in connection with the protest at the clinic, with the others receiving sentences ranging between 10 and 57 months, or nearly five years. According to the DOJ, charges were brought against Harlow and the other nine defendants under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which “prohibits threats of force, obstruction and property damage intended to interfere…

Mainers were recently found to have one of the lowest average annual incomes in America when adjusted for cost of living, according to a study published by personal finance website WalletHub Tuesday. Ranking forty-eighth in the nation overall, the only states to come in below Maine in this lineup were Mississippi, New Mexico, and West Virginia. In order to compile these rankings, WalletHub adjusted the average annual income of residents in accordance with the cost of living index (COLI) to allow for a more accurate cross-state comparison. The score assigned to each state was calculated based on the adjusted average…

Maine has the ninth worst economy in the country, according to a recent study by personal finance website WalletHub. This report also found that Maine has the second lowest median annual household income, followed only by West Virginia. In order to determine the overall ranking order, WalletHub scored states along three metrics: economic activity, economic health, and innovation potential. Maine scored most strongly with respect to its economic health, coming in thirtieth nationwide, and was found to be at its weakest in terms of innovation potential, ranking forty-first. The state was ranked thirty-eighth for its level of economic activity. Source:…

Former President Donald Trump (R) was found guilty Thursday of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. This marks the first time in history that a sitting or former United States president has been convicted of a crime. The verdict comes about a month and a half before the Republican Party is set to choose their nominee and less than six months ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Although this decision marks the end of the trial, there is expected to be a long legal road ahead for former President Trump, potentially impacting his campaign in the weeks and months…

Just days after the First Circuit allowed for Bar Harbor’s daily 1,000 passenger limit on cruise ships to remain in effect amidst ongoing litigation, a group of local businesses have now asked the Maine District Court to issue an injunction preventing the town from enforcing this regulation. Filed Thursday, the request seeks to have the court prevent Bar Harbor from enforcing the ordinance or using it as the basis to deny cruise ship reservations while the nearly two year legal battle continues to unfold. In November of 2022, Bar Harbor voters approved — with 58 percent support — a new…

A resolution establishing a commission to study the extent of “housing discrimination” in Maine was among the thirty-five bills passed on Veto Day that Gov. Janet Mills (D) refused to sign into law. The final day of the Legislative session in Maine — colloquially referred to as “Veto Day” — is typically set aside for lawmakers to consider whether or not to overturn any vetoes that have been issued by the governor. This year, however, lawmakers also used this time to approve thirty-five new bills that were subsequently sent to Gov. Mills for consideration. In a letter shared with members…

Among the thirty-five bills passed on Veto Day that Gov. Janet Mills (D) did not sign into law was a piece of legislation designed to provide property tax relief to a broader group of Maine veterans and their families, while also extending a greater measure of relief to veterans with qualifying disabilities. The final day of the Legislative session in Maine — colloquially referred to as “Veto Day” — is typically set aside for lawmakers to consider whether or not to overturn any vetoes that have been issued by the governor. This year, however, lawmakers also used this time to…

The Maine Forest Service (MFS), housed within the state’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF), has been awarded two Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG) by the federal government. Maine is the first and only New England state to be chosen as a recipient of this funding. Totaling a combined $258,000, these grants are designed to “safeguard homes, businesses, forestland, and infrastructure from catastrophic wildfires.” These grants will facilitate the creation of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) over the next five years in Northern and Downeast Maine. This past fall the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service received 535…

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation for allegedly monopolizing the live entertainment industry in an unlawful manner. Although Massachusetts and New Hampshire were among the thirty states to join the DOJ in this lawsuit, Maine was not. Filed Thursday, the complain alleges that Ticketmaster and Live Nation have established themselves as “the gatekeeper for the delivery of nearly all live music in America today.” Live Nation pushed back against these allegations, referring to the DOJ’s lawsuit as “anti-business” and the result of “intense political pressure.” The DOJ…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Friday that the Biden Administration had approved Maine’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration in response to the Nor’easter that swept through the state in April. According to the governor’s office, the public infrastructure repair costs associated with the storm are expected to exceed $3.5 million. This declaration unlocks two sources of funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): the Public Assistance (PA) Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. FEMA’s PA Program is designed to provide “supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits so communities…

