Author: Libby Palanza

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…

In what is appearing increasingly to be a personally-driven showdown, President Donald Trump vowed this week to strip America’s oldest university of more federal funding and revenue sources and suggested billions of tax-dollars would be better spent on trade schools than on the famously elite institution. Beginning in April of this year, Harvard University has found itself in the crosshairs of the Trump Administration, a disagreement that has since escalated into a standoff involving federal funding, foreign students, and tax exemptions. The federal government directed agencies Tuesday to end all remaining contracts with Harvard University, stemming the flow of federal…

Magistrate Judge Karen Wolf heard arguments Thursday morning in a lawsuit filed against members of the state’s ethics commission and Attorney General Aaron Frey over the new limits on PAC contributions approved by voters in November. Brought by the Dinner Table — a Maine PAC focused on “faith, family, and freedom” and dedicated to supporting “conservative candidates” — and its founder, Alex Titcomb, this lawsuit challenges the $5,000 annual limit on contributions to “independent-expenditure only” PACs, more commonly known as Super PACs. Part of this lawsuit as well is the For Our Future PAC, also founded by Titcomb and described…

Lawmakers on the Legislature’s tax committee are expected to unanimously reject a bill that would impose an additional four percent tax on capital gains earned by residents over a certain threshold. Capital gains refers to the increase in the value of an asset between the time it is acquired and when it is sold. These assets include a wide range of investments, including stocks, bonds, or real estate, as well as items purchased for personal use, like furniture or a boat. Short-term capital gains — or those earned on an asset owned for less than a year — are taxed…

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s (R) executive order aiming to dismantle the Department of Education, arguing that doing so requires Congressional approval. Thursday morning, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun of Boston, appointed by former President Joe Biden (D), issued a preliminary injunction preventing Trump Administration from following through with plans announced in March that would have made progress toward the Department’s elimination and “to restore the Department to the status quo.” The federal judge also barred the Administration from transferring the management of federal student loans and special education functions out of the Department. Under this ruling,…

The United States House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including provisions for tax cuts, welfare reform, funding border security, cutting spending in various areas, and raising the debt ceiling, by a single vote early Thursday morning. Both of Maine’s Democratic U.S. representatives voted in opposition to this bill alongside all other members of their party. Two Republicans — Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — also voted against the legislation. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) voted present, while Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) and Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) were recorded as not voting. Garbarino…

The nation’s first Catholic charter school remains stymied by an Oklahoma court’s chokehold after the United States Supreme Court was unable to reach a majority consensus as to whether or not it is constitutional for it to receive public funds. Because the Court reached a 4-4 decision, the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling against the proposed charter school will stand. Since the Justices were deadlocked, the opinion released by the Court Thursday contains only two sentences and does not address the merits of the case in any way. Unlike most Supreme Court actions, the decision released Thursday is only binding for…

Legislators have unanimously rejected a proposal to make free community college a permanent fixture in Maine, bringing an end to a state-sponsored tuition waiver.. Introduced by Rep. Holly T. Sargent (D-York) and cosponsored by a number of other Democratic lawmakers, LD 1118 would have permanently made community college free for all Maine residents — a benefit that was introduced as an extraordinary, COVID-related measure three years ago. [RELATED: Should Community College Continue to Be Free? Some Maine Lawmakers Think So.] To qualify for the proposed program, students would have needed to (1) enroll in an associate degree, diploma, or certificate…

A bill sponsored by Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) aiming to provide millions of dollars in continuing support for the Maine Community College System has been unanimously rejected after the Senate took no action to bring it to the floor for a vote this week. LD 680 sought to give millions of dollars in ongoing funding to the state’s seven community colleges to “support students’ learning and completion for a credential of value,” its text reads. $6 million would have been appropriated for FY2025-26, while $6.3 million would have been set aside in FY2026-27. [RELATED: Should Community College Continue to…

A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Tuesday in favor of state Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) that restored for voting rights in the Maine House raises some question about the legal clout of Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, who argued the nation’s highest court shouldn’t review the censured lawmaker’s case. AG Frey made headlines at home in Maine earlier this month by filing an amicus curiae brief to SCOTUS asking them deny Rep. Libby’s request for an injunction against Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau’s censure order issued earlier this year in reaction to the fallout over…

House Majority Leader Matt Moonen (D-Portland) has introduced a bill that would amend the laws governing how Maine’s legislators are paid. During a public hearing held Monday morning, Rep. Moonen characterized his proposals as being “relatively simple” changes to the Legislature’s reimbursement structure. The State and Local Government Committee is considering the proposal. His bill would repeal the provisions specifying maximum dollar amount that lawmakers may be reimbursed for expenses such as meals and travel. Instead, reimbursement rates would be set by the Legislative Council with the requirement that at least six members vote in favor of a given amount,…

