Author: Libby Palanza

Mainers will go to the polls Tuesday to make their voices heard on a series of eight ballot questions — four citizens’ initiatives and four proposed amendments to the state constitution. The University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center conducted a statewide poll in advance of election day revealing where voters are at on these issues. Click Here To Read The Maine Wire’s Guide to the Ballot Referendum Questions According to the survey, Questions 3 and 4 — the establishment of Pine Tree Power and the automotive “right to repair” measure, respectively — have dominated discussions, while the other six…

More than a year after being approved by lawmakers, legalized sports betting in Maine officially launched this past Friday, with the first bets being placed just after 9am. The bill signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills (D) last August granted Maine’s four federally recognized tribes exclusive operating rights to run mobile sports betting apps in the state. Part of the reason for the lengthy roll-out process was the implementation of an extended public hearing timeline, as well as a drawn out rule making process. According to Maine Public, three of the four tribes have partnered with Caesars Sportsbook to…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced a $14 million “port improvement project” at the Portland International Marine Terminal (IMT). Funding for the project comes from the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), a more than $663 million “discretionary grant program administered by the Maritime Administration.” Projects eligible for PIDP grants “improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods into, out of, around, or within a port.” According to this morning’s press release from MARAD, $172.8 million worth of the total grants awarded went to twenty-six small ports “to continue to improve and expand their capacity…

Chipotle and McDonald’s locations in California will be raising their menu prices next year to offset a minimum wage increase set to take place for many fast-food workers in the state. Beginning next April, California fast-food workers will be making at least $20 an hour as a result of a compromise agreement reached by the industry and labor groups, according to CNBC. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski told reporters that the company has not yet decided how much of a price increase its California customers are likely to see next year. Chipotle’s Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung told the press last…

Mainers’ data privacy is once again set to be a focal point for lawmakers in Augusta. Next Wednesday, members of the Maine State Legislature’s Judiciary Committee are scheduled to hold work sessions for a number of bills related to data privacy. On the docket for the morning session are LD 1056 and LD 1576, a pair of bills that were marked up earlier this fall. LD 1056 — An Act Restricting State Assistance in Federal Collection of Personal Electronic Data and Metadata — was introduced by Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin) and aims to prevent Maine officials from effectively circumventing state…

A Newcastle woman who discovered that public school officials were facilitating the social transition of her 13-year-old daughter behind her back was in federal district court Wednesday for the first hearing in her lawsuit against the school district. In December, Amber Lavigne — the mother of a student at Great Salt Bay Community School (GSBCS) — discovered that a 26-year-old social worker by the name of Samuel Roy had given her 13-year-old daughter two breast binders — garments designed to conceal the appearance of a female’s breasts — and instructed her on their use. While chest binders are not classified…

On November 7, Mainers will be asked to go to the ballot box to weigh in on eight referendum questions with a series of simple “yes” or “no” answers. The first four questions that voters will see on election day are citizens’ initiatives — or legislative changes drafted and proposed by non-governmental entities. Questions five through eight, on the other hand, are potential amendments to Maine’s state constitution that have been approved by the legislature but still require voter sign-off before they can be finalized. To determine the order in which the eight questions would appear on the ballot, Maine’s…

Last Wednesday, eighteen people between the ages of 14 and 76 were killed in a mass shooting in Lewiston. Thirteen others were injured, and three remain in critical condition. After a more than 48 hour manhunt, law enforcement found the suspected shooter dead of an apparently self-inflicted gun shot wound inside of a trailer located in the overflow lot of Maine Recycling Corporation in Lisbon. Since then, Mainers have begun to cope with this unthinkable tragedy and grieve for those who lost their lives. Sunday night, more than a thousand people attended a vigil held at the Basilica of Saint…

Wednesday night in Lewiston, eighteen people between the ages of 14 and 76 were killed in the worst mass shooting in Maine’s history. After a two-day manhunt, the suspected shooter was found dead at 7:45pm Friday night — apparently by a self-inflicted gunshot wound — inside a trailer located in the overflow parking lot of the Maine Recycling Corporation (MRC). Mike Sauschuck — Maine Commissioner of Public Safety — spoke to the press shortly after 10am Saturday morning to provide the public with additional information on the suspect’s death, as well as the investigation into the mass shootings more broadly.…

Last week’s mass murder in Lewiston claimed the lives of eighteen Mainers and injured thirteen more, three of whom are still in critical condition. The impact of this tragedy has been devastating for the victims and their families, as well as for the Lewiston and Maine communities more broadly. As everyone statewide embarks upon the long road toward healing, there are a number of resources available to those who are in need of emotional support. Direct and practical support has also been made available for victims and their families, as well as for those who were present during the mass…

The Maine State Police lifted the stay-at-home-order for southern Maine counties and disclosed the names of the remaining victims of the mass shooting that took place in Lewiston Wednesday, but little additional information was given concerning the state of the manhunt for the suspect. All eighteen of the victims have now been identified, and their names and ages have been shared with the public alongside photos provided by their family members. As of Friday night, the shelter in place orders have been lifted, but hunting will be prohibited until further notice in Lewiston, Lisbon, Bowdoin, and Monmouth while search efforts…

Although law enforcement officials have yet to confirm any specific details, preliminary information about the note found in the residence of Lewiston mass shooting suspect Robert Card is slowly beginning to come to light. During this morning’s press conference, Mike Sauschuck — State Commissioner for the Department of Public Safety — verified reports that a note had been found in the suspect’s residence but declined to divulge anything about its contents. “I’m not prepared to really talk about what that included,” Sauschuck said. “And I think that’s probably, again, a common sense answer because that does involve: Is there a…