Facing legal action, the National Parks Service (NPS) reversed course late last week and allowed Knights of Columbus to hold their traditional Memorial Day Mass in Virginia’s Poplar Grove National Cemetery. The decision from the NPS came almost immediately after the Knights of Columbus filed their lawsuit in federal court. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares — who submitted an amicus brief in support of the Knights’ complaint — issued a statement Thursday responding to the NPS’ decision. “I’m pleased that the Petersburg Knights of Columbus was granted access to observe Memorial Day and gather to pray and mourn the loss…

The Maine State Housing Authority announced Thursday that it will be awarding $30 million in state subsidies for the development of affordable housing throughout the state. This funding will be spread across six different localities — including Augusta, Bangor, Gardiner, Lewiston, Scarborough, and Waterville — and allow for the construction of 248 new housing units. MaineHousing said in their press release that funding for these subsidies was “made possible” by a $17.5 million allocation made by the Legislature during the first session, as well as a $10 million allocation made as part of the recently approved supplemental budget. The Maine…

New rules proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are expected to have a detrimental impact on Maine’s rural volunteer fire departments due to the estimated cost of compliance. As written, these standards would change many of the requirements that must be met by firemen and other first responders. The regulations currently in place for firemen — which are called the Fire Brigades Standard and do not apply to other first responders — were originally published in 1980 and have not been substantially updated since. The rules that are now under consideration — collectively titled the Emergency Response…

The Knights of Columbus, a service-based Catholic fraternal organization, has filed a lawsuit against the National Parks Service (NPS) in Petersburg, Virginia after being prohibited from holding its annual Memorial Day Mass in the Poplar Grove National Cemetery. The group is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction so that they may hold this year’s event as planned. In addition to the NPS, the Knights of Columbus name several others in their lawsuit, including the U.S. Department of Interior, as well as Superintendent Alexa Viets of the Petersburg National Battlefield and Chief Park Ranger Aaron Scott in their official…

The former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Maine Turnpike Authority reportedly “threaten[ed], intimidate[d], and humiliate[d] employees” while simultaneously insulating himself from accountability. This conduct was revealed by a 17-page report, obtained by the Portland Press Herald and published Thursday morning, detailing the results of an investigation into the former CFO conducted by arbitrator and mediator John C. Alfano. The Press Herald reached out to Executive Director of the Turnpike Authority Peter Mills — brother of Gov. Janet Mills (D) — who confirmed the authenticity of the report, explaining that the investigation was launched at some point after the former…

On Monday, the Portland City Council unanimously approved the Portland Board of Public Education’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), which includes a 6.6 percent increase in the school tax rate. Voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on this budget at the ballot box on June 11. Portland Public Schools explained in a press release Monday that the district originally went into the budgeting process with the expectation of having a $19.4 million shortfall that would have required a 17.41 percent tax increase. This large funding gap identified at the outset was due to a combination of…

Dozens of Mainers have signed onto a petition asking the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to investigate the rate hikes recently approved by the Casco Bay Island Transit District (CBITD). In April, the CBITD voted to increase the cost of round-trip tickets for tourists and visitors while simultaneously decreasing the price of the long-term passes typically used by those who frequently travel to and from the islands. Not only did the CBITD adjust ticket pricing, but it also made major structural changes to the ticketing system by imposing a flat fare for all islands and discontinuing the option to purchase commuter…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed an executive order Tuesday establishing a commission to develop the state’s first plan for “long-term infrastructure resilience.” The severe winter storms that swept through the state this past December and January were cited by Gov. Mills both in her press release and in the executive order itself as critical context for the commission’s formation. Mills notes these storms caused an estimated $90 million worth of public infrastructure damage throughout the state. According to the executive order, the ongoing effects of climate change will necessitate a continued investment in “recovery and rebuilding resources” because “extreme storms,…

Maine mother Amber Lavigne has appealed a federal judge’s decision to dismiss her case against the Great Salt Bay Community School (GSBCS) Board for withholding information about her child’s gender transition. On Monday, Lavigne’s legal team filed a Notice of Appeal with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine informing them that she has appealed Judge Jon D. Levy’s dismissal to the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Levy revealed earlier this month that he had moved to dismiss the case on the grounds that Lavigne failed to state a claim because the facts provided in this…