The bill that would have established “hope accounts” for Maine students who either are home-schooled or attend a private school was rejected Tuesday morning on the chamber floor in a nearly party-line vote. These hope accounts were intended to allow parents who do not send their children to public school to use a portion of funds that would otherwise have gone to their local school districts for alternative education-related expenses, such as home-schooling materials or private school tuition. The Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Program — proposed by a group of Maine Republican lawmakers — is similar to other education savings…

The Maine House of Representatives has voted to withdraw from the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement into which Maine entered during the previous legislative session. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement among the states that could bring about sweeping changes to how the President of the United States is elected. If enough states were to join the Compact, it would effectively override the electoral college by guaranteeing that the winner of the national popular vote would always be elected president, regardless of who earned the most electoral votes. By joining this Compact a year ago,…

Lawmakers in Augusta have unanimously rejected the Democrat-led effort to eliminate a clause in the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave Program that gives employers a say in when their employees take leave. The 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 becoming available only in May of 2026. The law and related rules defining how this program works currently require that employees’ leave must be scheduled in such a way that it…

Maine Rep. Laurel Libby’s (R-Auburn) right to vote in the Maine House of Representatives has been temporarily reinstated by the United States Supreme Court as her case is pending on appeal. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating that they would have denied the representative’s request for an injunction. Justice Jackson’s dissenting opinion centered around the argument that the Court failed to acknowledge its “threshold limitations” when deciding to issue an injunction in this case. Late last month, Rep. Libby filed an emergency petition to the United States Supreme Court, asking for their intervention in her lawsuit against…

Cape Elizabeth residents will return to the polls on June 10 to again weigh in on a multi-million dollar proposal to replace and repair the town’s aging middle and elementary schools. 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. The $94.7 million “Middle Ground School Project Design” bond was shot down by just 166 votes, representing only 2.47 percent of those who turned out to the polls. [RELATED: Cape Elizabeth Voters Narrowly Reject Proposal to Construct New…

Lawmakers have rejected two bills introduced with the intention of expanding employment opportunities for young Mainers. While LD 618 would have allowed those under the age of 16 to work later hours, LD 644 sought to eliminate a number of regulations governing when and for how long minors are allowed to work. In testimony introducing her bill, Rep. Alicia Collins (R-Sidney) suggested that perhaps “we can’t seem to keep young people engaged in the work force” because they “haven’t been exposed to work.” “This bill isn’t proposing we put 12- and 13-year-olds back to work in the mines,” Rep. Collins…

Lawmakers have unanimously shot down two proposed amendments to Maine’s constitution that would have lowered the voting age to 16 and banned non-citizens from voting in state and local elections. Because members of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee have all voted to recommend that these proposed amendments Ought Not to Pass, they will not be considered further this session unless extraordinary action were to be taken. During a public hearing held earlier this month, Committee members heard impassioned testimony in support of lowering the voting age, including from a number of young people who would have been eligible to…

Maine lawmakers are poised to reject along nearly partisan lines a proposal to reinstate the municipal property tax levy limits that were repealed last year after having been in place for nearly twenty years. The now-repealed law that this bill seeks to reintroduce was originally implemented in January 2005 after “countless hours” of consideration by the Legislature’s Joint Select Committee on Property Tax Reform and was ultimately passed “by wide margins in both houses,” according to a 2006 report on the law. “LD 1 limits growth of each municipality’s property tax levy to the growth rate of Maine’s average personal…

A Maine Superior Court Justice has ruled that despite a pending appeal, hearings will begin to be scheduled for low-income criminal defendants who have not yet been provided an attorney by the state. This would likely lead to the release of defendants in custody without counsel. Although the State of Maine sought to delay these proceedings in light of their pending appeal, Kennebec County Justice Michaela Murphy ruled last week that she will not wait. According to the Bangor Daily News, Justice Murphy has said she expects to hold two initial sessions of hearings in June and July. WGME reports…

Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) is seeking regulatory changes to affordable housing law in the state with LD 1829, a bill amending housing regulations impacting neighborhoods throughout the state by amending major legislation approved in recent years. Originally passed in 2022, LD 2003 required that municipalities across the state make a number of changes to their local ordinances in the name of improving access to affordable housing. During a public hearing before the Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Tuesday afternoon, Speaker Fecteau explained that his bill would be “amending and expanding upon LD 2003” by simplifying certain…