Shortly after 10am Friday morning, law enforcement officials in Lewiston held a press conference to update the public with the latest information pertaining to Wednesday’s mass shooting in Lewiston. According to Mike Sauschuck — State Commissioner for the Department of Public Safety — these morning briefings will now become a daily occurrence until the suspect — Robert Card, 40 — is apprehended. Afternoon briefings may also be held on occasion should additional information become available throughout the day. Sauschuck did, however, condition this announcement by reminding the public that certain information must be kept confidential in the name of public…

Wednesday night Lewiston saw the worst mass shooting in Maine’s history. As of Thursday afternoon, the suspect in the murders — Robert Card, age 40 of Bowdoin — is still at large, and he is considered to be armed and dangerous. [RELATED: State Police Name Army Vet Robert Card as Person of Interest in Lewiston Terror Spree, Worst Mass Shooting in Maine History] Shelter in place advisories remain in effect for Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin as law enforcement officials continue their search for Card. Due to the ongoing manhunt, many public and private schools, colleges, businesses, and municipal facilities are…

Maine Gov. Janet Mills confirmed Thursday that 18 people were killed and 13 injured in Wednesday night’s mass shooting in Lewiston. Eight of the eighteen victims have been identified. At this time, the person of interest — Robert R. Card II, 40, of Bowdoin — still remains at large. Law enforcement officials were joined by Gov. Mills at 10:45am this morning to update the public as to what is currently known about last night’s tragedy. Gov. Mills opened the press conference by offering her condolences for the victims and describing her communications thus far with officials from the federal government,…

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected as the new Speaker of the House with unanimous support from the Republican caucus. Today’s vote ended a roughly three-week period in which the House of Representatives has been operating without a Speaker. Before landing on Rep. Johnson, the Republican caucus cycled through three other nominees — Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN). “The people’s House is back in business,” Johnson said to his fellow representatives prior to being sworn in, according to CBS. [RELATED: Mike Johnson Nominated For Speaker of the House, Chamber-Wide Vote Expected This…

Earlier this year, the State Legislature passed one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the nation — as of today, that law is now officially in effect. Signed by Gov. Janet Mills (D) on July 17, LD 1619 dramatically expanded access to late-term abortion in Maine by allowing women to abort their baby “after viability” if it is deemed “necessary in the professional judgment of a physician.” This language replaced a provision prohibiting abortion after the point of viability except in cases where the life or health of the mother was in jeopardy. LD 1619 was the product of…

House Republicans have nominated Rep. Mike Johnson for the Speakership, making him the caucus’ fourth nominee for the position in the past three weeks. A chamber-wide vote is expected to begin around 12:30pm this afternoon, at which point both the Republican and Democrat caucuses will officially nominate their selected representatives and a roll call vote will commence. If every member of Congress is in the chamber for today’s vote — and no one opts to vote “present” — a candidate will need to receive at least 217 votes to successfully be installed as Speaker of the House. Prior to Rep.…

Maine is soon to join California in the adoption of stringent mandates requiring a hefty percentage of new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the near future. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection (Maine BEP) voted 4-2 earlier today in favor of adopting California’s Advanced Clear Car Program, requiring that 43% of new cars sold in Maine be ZEVs by model year 2027 and 82% by model year 2032. Rejected by the Maine BEP, however, was California’s Advanced Clean Truck Program — a set of rules that would have meant that anywhere from 40% to 75% of new…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced earlier this week that Madison will be getting a new 36 unit affordable housing development funded by a variety of state programs, according to a press release published by the governor’s office. Located at 55 Weston Avenue, the development is geared toward providing housing accommodations for employees of companies such as New Balance and TimberHP, both of which have recently expanded their operations in Maine. The first 18 units — spread across two separate buildings — are expected to be completed by late next Spring. Going forward, the plan is to construct another 18 units,…

Maine’s community colleges saw historically high enrollment this fall, surpassing the previous record which had been set in 2011, according to a press release from the Maine Community College System (MCCS). 19,477 students enrolled in the MCCS this fall, representing a 16% increase compared to last year’s enrollment of 16,792. The record-setting enrollment in 2011 came in at a total of 17,911 students. The MCCS credits several new programs and initiatives for the uptick in enrollment this year, including: “A new tuition-free scholarship for recent high school graduates” “Expanded nursing programs statewide” “More than 700 short-term workforce students moving into…

Two more of Portland’s homeless encampments are set to be cleared on November 1 in addition to the one located in the Marginal Way Park and Ride. The city has now posted removal notices at the encampments located by Somerset Street and near Noyes self-storage. The Maine Department of Transportation (Maine DOT) announced earlier this month that they planned to clear the Park and Ride encampment — which is situated on state-owned land — by November 1. [RELATED: Portland Park and Ride Homeless Encampment Sweep Date Set for Nov. 1] Homeless encampments throughout Portland — but especially in the Park…

Municipalities throughout Maine have been struggling to accommodate the state’s rapidly growing refugee and asylum seeker populations — and things are about to get a lot harder. The Office of Maine Refugee Services (OMRS) — managed by Catholic Charities — expects to see twice as many refugees come to the state in fiscal year (FY) 2024 compared to FY 2023, which ended on October 1. Maine is planning to accept 840 refugees in FY 2024, while the state only saw a total of 419 refugees in FY 2023. The majority of those who came in 2023 were relocated to Portland,…

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is officially no longer in the running for Speakership after failing to prevail in three chamber-wide votes over the past several days. The Republican caucus decided earlier today to oust Rep. Jordan as the speaker designee in a closed-door secret ballot vote. Ultimately, 112 members of the GOP caucus voted against moving forward with Jordan as the nominee, while only 86 representatives continued to support his bid for the Speakership. According to reporting from NBC, Jordan himself said after the vote that he would remove his name from the race. Since then, several other GOP representatives…

Chick-fil-A has agreed to pay out $4.4 million to customers after facing accusations of covertly inflating food prices on their delivery app. Less than a month ago, several individuals filed a federal lawsuit alleging that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fast food chain advertised “free” and “low-cost” delivery, only to “secretly” mark up the price of individual food items on these orders by 25% to 30% compared to regular menu prices. “On delivery orders only, Chick-fil-A secretly marks up food prices for delivery orders by a hefty 25-30%,” the lawsuit claims, according to Insider. “In other words,…