The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) is now accepting public comment on a proposed set of rules for the state’s newly-created Paid Family and Medical Leave Program. This past summer, Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed a budget into law that, among other things, established the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program with a starting appropriation of $25 million. Beginning in the Spring of 2026, Maine workers will be eligible to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a sick family member, as well as to bond with a newborn baby or newly-adopted child. Also eligible for…

York has become the first town in Maine to ban single-use plastic utensils after more than 58 percent of residents voted in favor of a proposal originally advanced by the York High School Eco Club. The regulations approved by voters Saturday are set to take effect in May of 2025. Under this ordinance, plastic straws, stir sticks, and utensils are prohibited from being offered or distributed by stores, restaurants, coffee shops, cafeterias, caterers, food delivery services, or at Town sponsored events. This newly-approved ordinance requires that reusable products be offered when dishwashing facilities are accessible. When “reusables” are unavailable or…

The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) released the state’s April employment numbers Friday, revealing little change from March and a slight deterioration compared to 2023. The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for April was calculated at 3.1 percent, with a labor force participation rate of 59.4 percent. In March, these same figures came in at 3.3 percent and 59.3 percent respectively. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical technique that is regularly employed to remove the influences of “predictable seasonal patterns” in order to reveal a more accurate measure of how the employment situation has evolved over time. Compared to April of 2023, unemployment…

Sen. Angus King (I) raised questions regarding proposed staffing cuts at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) hearing Wednesday. During this exchange, Sen. King asked Executive Director of the Office of Rural Health in the Veterans Health Administration Dr. Peter Kaboli and Director of the VA Oklahoma City Health Care System Wade Vlosich about a proposal to cut 10,000 full-time employees from the federal Veterans Administration (VA). According to King, there is data suggesting that the VA is actually in need of increased staffing at this time in order to keep up with rising demand, especially in rural areas. King…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R) has co-sponsored a bill that aims to allow the time spent in a hospital under “observation status” to count toward the requisite three-day threshold required by Medicare for coverage of post-hospitalization skilled nursing care. Under the current policy, only “inpatient” stays are factored into this calculation, meaning that those who are admitted for observation are ineligible for coverage of their skilled nursing care regardless of how long they were hospitalized. The Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act, however, would allow for both types of hospital stays to count toward this requirement. According to Sen. Collins,…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Thursday that applications are now available for small businesses and municipalities seeking state funding to help rebuild and recover from the severe storms that swept through the state this past winter. $10 million in funding will be made available through the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) for small business and nonprofits. The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be considering applications from municipalities for $25 million worth of funding. The small business and nonprofit funding will be distributed out of the newly-created Business Recovery and Resilience Fund, whereas the municipalities’ applications will be…

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) announced Tuesday that it plans to take legal action against the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the agency’s alleged failure to adequately address “forever chemical” contamination. Under the Clean Water Act, the EPA is required to “identify toxic pollutants in sewage sludge” and “promulgate regulations, based on available information, for identified pollutants if sufficient scientific evidence shows they may harm human health or the environment.” The nonprofit organization alleges in its Notice of Intent to the EPA that the agency has failed to meet both of these obligations with respect to…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) made it known Tuesday that she will not be signing into law the thirty-five bills passed by lawmakers this past Friday on “Veto Day.” The final day of the Legislative session in Maine is colloquially referred to as “Veto Day” because it is typically set aside for lawmakers to consider whether or not to overturn any vetoes that have been issued by the governor. This year, however, lawmakers also used this time to approve thirty-five new bills that were subsequently sent to Gov. Mills for consideration. In a letter shared with members of the Legislature Tuesday,…

Members of Maine’s Congressional delegation recently moved in support of extending the lifespan of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a program originally enacted in November of 2021. The ACP — a part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — represented a $14.2 billion modification to the existing Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program). Under the program, eligible low-income households can receive up to $30 per month off of their internet bill, while households on qualifying Tribal Lands may receive as much as $75 per month. One-time grants are also available for the purchase of laptops, desktop computers, or tablets.…

