Author: Libby Palanza

Despite a relative flatlining of year-on-year real estate prices nationwide, Maine home sales are up from where they were last June, an industry survey shows. Maine home sales were up 10.51 percent in June compared to this same time last year. At the same time, the median sale price rose by 4.94 percent to $425,000, according to the Maine Association of Realtors. A median sale price of $425,000 was reached in Maine for the first time in May of this year, at which time it was described as an “historic” high. [RELATED: Median Sale Price of Maine Homes Rose to…

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has once again joined a coalition of states, this time in suing the federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) over new rules for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The plaintiff states argue in the lawsuit that the changes advanced by DHHS and CMS could cause up to 1.8 million people to lose their health insurance coverage beginning in 2026. “This rule creates unnecessary barriers for the nearly 65,000 Mainers who get their health insurance from the exchange to stay covered,” said Attorney General Frey in…

Mainers need to make over $45,000 annually on average to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the state, and they need nearly $60,000 if they want to live in a two-bedroom apartment, according to a recent survey. This translates to a so-called housing wage of $22.41 per hour for a one-bedroom apartment and $28.42 for a two-bedroom apartment. In other words, someone would need to work two full-time jobs in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment and one-and-a-half full-time jobs to pay for a one-bedroom. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition Affordability varies widely, however, from location to location throughout the…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) has allowed a bill establishing net neutrality to become law in Maine without her signature. Sponsored by Rep. Christopher J. Kessler (D-South Portland), LD 536 was originally introduced as a concept draft and later amended with policy details. Under Maine’s new law, internet service providers will be required to treat all web data equally without showing favor toward any particular websites or content. Internet service providers will still, however, have the ability to offer plans with different speeds or data limits, income-based eligibility, promotional rates, and legacy pricing. The concept of net neutrality was first introduced…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed a bill into law earlier this month that expanded eligibility for free hospital care, raising the income threshold below which no-cost treatment must be provided by hospitals throughout the state. These changes are set to take effect next July. While this level is currently set at 150 percent of the federal poverty level — equivalent to $23,500 this year — this will increase to 200 percent of the federal poverty level next year. Based on this year’s numbers, this would mean that anyone making less than $31,300 would be eligible for free care. The new…

The Trump Administration is now expected to release $1.3 billion worth of federal funds for before- and after-school programming, multiple source reported on Sunday. A specific date for the distribution of these funds to states has not yet been announced. This money was originally held by the Administration as part of a $6.8 billion funding freeze that encompassed money for several programs originally set for distribution on July 1. The $1.3 billion worth of now-released funding comes under Title IV-B and goes toward before- and after-school programs, particularly in “high-poverty and low-performing schools.” [RELATED: Breaking Down the Trump Administration’s $6.8…

Maine’s unemployment rate has remained steady in recent months, coming in at 3.3 percent in June. The seasonal increase in hospitality jobs has for a second month continued to be less substantial than normal. Last month, the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) appeared to suggest that the extraordinarily rainy weather experienced throughout the state in May could have potentially contributed to the relatively stagnant pace of job growth. Labor force participation again dropped slightly to 59.9 percent in June, a figure that is notably lower than the national rate of 62.3 percent. Labor force participation rates are representative of the…

A group of ten Republican senators, including Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, have sent a letter to the Trump Administration urging that $6.8 billion worth of frozen federal education funding, originally scheduled for distribution on July 1, be immediately released. Although Congress voted in March to extend the prior year’s funding levels government-wide for the next fiscal year, an email sent by the Department of Education (DOE) on June 30, according to reporting from EdWeek, outlined several public education programs that would not be receiving funding in accordance with the expected timeline. Impacted programs were said to include those that…

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) has joined her counterparts in sixteen states in calling on Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to release $6.8 billion in funding that was scheduled for distribution on July 1. Although Congress voted in March to extend the prior year’s funding levels government-wide for the next fiscal year, an email sent by the Department of Education (DOE) on June 30, according to reporting from EdWeek, outlined several public education programs that would not be receiving funding in accordance with the expected timeline. Impacted programs were said to include those that support the children of migrant agricultural…

The Trump Administration has delayed distributing $6.8 billion worth of federal funding for certain education programs it is currently reviewing instead of sending those funds to states on July 1 as originally scheduled. This move prompted swift push back from both Democrats and Republicans, including from the State of Maine. Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) joined sixteen states in calling on Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to release this funding immediately. Earlier this week, the State of Maine was listed as a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration alleging that the freeze is “contrary to law, arbitrary and…

Earlier this week, the State of Maine was listed as a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over $6.8 billion worth of federal education funding that frozen ahead of its scheduled distribution date of July 1. The lawsuit alleges that this freeze is “contrary to law, arbitrary and capricious, and unconstitutional.” By taking legal action, the states involved hope to have the courts force the Administration to release this funding as soon as possible. Although Congress voted in March to extend the prior year’s funding levels government-wide for the next fiscal year, an email sent by the Department…

The Portland City Council voted Monday night to spend $15 million in order to open the door for future development on three vacant Bayside lots that were set to be converted to housing more than a decade ago. A development originally proposed in 2013, known as the “Midtown Project,” would have included 800 market-rate apartments spread across four towers with 100,000 square feet of retail space but was quickly scaled back in response to a challenge in 2014. The project reportedly never was able to get off the ground due largely to the three federal court cases that were resolved…

The United States Senate voted early Thursday morning to pass President Donald Trump’s (R) plan to cut $9 billion in federal spending. Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) joined the Senate Democrats in opposition to the plan. All remaining Republicans voted in support of the cost-cutting plan, known as a rescission package, allowing it to pass the chamber by a margin of 51-48. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota was not present at the vote due to hospitalization. Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell had opposed a procedural move Wednesday to advance the package, but he…