The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is currently accepting public comment on its revised learning standards for Science as part of a routine process required by state law. Public comment is being accepted from October 11 through November 14 and can be submitted here or via email to laura.cyr@maine.gov. A public hearing will also be held on October 30 at 3pm at the Burton Cross Office Building — located at 111 Sewall Street in Augusta — in Room 600. The hearing can also be accessed via Zoom here. Overview of the Changes The content of Maine’s Science standards has remained…

Maine is expected to continue doling out 207 area codes until September of 2032 — three and a half years longer than was previously expected — according to a press release published today by the Maine Public Utilities Commission (Maine PUC). Earlier this year in April, the Maine PUC announced that Maine would likely need to roll out a second area code for the state beginning as soon as 2029. Although only about 38% of telephone numbering resources are currently in use, the state is in danger of running out of 207 numbers in the near future as a result…

York County now has plans to spend $45 million in an effort to address Maine’s opioid epidemic through the construction of a 58-bed regional recovery center, a public safety training facility, and a 30-unit apartment building. The aim of the project is to take a holistic approach to this crisis by addressing three of its component parts: addiction, housing, and public safety. According to the Bangor Daily News, the regional recovery center will consist of 8 detoxification beds, 36 residential and outpatient treatment beds, and 8 “observation beds” — or beds where people can be brought by first responders or…

The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is currently accepting public comment on its revised Social Studies learning standards as part of a routine process required by state law. Public comment is being accepted from October 11 through November 14 and can be submitted here or via email to laura.cyr@maine.gov. A public hearing will also be held on October 30 at 3pm at the Burton Cross Office Building — located at 111 Sewall Street in Augusta — in Room 600. The hearing can also be accessed via Zoom here. Overview of the Changes One of the major changes visible throughout the…

Throughout the country, most people saw increased earnings this past spring — except for in Maine. Nationwide, personal income reportedly grew by 5.3%. In Maine, this same figure dropped 2.7%, according to data published in late September by U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (U.S. BEA). Personal income is defined by the U.S. BEA as the income that individuals earn from a range of sources, including their wages and salary, government benefits, interest and dividends, and business ownership. Realized or unrealized capital gains or losses are not included in the U.S. BEA’s personal income estimations. Between April and June of this…

Drug store chain Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy on Sunday and announced plans to close a number of its locations amidst intense legal battles and declining sales. The 60 year old company has experienced annual losses for several years now and expects to see a net loss of $680 million this fiscal year. The company is also facing an onslaught of more than a thousand lawsuits concerning the pharmacy’s illegal prescription of opioids. Rite Aid currently plans to continue operations as it moves through the voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, which allows for the restructuring of the company’s debts via…

The Maine State Legislature’s Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss two pieces of data privacy legislation up for consideration next year. A public hearing is being held for LD 1977 — An Act to Create the Data Privacy and Protection Act, while a work session is set for LD 1705 — An Act to Give Consumers Control over Sensitive Personal Data by Requiring Consumer Consent Prior to Collection of Data. Public hearings offer an opportunity for any interested parties to offer comment on legislation that is under consideration by lawmakers. Work sessions, on the other hand, are…

All four members of Maine’s Congressional delegation have issued public statements in recent days concerning Hamas’ attacks on Israel, strongly condemning the atrocities committed by the terrorist organization. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) called out Hamas’ brutality and firmly asserted that the United States stands by Israel. “I condemn the horrific, coordinated attacks against Israel by the terrorist group Hamas,” Sen. Collins said. “Thousands of rockets have targeted Israeli cities, killing and injuring Israeli civilians.” “The United States stands with Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East, as it defends its citizens against Iranian-backed terrorists who have demonstrated no interest…

The House GOP caucus has officially nominated Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for the Speakership over Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA). An official tally for the caucus’ vote has not been released, so it is not known for sure at this time how many Republican representatives voted in Rep. Jordan’s favor. According to reporting from NBC, however, sources have confirmed that Rep. Scott received 81 votes, while 124 members of the caucus opted to support Jordan. Scott announced his intentions to run for Speaker of the House earlier this afternoon, posting on X: “I have filed to be Speaker of the House.…

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) officially withdrew his bid for Speaker of the House just over twenty-four hours after the Republican caucus nominated him for the position. Although Rep. Scalise won the nomination over Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) in a closed-door vote of 113 to 99, it quickly became apparent that the nominee would face significant hurdles in garnering enough support to prevail in a chamber-wide vote. Several members of the House GOP caucus announced shortly after the nomination that they would not be supporting Scalise on the House floor, with some explicitly stating their intentions to vote in favor of…

Maine lawmakers are poised to once again consider increasing the state minimum wage during their next legislative session. This past Friday, the Legislature released a list of bill requests slated for screening going into their second regular session, which is scheduled to begin January 3, 2024. The preliminary list is comprised of each request’s working title and sponsor. No additional information is yet available concerning the specific contents of these potential bills. Rep. Valli D. Geiger (D-Rockland) proposed a bill with the working title of “An Act to Change the Minimum Wage to a Living Wage.” Other working titles submitted…

School board meetings have become a source of heated and highly contentious debate in recent years with parents and community members raising concerns over any number of issues. When speaking, some public commenters may veer into territory where they wish to reference the conduct of specific teachers or staff members. Depending on the district, however, doing so is not always permissible. Policies prohibiting this are likely to become more widespread in light of guidance from the Maine School Management Association (MSMA) recommending that school boards adopt rules blocking comments calling out particular employees. “Personnel performance is not something that should…