A proposed amendment to the state’s constitution that would have enshrined a right to abortion and other forms of “reproductive health care” failed Friday to gain the support necessary to be placed before voters in November for final approval. In Maine, resolutions proposing amendments to the state constitution must be backed by at least two-thirds of the members present in each chamber in order to be placed on the ballot for final approval by voters at the next election. On Friday — the last day of this Legislative session — lawmakers in the Senate considered this resolution for a final…

Lawmakers in Augusta voted along partisan lines Friday to approve a resolution to study the extent to which housing voucher recipients in the state are allegedly discriminated against on account of the fact they receive taxpayer-funded income-based assistance. After being passed by legislators in March, the resolution was placed on the special “study table” pending final passage, as is done for all legislation designed to establish a study commission. This put the resolution before the Legislative Council, which is tasked with reviewing all study bills approved by lawmakers in order to prioritize staff and budgetary allocations. Under this resolution, the…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R) has signed onto a bill that aims to ban the sale of water beads marketed toward children in the wake of 10-month-old Esther Jo Bethard’s death in North Prairie, Wisconsin. “The problems associated with water beads were brought to my attention by the mother of a baby girl from Berwick, Maine, who was hospitalized at 9 months old with a life-threatening obstruction after accidentally consuming a single water bead,” Sen. Collins said in a press release Friday. “This bipartisan bill will keep children safe by establishing common sense guidelines for labeling these potentially dangerous toys…

The City of South Portland is weighing its options for the future of the former Mahoney Middle School and other municipally-owned properties, including city hall, the library, and the former Hamlin School. Under the plan advanced by the South Portland Housing Authority, Mahoney would be converted into apartments, and the space currently occupied by a football field would be used to construct a new city hall and police station. The property on which the city hall is now located, as well as the former Hamlin School lot, would also be utilized for various types of housing, including apartments and condos,…

House lawmakers last week sustained Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) veto of a bill aiming to restructure Maine’s income tax brackets, creating a new top tax rate of 8.45 percent for the state’s highest earners. This bill — LD 1231, An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets — was originally introduced in 2023 by Rep. Meldon H. Carmichael (R-Greenbush) as a concept draft with the stated intention of “chang[ing] the income brackets” while “retain[ing] the same tax rates.” The version of the bill advanced by Democrat members of the Taxation Committee —…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Thursday that funding applications are now available for working waterfront properties that were damaged a consequence of the severe storms that swept through the state this past winter. Funding will be distributed through the Working Waterfront Resilience Grant Program, which is managed jointly by the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT), the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF). The $25 million allocation for this program came as part of the $60 million transfer out of the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF) for storm recovery efforts that…

The Maine Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday afternoon in a case concerning the constitutionality of Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) decision to call the Legislature back into session this past spring using powers reserved for “extraordinary occasions.” The dispute behind this case centers around the series of procedural moves made by Gov. Mills, Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook), and Speaker of the House Rachael Talbot Ross (D-Portland) that allowed for the adoption of a party-line budget. Under Maine’s constitution, bills are typically able to be passed by a simple majority and take effect 90 days after adjournment. Bills with an…

TikTok has sued the United States in an effort to halt enforcement of a recently-signed bill that is set to ban the app nationwide in a matter of months unless its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance divests completely from the platform. Filed with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Tuesday, the lawsuit argues that this law represents an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. “For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online…

The United States District Court for the District of Maine has dismissed a Maine mother’s lawsuit against the Great Salt Bay Community School (GSBCS) Board for withholding information about her child’s gender transition. District Court Judge Jon D. Levy released his decision this past Friday that the mother — Amber Lavigne — failed to state a claim because the facts provided in this case were insufficient to establish municipal liability. Since the judge’s reasoning was based solely on Lavigne’s inability to show that the municipality could legally be found responsible for the alleged violations, he did not address the underlying…

Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew will be stepping down from her position at the end of this month. According to an email sent by Commissioner Lambrew to DHHS employees Tuesday, she will be leaving the Department on May 31, 2024 to join The Century Foundation as the Director of Health Care Reform. The Century Foundation describes itself as a “progressive, independent think tank that conducts research, develops solutions, and drives policy change to make people’s lives better.” Lambrew also notes in her email that she has “been invited by the Harvard T.H. Chan School…