Congressional Republicans have renewed calls to revoke the federal charter for the nation’s largest teachers union on the grounds that the association has strayed from its original mission. The National Education Association (NEA) has maintained its federal charter since 1906, at which time the group was given a unique position among labor unions to “elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching; and to promote the cause of education in the United States.” According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), federal charters do not confer special rights or privileges onto groups, but such recognition has often…

Maine’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has launched an effort to support the production of renewable energy on agricultural land contaminated by “forever chemicals,” or PFAS. The agency opened a request for proposals (RFP) to purchase energy or renewable energy credits from projects located on contaminated land. The PUC is looking to procure up to 1,573,026 megawatt-hours worth of energy from qualifying operations. For comparison, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that the average household used about 10.7 megawatt-hours worth of electricity annually. Based on this, the Maine PUC is looking to purchase enough energy or energy credits to power about…

President Donald Trump (R) has issued a three-month extension of the federal hiring freeze that was set to expire earlier this month. Jobs in the military and positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety continue to be exempted from this freeze and positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs, medical personnel, food safety inspectors, firefighters, air traffic controllers, and National Weather Service employees will not be affected either. Positions within the Executive Office of the President are also excluded from the hold. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may grant additional exemptions to…

The United States Senate narrowly cleared the first procedural hurdle for President Donald Trump’s (R) plan to reverse $9.4 billion worth of federal spending, with Vice President JD Vance casting the decisive vote late Tuesday evening. This vote released the plan, known as a rescission package, from committee consideration and sent it to the chamber floor. Put forward by the White House, the Senate is considering a proposal to pull back billions of dollars in previously approved federal spending. U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) ultimately voted against advancing the measure in a procedural vote Tuesday. “The rescissions package has a…

On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Wolf permanently enjoined the State of Maine from enforcing the new limits on Super PAC contributions approved by voters last November. According to Judge Wolf, the Supreme Court’s fifteen-year-old ruling in Citizens United “forecloses limits on contribution to independent expenditure groups.” She also found that the law’s disclosure requirements were in violation of the First Amendment because they would encompass all Super PAC donors, regardless of how much any one person contributed. “The disclosure requirement is facially unconstitutional because it risks chilling contributors’ rights to speak and associate, and that risk ‘is enough because…

The Maine Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday morning in the case against the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) over rules adopted for the state’s newly-instituted Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce, which represents the interests of businesses in the state, and Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics, have sued the MDOL for allegedly adopting rules that contradict the program’s establishing legislation. Separately, BIW argues that the new program represents a violation of Maine businesses’ constitutional rights. Much of Tuesday’s oral arguments focused on the question of whether…

While a new report from a state agency shows a slight decrease in homeless persons in Maine compared to the same period last year, a brief visit to Portland is enough to demonstrate that the problem persists and – in the summer months – may be more disparate throughout a state with ample places for outdoor camping. The Maine State Housing Authority released its point-in-time homeless report Monday, the findings of which were based on data collected in January of this year. The report looks at the issue from a range of perspectives – in terms of geography, demographic character…

As part of a $4.5 million slate of upgrades, a new security fence currently being erected around the Blaine House has raised eyebrows around Augusta in recent days. The Maine’s governor’s mansion will be getting a new stone and metal fence similar to the one currently surrounding the State House across the street. This will replace the wooden picket fence that previously ran along the perimeter of the property. Construction of the fence is now underway and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Funding for this project comes primarily through a $10 million bond approved…

A church fighting to stop a major university in Maine from selling a Belfast property it had won the right to purchase to another buyer is filing an appeal against what a ruling in what it has called discriminatory action, new legal documents show. Earlier this year, a federal judge refused to grant a preliminary injunction blocking the University of Maine System (UMS) from selling a campus property after reneging on its original deal with Calvary Chapel in Belfast. This decision has now been appealed on behalf of the church by Liberty Counsel, a self-described Christian ministry organization. Calvary Chapel…

The Maine Supreme Court ruled Friday to uphold Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ wording of a citizens initiative requiring voters to present some form of identification set to appear on the ballot this November. The challengers bringing the case had alleged that the wording of the question, as drafted by Secretary Bellows’ Office, was leading and misrepresentative of their proposal’s intent. While supporters of the petition have argued that its primary purpose is to implement voter ID requirements for casting a ballot in Maine and ought to be characterized as such, others have suggested that the provisions pertaining to absentee…

Earlier this week, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals voided the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) new rule making it easier for customers to cancel unwanted subscriptions. Mainers, however, can still expect to see some of the promised benefits under a new law unanimously approved in both chambers of the Legislature and signed by Gov. Janet Mills (D) last month. State law will now ensure that those who subscribe to various services, including gyms or other health clubs, will be given advance notice prior to the renewal or extension of a subscription, as well as a straightforward method of cancellation that…

A New Hampshire federal judge announced Thursday that he will certify a class action lawsuit against the Trump Administration over the President’s executive order redefining birthright citizenship. Judge Joseph LaPlante also issued a preliminary injunction temporarily halting the implementation of the order indefinitely while the case is pending. This comes on the heels of a ruling from the Untied States Supreme Court that reigned in the ability of federal judges to issue nationwide, or universal, injunctions. That ruling marked a victory for the Trump Administration, which has frequently raised concerns about individual judges making decisions that impact the entire country.…

Residents of Owls Head, a small town in mid-coast Maine, have seen their property tax bills skyrocket this year. Because the town had not conducted a full revaluation in more than two decades, the tax assessed value of homes has lagged far behind their market value. “Waiting twenty-five plus years to do revaluations, I think borders on criminal,” said Assessor Jim Murphy during a June 16 Select Board meeting. The Maine Wire has received messages from Owls Head residents reporting having received substantial valuation hikes this year. One homeowner said they saw their tax assessed value increase by 200 percent,…