Charter schools may once again be a topic of discussion in Augusta next year. A bill lifting the enrollment cap on Maine’s virtual charter schools — sponsored by Rep. Barbara A. Bagshaw (R-Windham) of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee — was listed among the 60-plus working titles released by the Legislature last week. This past Friday, the Legislature released its list of bill requests that are slated for screening going into the second regular session, which is scheduled to begin January 3, 2024. The preliminary list is comprised of each request’s working title and sponsor. No additional information is…

Republicans in Washington nominated Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) to be the Speaker of the House in a secret ballot vote held this afternoon. Earlier this month, Rep. Scalise and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced their intention to seek the nomination, publishing open letters addressed to their House GOP colleagues on X — the platform formerly known as Twitter. [RELATED: Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise Announce Run for Speaker of the House] The final tally for today’s vote was 113 in favor of Rep. Scalise and 99 in support of Rep. Jordan. The remainder of the caucus did not vote for either…

State lawmakers are currently poised to consider a number of changes to the laws surrounding homelessness — an issue that has reached crisis levels in many of Maine’s municipalities — as they enter into their second regular session in the new year. This past Friday, the Legislature released its list of bill requests that are slated for screening going into the second regular session, which is scheduled to begin January 3, 2024. The preliminary list is comprised of each request’s working title and sponsor. No additional information is yet available concerning the specific contents of these potential bills. Seven of…

Oral arguments took place this morning before Boston’s First Circuit Court of Appeals in the case against the Maine Secretary of State’s Office regarding the use and dissemination of the state’s voter rolls. For the past three years, Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) has been locked in a legal battle with the Maine Secretary of State’s office as a result of the organization’s quest to access and freely make use of Maine’s voter rolls. [RELATED: Legal Battle Over Dissemination and Use of Maine’s Voter Registration Records Ramps Up As Case Heads to First Circuit Court of Appeals] “This case implicates…

Schools in the Bonny Eagle School District (MSAD #6) have begun taking steps to ensure that underage students are not accessing age-inappropriate material in the school library without parental consent. Earlier this year, parents and community members from the district directly challenged the presence of six books in the middle and high school libraries due to their explicit and mature content. One book — Juliet Takes a Breath — was present in the library at both Bonny Eagle Middle School (BEMS) and Bonny Eagle High School (BEHS). In addition to Juliet Takes a Breath, the high school library has five…

Parents of Hermon High School students were asked earlier this year to decide whether their student should be allowed access to books in the school library containing mature or adult content — 82% said yes. Students with restricted access will be prevented from checking out any of the 81 books that were identified as containing explicit or otherwise age-inappropriate content. Out of 564 students, 466 were granted full access to the school’s library, while 45 were restricted by their parents from accessing any of the 81 flagged books. No students were barred from utilizing the library in its entirety, and…

Most Americans are inclined to trust Republicans over Democrats to effectively deal with the myriad of problems facing the country today, according to a recent Gallup poll. The poll, conducted throughout the month of September, showed that a majority of Americans place their trust in the Republican party when it comes to handling both the economy (53%) and national security (57%). It was also revealed that a plurality of Americans are more willing to trust Republicans than Democrats with handling the issue most important to them (44%). Just 35% of respondents said that they felt the Democrats would do a…

The Portland City Council rejected a proposal to add bunk beds to one of the city’s homeless shelters in an effort to make more space available to those who need it. If passed, the proposal would have instituted a limited state of emergency at the Riverside Street shelter and required the addition of 50 beds through November 20. Although there was a sense of urgency surrounding the proposal on account of the fast-approaching winter months, some argued that the addition would have worsened the quality of life for the 208 people who were already living at the shelter. The Council…

Roughly twenty-four hours after the House of Representatives voted to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the speakership, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) have announced their intention to run for Speaker of the House. Both announced their candidacy on X — the platform formerly known as Twitter. Rep. Jordan made an appeal to members of the Republican caucus to support him in his efforts to replace Rep. McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/jNX4j5oNSB— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) October 4, 2023 “The American people have entrusted us to lead the House of Representatives. Our majority has had success in the first…

Later this week, the Supreme Court will be hearing a case that originated in Maine several years ago — Acheson Hotels, LLC, Petitioner v. Deborah Laufer. After hearing oral arguments Wednesday, the Court will be tasked with determining whether a “self-appointed Americans with Disabilities Act ‘tester'” has standing to challenge a hotel’s “failure to provide disability accessibility information on its website,” even if she never intends to visit the hotel in question. In 2020, Laufer sued Acheson Hotels — which owns and operates Coast Village Inn and Cottages in Wells — for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act for failing…

South Portland High School (SPHS) went into lockdown this morning while the South Portland Police Department (SPPD) investigated a suspicious individual seen near the entrance to the building with an item believed at the time to be a weapon. The individual was intercepted by the school resource officer before entering the building and was then apprehended. It was later determined that the individual was unarmed. Officials from both SPHS and the SPPD asserted that the person in question was not connected to SPHS, either as a current or former student. No staff or students were harmed during this morning’s incident,…

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) — the longest-serving woman in the United States Senate — has died at the age of 90. Sen. Feinstein’s career dates back to 1978 when she was elected president of San Francisco’s board of supervisors, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She later became mayor after the assassination of then-Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk by Dan White, who had also served on the same board. In 1992, Feinstein won a special election to the United States Senate, making her California’s first female senator. Barbara Boxer was sworn in as senator weeks later,…

The United States Senate has unanimously reversed course today by officially codifying a business casual dress code days after moving to scrap the concept of a dress code entirely. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) directed the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms to cease enforcement of the chamber’s unwritten rules regarding the attire worn on the Senate floor. It was widely understood that the attempt to change decorum expectations on the floor of the Senate was aimed at accommodating Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who is regularly seen wearing hoodies and gym shorts on the Hill. Following the decision, 46 Republican Senators…