A recent study has found that electric vehicles (EVs) cost 63.6 percent more per 1,000 miles driven each year compared to gas-powered cars due to the combination of their higher prices and lower average usage. Conducted by car research website iSeeCars, this study revealed that EVs are driven 20 percent less than traditional, internal-combustion vehicles. Although hybrids and plug-in hybrids were also both found to be driven less than gas-powered cars, the difference in usage was much smaller, coming in at just 2.7 and 4.8 percent respectively. According to the calculations provided in the report, EVs cost an average of…

Seventeen Maine Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) have received a combined $11.6 million in federal funding through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Public Housing Capital Fund Formula Grant program. According to the federal government, this program “provides funds, annually, to [PHAs] for the development, financing, and modernization of public housing developments and for management improvements.” According to a Monday press release from Sen. Susan Collins (R) — Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee — the seventeen municipal housing authorities received an aggregate of $11,648,244 through this program. “The dedicated staff at housing authorities throughout Maine work…

Maine Senators Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I) questioned Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough on proposed budget and staffing cuts, as well as on potential avenues for state-run homes to receive assistance from the federal government. Sen. Collins focused her exchange with the Secretary on potential funding opportunities for financially-troubled state-run veterans’ homes and on the provision of transportation options for veterans living in rural areas seeking treatment at VA hospitals. Sen. King, on the other hand, centered his questions on the Department’s budget and staff reductions in the face of increased demand from veterans nationwide.…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) has formally requested that President Joe Biden (D) issue a major disaster declaration for Cumberland and York Counties in response to the Nor’easter that occurred in early April, resulting in widespread damage and power outages. According to a press release published by the governor’s office Thursday, the state’s costs associated with the storm are expected to exceed $3.5 million. If a major disaster declaration is granted, it will make available emergency grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including from the Public Assistance (PA) Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. FEMA’s PA Program is…

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week concerning whether or not federal law can be understood as requiring doctors to perform abortions in a wide range of emergency circumstances regardless of what may be permitted by state law. At the center of this case is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires the provision of stabilizing medical care to patients whose health is in “serious jeopardy” or when there is the risk of “serious impairment to bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of bodily organs,” regardless of insurance coverage or a patient’s ability to pay. Justices are…

This past Friday, Gov. Janet Mills (D) vetoed a bill that would have restructured Maine’s income tax brackets, creating a new top tax rate of 8.45 percent for the state’s highest earners. This bill — LD 1231, An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets — was originally introduced in 2023 by Rep. Meldon H. Carmichael (R-Greenbush) as a concept draft with the stated intention of “chang[ing] the income brackets” while “retain[ing] the same tax rates.” The version of the bill advanced by Democrat members of the Taxation Committee — and ultimately…

The legal battle against generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continues as a group of eight newspapers files a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT. On Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Orange County Register, St. Paul Pioneer-Press, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun Sentinel, New York Daily News — all of which are under the umbrella of MediaNews Group — filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. In this lawsuit, the outlets allege that Microsoft and OpenAI have illicitly used works copyrighted by the newspapers. Generative AI — employed by both Microsoft and OpenAI –…

Public comment is now being accepted by the Secretary of State’s Office on the proposed ballot question wording for a citizens initiative that is set to go before Maine voters this November. Validated by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows in February, the law proposed by the initiative aims to change campaign finance law in the state by limiting the value of donations made to qualifying political action committees (PACs). As it is currently drafted, the ballot question to be presented to Mainers in November reads: “Do you want to set a $5,000 limit for giving to groups that spend money…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Friday that the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development has awarded $500,000 worth of grants in an effort to “attract remote workers” to the state and help “integrate” those who are already here. Funding for these grants comes from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan — Gov. Mills’ plan to invest nearly $1 billion in federal funding that was intended to help Maine recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This $500,000 allocation was spread across eleven projects, with individual grants ranging in value from $13,375 to $100,000. The first group of awards…