A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday to overturn the 2023 conviction of Douglass Mackey, known online as Ricky Vaughn, for social media posts made during the 2016 election regarding then-candidate Hillary Clinton. Following a one-week trial in a Brooklyn federal court, Mackey was convicted of conspiracy for posting what have been characterized as memes suggesting that citizens could vote for Clinton by text message. Mackey, now age 36, was sentenced to serve seven months in federal prison as a result of his conviction. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals acquitted Mackey on the grounds that the evidence presented failed to…

The United States Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday allowing the Trump Administration’s “workforce optimization” initiatives to resume for the time being while litigation is pending in the lower courts. Eight of the nine Supreme Court Justices signed Tuesday’s order. Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a brief concurring opinion, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson authored a scathing fifteen-page dissent. At the start of June, the Trump Administration asked the Supreme Court to halt enforcement of a California federal district court’s injunction preventing Executive Order 14210 and a joint memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget (OMG) and the Office of…

Negotiations between Northern Light and Anthem have reportedly stalled as the expiration date of their current contract quickly approaches at the quarter’s end. The clash between Maine’s largest commercial insurer and one of the state’s primary medical service providers has seemingly left many with a sense of uncertainty and frustration. While Northern Light is seeking increased reimbursement rates from Anthem citing an average annual inflation rate of 7.5 percent in the health services industry, Anthem has accused Northern Light of wanting to impose a 30 percent price hike that would primarily be borne by Mainers. Should the current contract expire…

The Maine Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday morning in the lawsuit challenging Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ wording of a citizens initiative set to appear on the ballot this November. The group bringing the case has alleged that question, as drafted by Secretary Bellows’ Office, is leading and misrepresentative of their proposal’s intent. While supporters of the petition have argued that its primary purpose is to implement voter ID requirements for casting a ballot in Maine and ought to be characterized as such, others have suggested that the provisions pertaining to absentee voting are also important and need to…

Auburn Republican Rep. Laurel Libby’s lawsuit against Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) has become moot after her right to speak on the chamber floor was permanently reinstated on the final day of the legislative session. Under the agreement reached last month, the censure cannot be reinstated when lawmakers reconvene. For months, Rep. Libby has been fighting a legal battle against Speaker Fecteau over the fallout from her party-line censure earlier this year that stripped her of her rights to speak on the floor or vote in the legislature. [RELATED: On Final Day of Session, Legislature Lifts Its…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed a bill into law creating the Maine Department of Energy Resources, a cabinet-level department responsible for coordinating and leading the state’s energy policy and programs. In January, the governor announced her intention to seek legislation elevating the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) by the end of this year. At the time, Gov. Mills explained that Maine is one of only a few states to have an energy office located within the governor’s office, while more than 40 already have cabinet-level energy offices. This is not the first time that efforts have been undertaken to incorporate…

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act — a national budget bill that includes many of the key policies of President Donald Trump’s (R) second term agenda — has now been sent to the President’s desk where it is expected to be signed into law on Independence Day. After hours of voting and debating on the chamber floor — including a nearly nine hour speech from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Thursday morning — HR 1 was officially approved in a vote of 218–214, without support from either of Maine’s Democratic representatives. Earlier in the week, Vice President J.D. Vance was…

One of Maine’s largest health care providers has announced that it will be taking steps to reduce costs as it faces millions of dollars in losses, including reductions in personnel. Northern Light Health said Tuesday that it will be pursuing staffing cuts and leaving some positions unfilled in response to their current financial strain. According to Northern Light Health’s executive vice president Paul Bolin, the health care system lost $150 million just last year. Bolin told the Bangor Daily News that decisions regarding potential cuts will be finalized in the next six to eight weeks. At the end of 2024,…

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey issued a response Friday to the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in the case concerning President Donald Trump’s (R) executive order on birthright citizenship. Although the Justices did not directly weigh in on the issue of birthright citizenship in their ruling, they did find that federal judges do not have the authority to issue nationwide injunctions. This ruling marked a victory for the Trump Administration, which has frequently raised concerns about individual judges making decisions that impact the entire country through nationwide, or universal, injunctions. While the broad injunction requests were initially granted by lower…

A York Democrat’s bill to expand the administrative process behind Maine’s public school transfer program died between chambers after the House and Senate failed to agree on a path forward for the proposal before concluding their special session last week. Maine families looking to have their children attend a public school outside their home district may apply for what is known as a Superintendents Agreement. Under current state law, superintendents that receive such applications are directed to determine if transferring districts is in the “best interest” of the student. All it takes is a thumbs down from either superintendent for…

Maine lawmakers unanimously rejected a Democrat-led effort to ban dynamic pricing in restaurants and grocery stores throughout the state. Although dynamic pricing can take many forms, this bill looked to target the practice of adjusting the price of products based on external factors, such as demand, weather, or other consumer data. This bill also sought to prevent the use of “artificial intelligence-enabled pricing adjustment.” Businesses would have still been allowed to set discounts and special limited-time prices — such as an early bird special or lunch menu — as well as use seafood market pricing. [RELATED: Democrats Push Ban on…

The United States Senate narrowly passed on Tuesday the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a national budget bill that includes many of the key policies of President Donald Trump’s (R) second term agenda. After Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie breaking vote, the Senate’s version of the bill was sent back to the House where it originated for concurrence, a final hurdle on the road toward passage. Proposed changes to Medicaid have been among some of the most controversial aspects of the bill. While opponents have argued that they would have a negative impact on vulnerable populations, supporters have…