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Tuesday that it has taken legal action — alongside a number of state attorneys general, including Maine’s — against online retail giant Amazon for allegedly utilizing illegal means to maintain monopoly power over the e-commerce industry. According to their press release, the FTC is accusing Amazon of using “a set of interlocking anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power.” The lawsuit argues that Amazon’s tactics allow it to “stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices, degrade quality for shoppers, overcharge sellers, stifle innovation, and prevent rivals from fairly competing against Amazon.”…

When the State Legislature reconvenes next year, Maine lawmakers will consider two proposals that would strengthen Mainers’ right to privacy and place further restrictions on when an how state authorities are allowed to spy on residents or assist the federal government with domestic surveillance. The Judiciary Committee held a work session earlier this week to discuss two digital privacy bills — LD 1056 and LD 1576 — centered around government access to Mainers’ electronic data. Both of these bills were carried over from the 131st Legislature’s previous session. [Watch The Full Judiciary Committee Work Session] LD 1506 — An Act…

The former Longley Elementary School in Lewiston — currently being used for adult education classes — was broken into and vandalized by a group of seven children between the ages of eight and twelve this past Saturday night. According to Jake Langlais — Lewiston Public Schools Superintendent — all the children involved in the incident are current students in his district. An announcement released immediately following the incident described how several of the school’s classrooms were completely destroyed. The release describes the children as “making a mess of several classrooms, tossing items, damaging mannequins used for medical programming, [making] messes…

The Bar Harbor Town Council is currently considering a proposal to temporarily ban the construction of new hotels in the area. According to the proposed emergency memorandum included in the agenda packet for the town’s most recent council meeting, the purpose of the freeze would be to “allow municipal officials reasonable time to:” “Evaluate the concerns raised in regards to anticipated or proposed development of transient accommodations” “Determine the adequacy of existing land use ordinances and regulations “Develop additional ordinances and regulations to provide adequate protection for the property, health, welfare, land use compatibility, environmental compatibility, and protection of all…

Data from the Maine Judicial Branch shows that evictions in the state have increased dramatically since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year’s numbers are on track to rival the 15-year high reached back in 2014. The figures, made available from the Maine Judicial Branch, reflect the number of eviction filings made with the courts, as opposed to the number of judgements entered. From 2009 through 2014, eviction filings increased gradually each year — starting at 4,672 in 2009 and reaching their peak in 2014 at 6,261. Between 2014 and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, eviction filings…

Roughly thirty years after the inciting incident behind the infamous lawsuit that has since come to serve as the posterchild for “frivolous lawsuits,” McDonald’s is yet again being sued over a spilled cup of hot coffee. In the 2023 lawsuit, an elderly woman alleges that a San Francisco McDonald’s served her a scalding hot cup of coffee with an improperly attached lid, causing the drink to spill when she attempted to drink it, severely burning her. Mable Childress, 85, also alleges that employees “refused” to assist her after the incident. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski denied this in a statement, arguing…

The United States Climate Alliance — of which Gov. Janet Mills (D) is a co-chair — announced today a new commitment to increasing heat pump usage nationwide four-fold by 2030. According to the press release, the Coalition aims to reach a total of 20 million heat pump installations by the end of the decade, with “40% of the benefits flow[ing] to disadvantaged communities.” The announcement was made at a Climate Week NYC event earlier this week, at which Gov. Mills was present in her capacity as co-chair. Also at the event were co-chair Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), co-chair elect…

Maine’s unemployment rate has remained relatively consistent these past few months — leveling out around 2.5 percent — according to the August 2023 statistics released by the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL). At the same time, Maine’s labor force participation rate, a measure of how many Mainers who can work are working, saw a minor uptick over the course of the summer, but it has nonetheless remained significantly lower than the national percentage. August’s 2.5 percent unemployment represents a minimal uptick from the 2.4 percent reported consistently for the past several months. MDOL attributed the increase to a rise in…

The Bar Harbor Town Council voted unanimously earlier this week to dissolve the Council’s cruise ship committee. The committee was originally intended to help “grow and manage the cruise ship-based tourism and related activities within Bar Harbor,” according to a statement provided to the Maine Wire by Councilor Kyle Shank. The Council voted 6-0 in favor of scrapping the committee at their meeting earlier this week. According to the Bangor Daily News (BDN), many councilors expressed support for the committee’s purpose — and for the work done by those who served on it — but felt that it had outlived…

Four Kennebec County schools went into lockdown yesterday due to reports of an armed student on the nearby Kents Hill School campus. The Kents Hill School is an independent coeducational boarding school for students in grades 9 through post-graduate located in Kents Hill, Maine. Administrators at the private boarding school directed students to stay in their dorms and for non-resident students to report to the Bodman Performing Arts Center while law enforcement officials searched their belongings, according to Central Maine News, but no weapons were found. Police later reported that the investigation was sparked by an “off-the-cuff comment” made by…

Confused Mainers watched as pink vapor billowed out the chimney of the EcoMaine waste management plant in Portland back in mid-August. As reports of the unusual vapor spread across social media, the company — which dubs itself as “Maine’s leader in sustainable waste management” — and state officials scrambled to identify the cause of the unusual smog, according to emails obtained by the Maine Wire through a Freedom of Access Act request. More than a month later, experts with the State of Maine and EcoMaine still can’t say how materials that shouldn’t have been incinerated ended up in the wastestream,…

Middle schoolers in Topsham were sent home this morning out of an abundance of caution after the school received a bomb threat. Heidi O’Leary — the superintendent of MSAD 75 — told the Bangor Daily News that the bomb threat was left in a voicemail on Sunday night at about 9pm. Although students were initially directed to the high school, the school decided to send them home for the day around 9:15am. According to WMTW, the Maine State Police bomb squad searched the school’s campus and found no explosive devices. Authorities are still working to determine the source of the…