The Casco Bay Island Transit District (CBITD) has approved its first rate hike in more than a decade, increasing the cost of round-trip tickets for tourists and visitors while decreasing the price of the long-term passes used by those who frequently travel to and from the islands. These efforts will be coupled with spending cuts in hopes of reducing the Casco Bay Lines’ continued multi-million dollar operating losses by 25 percent, or about $1 million. Not only will the overall price of tickets for Casco Bay Lines change, but the structure of the fare schedule itself will now be different…

Several environmental groups have sued the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) for allegedly failing to do enough to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Involved in the lawsuit are the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Sierra Club, and Maine Youth Action (MYA). These organizations are pursuing legal action against the Maine DEP and BEP for not adopting California’s Advanced Clean Cars II Program, which would have mandated that 82 percent of new car sales in the state be comprised of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) by model year 2032. [RELATED: Maine BEP Rejects…

Maine will soon be transferring a total of $60 million out of the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF) in response to the damaging storms the state faced in December and January. This spending comes as part of the supplemental budget approved by lawmakers earlier this month and signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills (D) Monday. The $60 million transfer out of the BSF consists of two parts. $50 million will be sent to the Infrastructure Adaptation Fund (IAF), while an additional $10 million will be directed to the newly-established Business Recovery and Resilience Fund (BRRF) program. Both of these initiatives…

State lawmakers have rejected Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) proposal to impose sales tax on Mainers’ streaming service subscriptions for platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. The Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee unanimously agreed last month to remove the proposed tax from the final version of the supplemental budget, and both the Democrat and Republican Committee reports are reflective of this decision. Consequently, this expansion of the state sales tax was not passed into law through either the supplemental budget or any other legislative vehicle this session. Although cable television premiums and digital media sales are currently subjected to…

UPDATE: President Joe Biden (D) signed HR 815 — the Legislature’s foreign aid package that includes the potential ban on TikTok — into law on Wednesday, April 24. Federal lawmakers finalized legislation Tuesday that could potentially lead to a nationwide ban on the social media platform TikTok by next year. Under the measure approved by a bipartisan vote of 79-18 in the Senate, TikTok would be banned from all US app stores unless ByteDance — the platform’s Chinese-owned parent company — sells the social media site within about nine months. The president would have the authority to issue a one-time…

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 Tuesday in favor of banning non-compete agreements nationwide, calling them an “unfair method of competition.” In response, the United States Chamber of Commerce has announced its intention to sue the agency, calling the new rule “unlawful” and characterizing it as “a blatant power grab.” Non-compete agreements are contractual agreements used by employers to limit the professional activities of current employees in the event they leave a company. After this rule goes into effect, entering into non-compete agreements will be prohibited for all workers across the country, including senior executives. As of the rule’s…

Maine has received $62 million in federal funding to increase the accessibility of solar power for low-income households throughout the state. This grant comes as part of the $7 billion Solar for All competition funded by the Inflation Reduction Act’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is administered through the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the Inflation Reduction Act made “the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history, enabling America to tackle the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice, securing America’s position as a world leader in domestic…

The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday morning in a case concerning the constitutionality of municipal bans on homeless encampments. While some Justices expressed concern over the possibility of punishing homeless people for sleeping in public when viable alternatives are unavailable, others took issue with the Court playing a hands-on role in shaping the policies implemented by municipalities to manage homelessness at the local level. The case of Grants Pass v. Johnson turns on the question of whether or not the Oregon city’s prohibition against sleeping with a blanket in public spaces is in violation of the Eighth…

The Maine State Housing Authority (MaineHousing) announced earlier this month that a pilot program aimed at helping older homeowners list their spare rooms for rent will likely become available this June. The program is designed to reduce elderly Mainers’ living expenses while simultaneously expanding the availability of affordable housing options throughout the state. In February, the Maine State Housing Authority signed a $200,000 contract with Nesterly, a platform that connects retirees and “empty nesters” with those in search of housing for more than thirty days. Nesterly was founded in 2017 by two students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).…

Homes in Maine are significantly more expensive than they were a year ago. At the same time, however, more people appear to be buying. The median sale price of homes in Maine has increased more than twelve percent compared to this time last year. During this same period, however, the state also saw a 3.5 percent increase in home sale volume. According to a recent report from the Maine Association of Realtors, the median selling price of a home in Maine grew from $337,500 in March of 2023 to $380,000 in March of 2024. At this point last year, there…