Like the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, ths majority of blue state Mainers told pollsters they do not want the United States Congress to approve the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a national budget bill that contains many key policies of President Donald Trump’s (R) second term agenda. This is the reading from the latest Pine Tree State Poll, a States of Opinion Project, conducted by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center in mid-June. When broken down by political affiliation, Democrats are almost perfectly united in their opposition to the bill, with 91 percent saying that they “definitely”…

The Maine Legislature has yet to make a final decision on the proposal requiring the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to reimburse hospitals in a timely manner for services provided to MaineCare patients. When the Legislature adjourned for the session this past Wednesday, Rep. Gary A. Drinkwater’s (R-Milford) bill was carried over after lawmakers failed to come to a consensus on whether or not to fund the proposal. Although the bill got off to a rocky start in the House, it ultimately passed both chambers by substantial margins in strongly bipartisan votes. The proposal was stalled, however,…

Maine’s unemployment rate remained steady in May at 3.4 percent, according to new data from the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL). Despite being largely unchanged from recent months, joblessness has risen about half a percent since this same time last year — slightly higher than the national rate.. Nationwide, unemployment continues to hover around 4 percent, up just two-tenths of a percent since May of 2024. Hiring rates in the hospitality industry, as well as in other tourism related industries, was slower than normal for this time of year. The MDOL notes the extraordinarily rainy weather experienced throughout the state…

The United States Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling on Friday stating that federal judges do not have the authority to issue nationwide injunctions. The Justices did not, however, weigh in directly on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s (R) executive order regarding birthright citizenship, the matter underpinning the injunctions at issue in this case. Friday’s ruling marks a victory for the Trump Administration, which has frequently raised concerns about individual judges making decisions that impact the entire country through nationwide, or universal, injunctions. According to a report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), there were twenty-five nationwide injunctions issued…

Maine lawmakers have adjourned for the session without making a decision on a bill that would open the door for cities and towns throughout the state to permit cannabis “consumption lounges” where people could smoke or ingest cannabis in a public setting. If approved, municipalities that want to allow for these lounges to open would need to adopt ordinances specifically permitting their operation, as is the case with other marijuana-related businesses. Sponsored by Poland Republican Rep. David Boyer, LD 1356 defines a a “cannabis consumption lounge” as a “designated area within a facility licensed under this chapter as a cannabis…

State lawmakers have delayed deciding on a bill that ties the fate of Maine’s unique method of distributing its electoral votes to whatever happens in Nebraska, the only other state in the country that does not have a winner-take-all system. Instead, both states distribute them in accordance with their congressional districts, meaning that the winner in each House district is awarded an electoral vote, while the overall winner is given the two statewide electoral votes. Currently, however, an effort is underway in Nebraska to do away with this system, which was first adopted there in 1996, more than twenty years…

Earlier this month, Maine lawmakers rejected along partisan lines a resolution that would have amended the state’s constitution to require supermajority approval for any tax hikes. Rumford Republican Rep. Rachael Henderson’s LD 1553 would mandate that at least two-thirds of both the House and Senate voted in favor of any measure that increase taxes on the Maine people. Barring that, taxes could also be increased by Mainers themselves through the state’s direct initiative process, the amendment provided. Because this resolution sought to amend the state’s constitution, it would have largely guaranteed that its terms would remain effective for the foreseeable…

Maine lawmakers have made a last-minute move putting the brakes on the controversial effort to expand the use of ranked choice voting to state elections. After advancing through the House and Senate, largely along partisan lines, the ranked choice voting expansion was sent to Gov. Janet Mills (D) desk for a signature earlier this month. On Wednesday afternoon, however, both chambers agreed by voice vote to recall the bill from her desk. The Legislature then adjourned sine die later that day, carrying the bill over to the next special or regular session. A few days before this, the Maine Policy…

A proposed tax hike on Maine’s millionaires designed to increase funding for public pre-K-12 education has been carried over into the next legislative session – which is a small victory for the ‘tax the rich’ crowd as the measure was looking at total defeat earlier this month. When the Legislature adjourned sine die Wednesday evening, lawmakers had yet to finalize their positions on a number of bills and resolutions introduced over the past few months. In turn, all outstanding legislation was carried over to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature. Among these bills was LD 1089,…

After receiving unanimous, bipartisan support, Maine lawmakers have largely reversed course on a series of programs designed to bolster the state’s child care industry and improve wages for workers and affordability for families. LD 1955, sponsored by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, was originally designed to make a handful of noteworthy changes aimed at improving compensation for Maine’s child care providers and making it easier for those looking to enter the industry. After both the House and Senate advanced the Health and Human Services Committee’s unanimous Ought to Pass as Amended report without taking a roll call vote, the bill…

Homes in Maine are 6.52 percent more expensive right now than they were at this same time last year, selling for an historic median price of $425,000. Despite this relatively higher sticker price, the Maine Association of Realtors reports that the total number of homes sold during this same period is also up 3.28 percent to 1,227. On a county-by-county basis, though, the trend varies. While the state’s average home sale price has soared since last May, eight of Maine’s sixteen counties had median home sale prices below $350,000, six of which reported median prices less than $300,000. Based on…

Maine has now taken steps to reduce some of the red tape for child care facilities by amending the requirements surrounding outdoor recreational space. Under a newly-signed law, child care facilities located within a “reasonable distance” from an outdoor recreational facility are not required to have one of their own located on premise, something that is currently mandated. Municipalities are also now required to allow child care facilities to operate in residential zoning areas. As it stands now, some cities and towns prohibit child care providers from offering their services in these areas. LD 1428, the bill advancing these changes,…