Although Maine is still experiencing persistent teacher shortages, the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) saw a 40 percent increase in “initial and renewal educator certification applications” this summer compared to last year, according to an MDOE press release. Between June and August of this year, the MDOE’s “certification team” processed 11,000 certification applications. Those applications include current those who are applying for their first teacher certification as well as current teachers who are renewing their certifications. “While educator shortages persist across our state, this increase is encouraging and the Maine DOE is committed to doing everything we can to build…

House lawmakers in Washington D.C. voted 222-190 in favor of a bill blocking states from attempting to eliminate the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles. The measure also would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing waivers for such bans. The bill — called the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act — amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit states from “directly or indirectly limit[ing] the sale or use of new motor vehicles with internal combustion engines.” It also adds language that blocks the EPA from allowing state standards matching this description to be permitted under new or existing…

The Maine Medical Association (MMA) last week became the fifth state medical association in the country to endorse a policy statement calling for universal taxpayer-funded health insurance coverage. The association’s board approved the statement back in June, and members who attended the association’s annual Portland gathering voted to officially endorse it this past weekend. “The MMA believes that our current U.S. health care system produces some of the world’s most eminent clinicians and health care facilities which, together, provide some of the most advanced medical care in the world,” the statement reads in part. “But, despite sustained efforts by physicians…

Westbrook High School went into lockdown earlier Thursday morning when a student reported to school officials that another student was in possession of a firearm — which was later determined to be unloaded — according to News Center Maine. Westbrook Superintendent Peter Lancia told News Center Maine that school officials, including the school resource officer, were able to immediately locate the 14-year-old male student and recover the weapon. The student was then taken to the Westbrook Police Department where he was interviewed by investigators and charged with the theft of a firearm and terrorizing. The police reported notifying the student’s…

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced this week the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over allegations of corruption, and Maine’s congressional delegation has begun to speak publicly about it. [RELATED: Kevin McCarthy To Throw Support Behind Impeachment Inquiry Into Biden] Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), the only Republican in Maine’s delegation, gave a tepid acknowledgement of the inquiry, stating that “the House is going to do what the House is going to do.” “That is a decision to be made by the House, which has exclusive authority over impeachment proceedings,” she said. Under impeachment…

A new Wall Street Journal poll revealed that the economy is at the forefront of voters’ minds going into the 2024 presidential election. Not only did a plurality of the registered voters surveyed say that the economy would be at the top of their mind when considering whom to cast their ballot for next year, but nearly 60 percent said that their personal financial situation has worsened over the course of the past year. Substantial percentages of respondents also said they felt inflation, the cost of housing, and the availability of goods and products had all worsened since this time…

It has been confirmed that the former Ramada Inn in Lewiston will not become a “transitional housing” facility for those “on the fringes of homelessness.” Chris Kilmurry, head of the Lewiston Housing Authority, told Maine’s Total Coverage that plans to convert the former hotel into a 117-unit transitional housing facility have fallen through after their request for a zoning variance was denied. Kilmurry further said that the agency has since canceled its sales and purchase agreement with the owners of the Ramada Inn. According to WMTW, 23 of the rooms in the former Ramada Inn are currently being used to…

Google will be going to court this week in the biggest anti-trust lawsuit in more than twenty years, according to the Wall Street Journal. The United States Department of Justice sued the company three years ago for using “illegal agreements to sideline its rivals” in such a way that consumers and advertisers were harmed in the process. One example of this behavior cited by the Wall Street Journal was Google’s billion-dollar agreement to serve as the default search engine on the Safari web browser, the browser that comes pre-installed in Apple iPhones. Given that Congress has stopped short of passing…

Biden Administration officials likely violated the First Amendment by “coercing” and “significantly encouraging” social media companies to censor citizens’ protected free speech, according to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. In early July, a federal judge from Louisiana issued an injunction against myriad government officials prohibiting them from working with social media companies to exert any form of control over users’ “protected free speech.” [RELATED: Judge Blocks Feds from Collaborating with Social Media Companies to Remove or Suppress “Protected Free Speech”] Almost immediately, the Biden Administration issued a notice of appeal for the ruling. In doing this, federal officials effectively…

Stacy Davis Gates, head of the Chicago Teachers Union, has been the subject of significant backlash after a local newspaper revealed that she is sending her son to a private high school despite her ardent opposition to school choice. Gates has defended opting to take her son out of the public school system by citing the poor quality of education available to families in the South and West sides of the city — the very same argument proponents of school choice have made for years. “It was a very difficult decision for us because there is not a lot to…

The Town of Cape Elizabeth’s lawsuit against the Lumbery — a business located in the center of town on Route 77 that sells locally-sourced wood, garden beds, and tools — may soon be coming to an end after nearly a year. This coming Monday, the Cape Elizabeth Town Council will be considering a motion to pursue a voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit, which was filed against the Lumbery last October. Councilor Tim Reiniger requested that the motion to dismiss be placed on the upcoming meeting’s agenda — as well as consideration of scheduling a workshop to review the town’s existing…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) stated during a Maine Public Radio interview earlier this week that she has not “taken a position” on the proposed California-style electric vehicle (EV) mandates currently under consideration by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Maine DEP). This statement came in response to a listener’s question inquiring what the state is doing to expand access to EV charging and to upgrade the state’s electrical infrastructure. As part of her answer, Mills noted that the state has appropriated “some money” toward the cause, specifically pointing toward the state’s acquisition of “a significant amount of federal money,” as…

Free speech may not be so free on college campuses in Maine, according to a recent ranking done by College Pulse and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Out of the 248 colleges that were ranked, all four of the schools in Maine fell within the bottom portion of the list. Bowdoin College came in as the school with the greatest degree of free speech in Maine with a ranking of 122. Coming in at 213, Bates College was found to have the worst track record for free speech in the state. In comparison to the 24 colleges…

The subject of property taxes has become increasingly prevalent in recent weeks, with discussions ranging from the repeal of the Property Tax Stabilization Program for Seniors to the increased property tax bills in many municipalities throughout the state. Earlier this summer, the State Legislature defunded the Property Tax Stabilization Program less than a year after it was originally signed into law. Originally enacted in August of 2022, the Legislature voted in July of this year on a spending bill that effectively repealed the program following complaints from municipalities across the state that the program would be unsustainable. The program allowed…

Many cities in Maine are facing dueling crises at the moment that are both drawing on largely the same pool of resources — an influx of asylum seekers and an ever-growing homeless population. In responding to these crises, cities are generally called upon to make decisions regarding the distribution of the same scarce resource — housing. Particularly when considered in the context of the ongoing conversation surrounding the availability and construction of affordable housing, the ways in which different cities go about addressing these twin crises are especially interesting. Portland is one city that has taken notably diverging approaches to…

The Windham Town Council is currently considering competing proposals for allowing members of the town to recall their elected officials — one introduced by Windham residents, the other by the Town Council. The proposal set forth by residents is an ordinance — the local equivalent of a law — whereas the Town Council has proposed an amendment to the Town Charter — the local equivalent of a constitutional amendment. The residents first proposed their ordinance earlier this year after learning that no such provision was currently on the books in Windham. Kristen Day, the co-author of the ordinance, spoke to…

The Lewiston Housing Authority’s plan to purchase and convert the Ramada Inn into transitional housing appears to have been halted following the Board of Appeals decision to deny their request for a zoning variance earlier this week. According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, the Lewiston Housing Authority was seeking a zoning variance that would lower the minimum dwelling unit size from 300 square feet to 282 square feet — the size of 80 percent of existing rooms in the former Ramada Inn. The Housing Authority intended turn the former hotel into 117 affordable housing units with “selective services” for those…

Government over-payment of food stamp benefits cost taxpayers a minimum of $11.2 billion in fiscal year 2022, according to a recent report from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA). This is the highest amount that has ever been lost due to over-payment in the history of the program. In 2019, this figure was just $3.4 billion. Based on FGA research, nearly 80 percent of these over-payments are the result of errors at the state level, including overlooking fraudulent uses of the program. In their report, FGA recounts several recent incidents of food stamp fraud that resulted in the loss of…

A University of New Hampshire (UNH) poll released Wednesday revealed that many Mainers are struggling financially and feeling much less secure than they were just one year ago. Not only are the majority of Mainers worse off than they were at this time last year, but they are also struggling to even afford basic necessities, like housing, food, and electricity. Fifty-seven percent of Mainers reported that they are in a worse financial position now than they were at this time next year. Just 9 percent of respondents said that their financial situation had improved. Interestingly, the percentage of respondents reporting…

Eight people have been arrested and charged with drug trafficking offenses following a lengthy investigation, the Maine Department of Public Safety said in a Tuesday press release. According to the press release, the arrests were made as a result of a months long investigation into the sale of “crack cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine” in central and mid-coast Maine. The release specifically names Waldo, Kennebec, and Androscoggin counties as the operating range for the drug traffickers in question. DPS states that the investigation entailed “many hours of surveillance, vehicle stops, undercover purchases of a variety of drugs from the group, as…

A poll conducted earlier this month by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) reveals Mainers’ thoughts on Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) job performance, as well as what they believe to be the most important issues impacting the state. According to the poll, 54 percent of Mainers approve of the job that Gov. Mills has been doing, while 43 percent disapprove and 4 percent are either neutral or unsure. Over the course of 2023, the percentage of Mainers who “strongly disapprove” of Mills has been steadily increasing, while the percentage of those who “strongly approve” has been steadily decreasing. The share…

A District Court judge has denied Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) request to halt the First Amendment lawsuit filed against her administration by Maine healthcare workers concerning the State’s enforcement of the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. In a ruling last week, Judge Jon D. Levy of the Maine District Court denied a motion to stay filed on behalf of Mills and several other officials in her cabinet. The lawsuit in question — Alicia Lowe, et al., v. Janet Mills, et al. — alleges that the State of Maine violated healthcare workers’ First Amendment rights by refusing to allow a religious exemption to…

The Maine State Police has dispatched its bomb squad to Walgreens in Topsham in response to the discovery of a suspicious package. This comes after bomb threats were called into multiple Walgreens locations throughout the state yesterday. Investigations into each of these threats were completed, and police determined that no bombs or other explosive devices were present at any of the affected stores. With these threats in mind, however, employees at the Topsham location contacted police around noon today when a suspicious package was left at the FedEx drop box inside their store. As of about 1:30 this afternoon, the…

Paper and bamboo straws may not be as “eco-friendly” as they seem, according to a Belgian study. Recent research revealed that a number of so-called “eco-friendly” straws contain PFAS — or “forever” chemicals. Not only are these substances harmful to the environment, but they also are believed to pose a risk to human health. Researchers examined straws across thirty-nine brands and five materials — paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel, and plastic. Extensive testing revealed that PFAS was present in straws of all materials except for stainless steel. PFAS was found more frequently, however, in straws made of plant-based materials. Based…

For the past three years, Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) has been locked in a legal battle with the Maine Secretary of State’s office over access to and use of voter registration records. Throughout the summer, high-profile amicus briefs have been filed with the First Circuit Court of Appeals in preparation for the court’s consideration of Public Interest Legal Foundation v. Bellows. Among the amicus curiae — or “friends of the court” — are the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Judicial Watch, and the United States government. Setting the Statutory Stage In February of 2020, PILF filed a lawsuit against the…

Riding the ferry may become more expensive for tourists and Maine’s island residents alike. The Casco Bay Transit District (CBITD) is considering several budget proposals for the next fiscal year, all of which would involve instituting the ferry service’s first rate increase in 14 years, according to recent reporting from the Portland Press Herald. Although the ferry service is projected to have an estimated $6 million revenue increase in the next fiscal year — absent any budgetary changes — it is also believed that expenses will increase by roughly 5% to $10.5 million. Despite hopes that additional federal funding will…