By August of next year, all Maine school boards will be required to adopt a policy regarding the use of cell phones and other smart devices by students in the classroom, thanks to a recently signed state law. Originally starting as a push to outright ban smartphones in schools statewide, LD 1234 was later amended to leave the decision on how best to handle the devices up to individual school districts. This bill was sponsored by Rep. Richard H. Campbell (R-Orrington) “by request” as a service to his constituents, meaning that he himself did not necessarily support the measure as…

Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations may soon begin cropping up in more housing developments and condo associations throughout Maine in the near future. Beginning on January 1, 2026, a new law signed by Gov. Janet Mills (D) will override any bylaws or declarations “prohibit[ing] or plac[ing] an unreasonable restriction” on the installation or use of EV chargers in unit parking spots or common parking areas. Under LD 1133, unit owners may submit an application to the executive board to install an EV charger in their parking spot or in a common parking area with the written approval of each unit…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed the $320 million supplemental budget into law Monday that contains a number of increased taxes and fees for Mainers, including on tobacco, streaming services, high-value real estate transactions, hunting licenses and fishing licenses, concealed carry permits, and others. Although the governor had originally proposed a handful of other new fees in her initial draft of the budget, these were ultimately removed before the bill took its final form. Among the now-removed fees were a proposed 70 cent per prescription fee on pharmacy providers and a six percent fee on the net operating revenue of ambulance…

Mainers who subscribe streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and Spotify can likely expect to see a new tax applied to their bills in the near future. As part of the $320 million supplemental budget approved by lawmakers this week, streaming service subscriptions were added to the list of goods and services subject to the state’s 5.5 percent sales tax. This is the second time that Gov. Janet Mills (D) has attempted to impose a streaming service tax in the state, as lawmakers declined to include her proposal to advance it in the 2024 supplemental budget. Although cable TV…

A Maine-based policy think tank has published an open letter urging Gov. Janet Mills (D) to veto a recently passed bill expanding the use of ranked choice voting to elections for Governor, State Senators, and State Representatives. Ranked choice voting has, until now, been used to ensure that the winner of a given election secures a majority, yet Sen. Cameron Reny’s (D-Lincoln) newly-approved bill, LD 1666, changes this threshold and expands the practice to state offices in addition to the federal elections to which it currently applies. Maine has used ranked choice voting for federal offices since 2018, but the…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed a bill into law prohibiting legislative staff from lobbying for at least a year after leaving their positions. State law currently bars former executive branch employees and former lawmakers from lobbying for a minimum of one year after leaving. LD 1576, sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, extends these existing prohibitions to legislative staff members. Beginning on January 1, 2026, these new restrictions will apply to both partisan and non-partisan staff members, as well as committee clerks and those who work for the Office of the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk…

Both the House and Senate have failed to adopt a measure that would have authorized cities and towns throughout Maine to collect up to a two percent local option sales tax on temporary rental accommodations. Sponsored by Rep. Gary Friedmann (D-Bar Harbor), LD 746 would have allowed municipalities to generate revenue from this tax and use it for whatever purpose they deemed necessary. This additional two percent tax would have been levied alongside the state’s existing nine percent lodging tax, bringing the total tax levied in some areas to as much as 11 percent. Lawmakers on the Taxation Committee were…

Maine will remain in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement among the states that could bring about sweeping changes to how the President of the United States is elected, despite a nearly successful bid to pull out of it last month. This latest news comes after the House and Senate were unable to agree on whether or not the to withdraw from the Compact, and the bill that would have extricated Maine from the cabal set on sidelining the constitutionally-designated Electoral College was killed by default on this week in accordance with legislative procedures. If enough states eventually…

Lawmakers in Augusta are battling in Augusta this week over the second part of the state’s proposed biennial budget. But in the House, it hit a roadblock when an intra-party disagreement among Democrats erupted with a half dozen progressive members of their caucus temporarily blocking passage. On Wednesday afternoon, all but one of the Democratic lawmakers who voted alongside the Republicans flipped their votes back, joining the rest of their party in support of the bill and allowing it to advance in the legislative process. Later that day, both the House and Senate finalized their approval of the bill, sending…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed a bill into law adding new penalties and enforcement measures to Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program. LD 894, introduced by President of the Senate Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) — who sponsored the original PFML program — and cosponsored by Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston), would also establish a Bureau of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) to administer the program. This program, enacted last year as part of a spending bill, has imposed a one percent payroll tax on most working Mainers and their employers to…

Maine lawmakers appear to have put a pause on finalizing approval of a plan to restructure the state’s income tax code. On Monday, the Senate diverged from its normal course of action and sent a bill back that would make changes in tax brackets to the Legislature’s Taxation Committee after the legislation had already successfully made it through initial votes in both chambers. LD 229 — An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets and Tax Rates — was sponsored by Rep. Ann Higgins Matlack (D-St. George). The changes included in this…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed a resolve into law directing the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) to study the best methods for protecting the revenue generated by the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program from ever being used for another purpose. This stems from a bill introduced Rep. Gary A. Drinkwater (R-Milford) that sought to amend the Maine Constitution to include a provision explicitly stating that PFML Funds cannot be used for any other purpose. The PFML Program, enacted last year as part of a spending bill, has imposed a one percent payroll tax on most…

High income Mainers may soon be paying a bit more in state taxes, thanks to revenue-hungry Democrats. After being held at the request of a Penobscot County Democrat, lawmakers are now reconsidering a bill that aims to levy an additional tax on income earned by Mainers over $1 million in order to help fund public education. The Senate vote 20-15 Monday in support of passing an amended version of this bill, reversing course on their previous rejection of the proposal. Under the language now advanced by the Senate, an additional two percent surcharge would be levied on all income earned…