Amidst Maine’s push to adopt California-style vehicle emissions standards, the manufacturer that produced the electric buses used by Maine’s major public transit systems has filed for bankruptcy. Proterra — the California-based electric bus manufacturer — produced four buses that are currently in use by Greater Portland Metro and Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit. The bankruptcy comes a little more than a year after these buses first went into service. The transit systems secured $6 million in federal aid and state funding to purchase the vehicles from Proterra, as well as to install two charging stations at the bus depot and cover…

A District Court judge just gave the lawsuit brought against the University of Maine System for allegedly violating a former professor’s First Amendment rights the green light. Filed by former University of Southern Maine professor Patricia Griffin, the lawsuit — Griffin v. University of Maine System et al. — accuses the University of violating Griffin’s First Amendment rights by firing her as a consequence of questioning their masking and vaccination mandates in August of 2021. Judge Jon D. Levy of the District Court ruled earlier this month that Griffin’s suit brings a “plausible First Amendment claim” against the University and…

After nearly a year, the Town of Cape Elizabeth still has an open lawsuit against The Lumbery — a small business located in the center of town on Route 77 that sells locally-sourced wood, garden beds, and tools — and it’s owner, Mike Friedland. A Town Council meeting held earlier this week ended without any further action being taken to end the legal battle. Earlier this summer, the Council voted to direct the town attorney to pursue a court-approved settlement with The Lumbery, but Friedland and other concerned residents want to see the lawsuit dropped outright. [RELATED: Cape Elizabeth Threatens…

AUGUSTA – Citizens turned out in droves Thursday morning to make their voices heard at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s (Maine DEP’s) public hearing on the California-style vehicle emissions rules under consideration by the agency. Two citizen petitions – initiated by the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) – were successfully submitted earlier this year asking the Maine DEP to incorporate “the requirements of the California Advanced Clean Cars II” and “California’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation” into Maine’s existing regulatory code. Adoption of these new regulations would essentially result in the state phasing out the sale of gas-powered cars…

The “asylum seekers” that have been living in the Portland Expo were transported north this morning to their new accommodations. City officials in Portland are partnering with unnamed hotels in Freeport and Lewiston to house the remaining 191 asylum seekers from Portland Expo. The City signed a long-term contract with the hotel in Freeport and secured a shorter-term agreement with the hotel in Lewiston. Jessica Grondin — Director of Communications and Digital Services for the City of Portland — told the Maine Wire that officials expect to utilize the Freeport hotel for up to a year and plan to make…

Maine health care employers may have to defend themselves before the U.S. Supreme Court against an allegation that they violated federal anti-discrimination laws in their efforts to comply with Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) controversial COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Maine health care workers who were fired during the COVID-19 pandemic for being unvaccinated — despite requesting a religious exemption to the state’s mandate — have petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari asking the Court to weigh in on the lawsuit they brought against their employers. The case — Alicia Lowe, et al., v. Janet Mills, et al. — was…

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Maine DEP) is set to hold a public hearing at 9am on August 17 in the Augusta Civic Center to hear from the public about the California-style vehicle emissions regulations currently under consideration by the agency. Public comment on the matter will also be accepted via email through August 28 at rulecomments.dep@maine.gov. Two citizen petitions – initiated by the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) – were successfully submitted earlier this year asking the Maine DEP to incorporate “the requirements of the California Advanced Clean Cars II” and “California’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation” into…

Abortion has been at the forefront of politics in Maine this past year. From the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to Gov. Janet Mills (D) signing a new full-term abortion law last month, Planned Parenthood – the country’s leading abortion clinic operator – has wielded tremendous influence in Maine politics and the Maine Democratic Party. Although the group did not make the list of the ten highest-spending lobbyists this past legislative session, Planned Parenthood’s lobbying expenditures have increased significantly in recent years. According to tax documents, the organization reported $14,361 in lobbying spending in 2019. That number…

From statewide mandates coming down from Augusta to municipal-level initiatives, affordable housing has become a priority for elected officials in Maine, especially as the supply of available housing remains near historic lows. Realtor.com, Housing Inventory: Active Listing Count in Maine [ACTLISCOUME], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ACTLISCOUME, August 14, 2023. The City of South Portland is one municipality that has taken the lead on the issue of affordable housing. Most recently, the South Portland City Council’s Affordable Housing Committee launched a program to fund interest free loans for developers working on affordable housing projects. The Committee…

Child labor violations are on the rise in Maine, according to a report released earlier this week by the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL). Violations include companies employing young individuals without a work permit, allowing children to work beyond the hourly restrictions set for their age, and employing young workers for hazardous jobs they are not lawfully allowed to hold, like using a lawnmower or cooking french fries. “The safety of Maine’s workers, especially our youth workers, is paramount to the Maine Department of Labor. All workers have the right to a safe work environment,” said Michael Roland, Director of…

Two people were discovered last week to be living on the roof of the Lillian P. Hussey Elementary School in Augusta. The assistant superintendent told the Bangor Daily News that the individuals were camped out at the school during the last weekend in July. The following Monday, a custodian found an unauthorized ladder on the premises, which led to the discovery that two people had been living on the roof. According to the assistant superintendent, the individuals were escorted off school grounds and the campsite was removed. No arrests were made. The assistant superintendent told the Bangor paper that there…

Rep. Jared Golden (D) of Maine’s Second Congressional District took over as a co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition earlier this year, and the group is now looking to stage a comeback. Founded in 1994, the Blue Dog Coalition bills itself as an organization of “fiscally-responsible” and “pragmatic” Democrats who are “leading the way to find commonsense solutions” while “appealing to the mainstream values of the American public” and “transcending party lines to get things done for the American people.” Generally, members of the Blue Dog coalition are Democrats who have been elected to represent traditionally conservative districts. The coalition…