Mainers served by Central Maine Power (CMP) can expect to see their electric bills go up next month by an average of nearly $5. The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) announced this past Friday that it approved a 3.3 percent overall rate increase for CMP customers. For households using an average of 550 kilowatt-hours per month this would translate to an increase from $149.76 to $154.67. All CMP customers — including both those who source their electricity from competitive providers and those who accept the default, standard offer — will see a 5.3 percent increase in the transmission and distribution…

After considering several iterations of the same bill, a measure requiring governmental entities that charge credit card fees to accept cash payments has been signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills (D). LD 1159, sponsored by Rep. David M. Rollins (D-Augusta), originated as a bill mandating that anyone conducting business in the state accept cash payments for purchases worth $2,000 or less. Those selling goods or services in the state would also be barred from posting any signage indicating that they refuse to accept cash or charge a higher price to those opting to pay with cash. Exempted from these…

Mainers will not be seeing the full price tags on their ballots when they go to the polls to vote on proposed education budgets, as lawmakers have defeated a bill that would have required school districts to disclose the total budgeted amount directly on the ballot. Sponsored by Rep. Barbara A. Bagshaw (R-Windham), LD 1586 would have amended the template that school districts are required to follow when preparing the question wording for school budget validation referendum questions. Every regional school unit throughout Maine must use the same phrasing when sending their proposed budgets out to residents for final approval.…

Lawmakers have voted this week to restructure the Maine’s income tax brackets to impose a higher tax rate on the state’s highest earners while simultaneously expanding eligibility for the lower brackets. LD 229 — An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets and Tax Rates — was sponsored by Rep. Ann Higgins Matlack (D-St. George). The changes included in this bill would take effect for the tax year beginning on January 1, 2026. Under the proposed brackets, Maine’s top tax rate would increase by 1.8 percent to a maximum of 8.95 percent.…

Maine lawmakers have rejected a Harpswell Democrat’s bill to levy an additional four percent tax on income earned over $1 million in order to fund public education. Sponsored by Rep. Cheryl A. Golek (D-Harpswell), LD 1089 would impose this new “surcharge” on income beginning with that generated this year. The four percent tax would only be applied to the portion of a Mainer’s income that is above the $1 million threshold, meaning that everything up to that point would not be subject to this additional fee. As the law is currently written, revenue collected from this tax could only be…

Maine legislators have defeated a bill that sought to reverse the changes made by a controversial abortion law signed into law two years ago. The 2023 law, known as LD 1619, allowed women to have an abortion “after viability” if it is deemed “necessary in the professional judgment of a physician.” Previously, Maine law prohibited abortion after the point of viability except in cases where the life or health of the mother was in jeopardy. With these changes in place, Maine currently has one of the nation’s least restrictive abortion policies. [RELATED: GOP Lawmakers Look to Reverse Controversial Abortion Bill…

Maine’s education system was found to be one of the worst in the nation, according to the 2025 Kids Count Data Book. This same report also found, however, that Maine’s children have some of the best family and community supports and fare relatively well with respect to their health and economic well-being. Taken together, Maine children were found to have the 17th best overall well-being in comparison to kids in other states. The report is published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in Baltimore that focuses on “developing a brighter future for millions of children and…

The Maine State Legislature this week killed the effort to give Mainers the opportunity to directly elect their constitutional officers, including the Attorney General and Secretary of State. Currently, lawmakers in the House and Senate are responsible for selecting individuals to fill these constitutionally-defined roles, with votes held every two years during the Legislature’s First Regular Session. Nationwide, Maine is one of only a handful of states to do this, making it the exception rather than the rule. Toward the beginning of this legislative session, a series of Republican-backed resolutions were introduced aiming to give voters the opportunity to directly…

Cape Elizabeth residents have narrowly approved an $86.5 million proposal to replace and repair the town’s aging middle and elementary schools, results from Tuesday’s local election shows. Three years in the making, the proposal that voters will see on the ballot in less than a month represents a pared down version of what residents narrowly rejected last year. 53 percent of those who turned out to the polls Tuesday voted in support of the updated proposal, or 2,479 of the 4,674 voters who participated in the election. Tuesday’s vote margin in favor of the proposal is comparable the 166 votes…

Maine lawmakers have voted to expand the use of ranked choice voting to gubernatorial elections, as well as races for seats in the State House and Senate. Ranked choice voting has, until now, been used to ensure that the winner of a given election secures majority support, yet Sen. Cameron Reny’s (D-Lincoln) new bill LD 1666 purports to take a different approach. Maine has used ranked choice voting for federal offices since 2018, but the Maine Supreme Court explained in a 2017 advisory opinion that requiring candidates for state offices to earn majority support would violate the Maine Constitution, which…

Nearly two-thirds — an estimated 61 percent — of the South Portland residents who participated in Tuesday’s election voted to approve the proposed $73 million school budget for Fiscal Year 2026. Tuesday’s election saw a 12.6 percent turnout with 2,545 voters making their way to the polls to weigh in on the multi-million dollar budget proposal. The now-approved $73 million budget represents a 5.45 percent increase in the cost of K-12 public education in the city, equating to an additional $3.25 million that need to be raised in property taxes. This translates to a 6.14 percent tax increase compared to…

The United States Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that so-called “reverse discrimination” must be treated the same as any other kind of discrimination. Authored by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the Court’s opinion states that members of a majority group do not have to produce more evidence than those who belong to a minority group when bringing a case against their employer under Title VII. Part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” In applying this law, the Sixth Circuit has established a “background circumstances”…

President Donald Trump (R) has asked the United States Supreme Court to halt enforcement of an order issued by a Massachusetts federal judge requiring that 1,400 former Department of Education employees. These employees were originally let go as part of a reduction in force this past March. The federal judge’s order follows a pattern of district court judges across the country issuing sweeping injunctions to block White House initiatives on national policy matters. The challengers in this case have until Friday, June 13 at 4 p.m. to respond to the Trump Administration’s request. At the end of May, U.S. District…

A federal judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump’s (R) executive order barring foreign students from entering the country to study at Harvard University. Thursday’s ruling from Judge Allison D. Burroughs of U.S. District Court in Massachusetts explains that absent an injunction, Harvard would “sustain immediate and irreparable injury before there is an opportunity to hear from all parties.” Judge Burroughs had already issued an order preventing enforcement of the President’s effort to prevent Harvard from participating in the Student Exchange Visa Program. This latest ruling updating the temporary restraining order came just hours after the University amended…

Lawmakers have unanimously agreed to prevent medical debt from being factored into Mainers’ credit scores. Although State Law currently has some restrictions on the treatment of medical debt, LD 558 completely blocks it from being included on credit reports. Under this bill, “a medical creditor, debt collector or debt buyer may not report a consumer’s medical debt to a consumer reporting agency.” According to bill sponsor Sen. Donna Bailey (D-York), 40 percent of Mainers have medical debt. She then goes on to explain how medical credit cards “can trap patients indebt,” as they charge high interest rates — which according…

South Portland residents are set to vote on a proposed $73 million school budget next Tuesday amidst concerns over public school layoffs and property tax hikes. Although there has been discussion of proposed athletic complex upgrades, a bond for this project will not appear on the June 10th ballot. The proposed $73 million budget represents a 5.45 percent increase in the cost of K-12 public education in the city, equating to an additional $3.25 million that would need to be raised in property taxes. This translates to a 6.14 percent tax increase over FY25. Despite these hikes, the budget includes…

Maine’s House and Senate have been going back and forth for the past couple of weeks over whether or not to adopt a bill aiming to reduce friction within the state’ public school choice program by automatically extending the agreements that allow students to attend schools outside their districts. As it currently stands, the House has adopted the Committee’s majority Ought Not to Pass report without taking a roll call vote, meanwhile the Senate rejected this recommendation in a tied roll call vote before adopting the minority Ought to Pass report. LD 218 has now been sent back to the…

House lawmakers engaged in a lengthy and impassioned debate Thursday morning over a bill requiring a photo ID to cast a ballot in the State of Maine before ultimately killing it along partisan lines. This comes after the Senate also cast a party-line vote to reject this proposal, accepting the Democrats’ majority report issued by the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. Under LD 38, Mainers would have needed to present a form of photographic identification, including drivers license, passport, or a special voter ID card provided free of charge. Other valid forms of ID would have included nondriver identification, a…

The Maine State Legislature has unanimously approved a bill increasing the number of children for whom childcare providers may be responsible before they are required to be licensed. Under current state law, providers may only care for up to two children other than their own before they need to obtain a license through the state. LD 202 raised this threshold to three while also adding further nuance based on the age and relationship between the children under supervision. If two of the children are siblings, an unlicensed provider may look after as many as four children at one time. No…

President Donald Trump (R) invoked federal law to block foreign students from entering the country to study at Harvard University in an executive order signed Wednesday, citing national security concerns and alleging a lack of cooperation with America’s oldest post-secondary institution. Consequently, student and exchange visitor visas hosted by Harvard University have been immediately suspended for a minimum six-month period that may be extended at a later date. Impacted by the executive order are students from outside the United States intending to study or conduct research at Harvard with F, M, and J category visas that have not yet arrived…

A Harpswell Democrat’s bill to levy an additional four percent tax on income earned over $1 million in order to fund public education is now on track for adoption by the Maine State Legislature. Sponsored by Rep. Cheryl A. Golek (D-Harpswell), LD 1089 would impose this new “surcharge” on income beginning with that generated this year. The four percent tax would only be applied to the portion of a Mainer’s income that is above the $1 million threshold, meaning that everything up to that point would not be subject to this additional fee. As the law is currently written, revenue…

After rejecting a number of bills aimed at repealing or amending Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program earlier this week, the state Senate now has advanced a measure that would add new penalties and enforcement measures to the program. The bill, introduced by President of the Senate Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) — who sponsored the original PFML program — and cosponsored by Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston), would also establish a Bureau of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) to administer the program. This program, enacted last year as part of a spending…

One Maine GOP lawmaker has sought to establish a new special committee tasked with reviewing routine technical rule-making by state agencies in order to vet whether bureaucratic rules are in the public interest, but the Democrat majority appears poised to thwart his bill from becoming law. Under the Maine Administrative Procedures Act, agency rulemaking falls into one of two categories: routine technical or major substantive. While routine technical rulemaking occurs entirely within a department, major substantive rules are subject to the legislative review process, as described under 5 M.R.S. §8072. Agency rule changes are only categorized as major substantive if…

The Maine House of Representatives considered an additional series of bills during Monday’s session pertaining to the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program later on Monday after voting down a bid to repeal the program and another to make it voluntary earlier in the day. [RELATED: Democrats Stifle Efforts to Repeal or Amend Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program] All legislation aimed at repealing or amending the program was rejected by the chamber’s Democratic majority in a day characterized by thumbing down any changes to the new, mandatory program. One resolve directing the Maine Department of…

Early frontrunners in the 2026 Maine gubernatorial race suggest the field is still just beginning to develop on both the Republican and Democrat sides as a recent poll showed the two leading candidates for the GOP nomination haven’t even declared their candidacy while the one pegged at the lead of the Democrat pack may have been helped by the headwinds of a famous name. Nearly a thousand Mainers — of whom 840 were likely voters — were asked who they would like to see as their party’s gubernatorial candidate in 2026 by pollsters at Pan Atlantic Research last month. Republicans…

House lawmakers in Augusta rejected two bills during Monday’s session taking aim at Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program. While one bill would have made participation in the program voluntary, the other would have repealed the program in its entirety. The PFML Program, enacted last year as part of a spending bill, has imposed a one percent payroll tax on most working Mainers and their employers to fund paid leave for all employees statewide, with benefits not scheduled to begin until May of 2026. Mainers began contributing to the program on January 1 of this year, sixteen…

An effort to make the process of Maine public school students transferring from one district to another more transparent was voted down in the state legislature this past week, stalling a move towards greater school choice. Some Maine students are granted the ability to attend a public school outside of their home district through what is known as a Superintendent Agreement. Under current state law, however, students may be denied such a transfer if either of the superintendents involved deems that it is not a child’s “best interest.” All it takes is a thumbs down from either superintendent for the…

Taking your car in every year for its inspection sticker is a familiar ordeal to all Maine drivers, and a proposal introduced earlier this year sought to make this a less frequent occurrence. This bill, LD 1010, has now been unanimously rejected by lawmakers, however, following a strong Ought Not to Pass recommendation by the state’s Transportation Committee. Under this proposal, Mainers would only need to get their vehicles inspected every other year, as opposed to the annual requirement currently in place. Signed by all but one Committee member, the Ought Not to Pass report was accepted by the House…

Maine legislators have killed a bill that would have abolished the state’s income tax and required agencies to regularly engage in “zero-based budgeting.” Although the rejection of this bill was still divided primarily along partisan lines, there was a greater degree of crossover in both the House and the Senate than is typical for high-profile legislation. The bill, LD 671, was sponsored by Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) and cosponsored by a handful of other Republican legislators. Under the proposed law, the state government would have been prohibited from collecting income tax from residents as of January 1, 2026. The state…

Maine House Republicans have called upon Democratic lawmakers to produce their proposed budget documents, including the details of their plan for fully funding MaineCare, as the legislative session draws to a close. “We have about three weeks left and we have not seen a budget document from the Democrats,” said House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor). “We have not seen how they are going to cover that gap [in MaineCare funding] and what they are going to do.” Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook) has responded to these calls saying that the budget is still a work…

Maine’s attempt to establish a so-called student wage has been rejected along nearly partisan lines in the State Legislature. Under the proposed bill, students could have been paid at a rate half that of the current state minimum wage — or $7.33 an hour — for at least two years while they are in high school. Once students graduate from high school — regardless of how long they have been employed — they would then be paid Maine’s standard minimum wage of $14.65 an hour. LD 112 — An Act to Promote Opportunities by Establishing a Student Wage — was…

Maine lawmakers have officially shot down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have effectively prevented future Legislatures from engaging the same kind of parliamentary maneuvering used earlier this year — and in previous sessions during the Mills administration — by Democrats to pass a party-line budget. The proposed amendment would have prohibited the Maine’s governor from calling the Legislature into a special session within 90 days of adjournment. This, in effect, would likely prevent or deter the kind of parliamentary maneuvering that was seen this past week with respect to the $11.3 billion partial biennial budget — a budget that…

The Heritage Foundation has filed a lawsuit against Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) for allegedly violating the state’s Freedom of Access Act (FOAA). According to court documents obtained by the Maine Wire, the governor failed to provide documents in response to a late February FOAA request concerning her opposition to President Donald Trump’s (R) executive order barring biological males from participating in girls’ sports, allegedly violating the state’s government transparency law. “The Governor’s unreasonable delay is contrary to the purpose of FOAA,” the Heritage Foundation writes in their lawsuit. “Allowing a government agency to acknowledge a request, but never produce…

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump (R) will temporarily be allowed to continue collecting tariffs under an emergency powers law while his appeal of a federal trade court decision striking down these policies is pending. Judicial rulings on the Trump tariffs over the past 72 hours have gone back and forth and been seemingly as head-spinning as the changes in tariff policies on various countries and trade blocks themselves. Here is the current state of play: The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted an emergency motion filed by the Trump Administration after a three-judge…

The United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of an oil railroad expansion in Utah Thursday in a decision impacting the practical application of a central piece of environmental legislation. In light of the Court’s ruling, federal agencies will not be required to consider secondary environmental impacts when deciding whether or not allow a proposed project to move forward. This case — Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado — focuses on the proposed 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway, which was proposed to transport oil and minerals from northeast Utah. Although the project initially received a green light from…

Maine lawmakers appear poised to reject a bill directing the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to reimburse hospitals in a timely manner for the services provided to MaineCare patients. Under LD 331, sponsored by Rep. Gary A. Drinkwater (R-Milford), DHHS would be required to reimburse at least 75 percent of the as-filed settlement from cost reports within 90 days of receipt. If approved, this would have brought the timeline for hospital reimbursements into alignment with the standard set for nursing homes in 2023. Currently, hospitals often face delays in receiving payments for already-provided services, making it difficult for…

President Donald Trump’s (R) approval rating is holding steady at 47 percent, while a strong majority of Americans have expressed support for a range of his Administration’s policies, including reducing waste in the federal government and deporting criminal illegal immigrants, a new poll shows. More nuanced positions begin to emerge, however, when respondents for the May 2025 Harvard/Harris Poll were asked more in-depth questions about these issues. Conducted on May 14 and May 15, this poll surveyed 1,903 registered voters and has a +/-2.2 margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. Former Hillary Clinton pollster Mark Penn guided…