Democratic lawmakers in Augusta have brought forward a bill that looks to enact a statewide prohibition on “dynamic pricing” in restaurants and grocery stores. For the purposes of this bill, dynamic pricing refers to the practice of adjusting the price of product based on various external factors, including “demand, the weather, [or] consumer data,” as well as an “artificial intelligence-enabled pricing adjustment.” Still permitted under this ban would be discounts, special pricing set for a limited time period — such as an early bird special or lunch menu — and seafood market pricing. Engaging in dynamic pricing would be considered…

Maine lawmakers appear prepared to pass a Republican-backed bill aimed at increasing transparency in Maine’s public school transfer program. In a rare move, members of the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee are poised to unanimously approve this measure despite its being sponsored and cosponsored only by members of the current minority party. Should the unanimous Ought to Pass As Amended vote be finalized and reported out to the full Legislature, this legislation can be expected to be sent to Gov. Janet Mills (D) for final approval, unless extraordinary action is taken by lawmakers on the chamber floor. Through what…

A Democratic lawmaker has proposed allowing cities and towns throughout Maine to adopt a local option sales tax on adult use cannabis to increase municipal revenue for public safety and education initiatives. Sen. Tim Nangle’s (D-Cumberland) bill, LD 1869, would give municipalities the authority to adopt up to a one percent additional sales tax on adult use cannabis products, provided that the tax is approved by local voters at the ballot box. Because the funds collected from this tax could only be used to cover the costs associated with public safety and education — often two of the most expensive…

One Maine Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill that would create a refundable tax credit designed to help fund private education for eligible students. Sponsored by Rep. Gregory Lewis Swallow (R-Houlton), this bill would effectively reframe the state’s responsibility to include not just public schools, but the education of all eligible individuals within a school district. Under LD 1853, Maine law would affirm that the state government has a responsibility to support and maintain public schools, as well as the “education of every person within the age limitations prescribed by state statutes who resides in the school administrative unit.” To…

A group of Mainers who successfully petitioned to have a referendum question on voter ID have challenged Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ final wording for the measure that is currently set to appear on the ballot this November. The group has alleged that question, as drafted by Secretary Bellows’ Office, is leading and misrepresentative of the proposal’s nature. Voter ID for ME is the ballot question committee behind Maine’s voter ID citizens initiative petition that ultimately gathered over 170,000 signatures, more than twice the threshold necessary to bring forward a proposal. Filed in Cumberland County Superior Court on Monday, the…

Acting on behalf of a concerned citizen, a state representative has introduced an amendment to the Maine Constitution prohibiting any new taxes, tax hikes, or spending increases from being approved without voters’ consent. This resolution, LD 1818, was sponsored by Rep. Steven D. Foster (R-Dexter) “by request” and cosponsored by Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) and House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor). Based on the definition of “by request” legislation shared on the Maine State Legislature’s website, this resolution may be understood as having been brought forward by Rep. Foster “as a service to [his] constituents [although…

Maine lawmakers are divided over a proposal to do away with the cost-of-living adjustment for the state’s minimum wage. Under the proposed Republican-led legislation, the state minimum wage would be set at $14.65 per hour — the current rate — and all references to cost-of-living increases would be removed. LD 206 was sponsored by Sen. Jeff Timberlake (R-Androscoggin) and cosponsored by Rep. Joshua Morris (R-Turner), Sen. Jim Libby (R-Cumberland), Sen. Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook), Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), and Rep. Sheila A. Lyman (R-Livermore Falls). Under current State Law, the hourly minimum wage must be increased in accordance with…

Lawmakers in Augusta considered a series of bills Thursday afternoon pertaining to the regulation of Maine’s sometimes corybantic cannabis industry. During the public hearing that morning, the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee heard testimony on four bills all designed to accomplish a similar goal: cracking down on the illicit cannabis grows that have cropped up throughout the state in recent years. A work session was held shortly after the conclusion of the public hearings where the Committee unanimously voted to reject three of these four proposals without any discussion. The fourth bill, Rep. Ann Fredericks’ (R-Sanford) LD 1609, would be…

Cannabis took center stage in Augusta Thursday afternoon before the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, which heard public testimony on eight bills aiming to amend the state’s marijuana regulations. While many of the bills looked to address the illicit grows that have cropped up throughout the state in recent years, Rep. David Boyer (R-Poland) brought forward a bill focusing on cannabis consumption. LD 1365 would allow for adult use cannabis to be smoked or otherwise consumed in certain locally licensed “consumption lounges.” For the purposes of this bill, a “cannabis consumption lounge” is defined as a “designated area within…

The Legislature’s Transportation Committee voted unanimously Thursday morning to reject a bill proposed by Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) intended to block Secretary of State Shenna Bellows from issuing Real IDs to Mainers. Irrespective of Rep. Libby’s bill, Sec. Bellows’ office has been slow in issuing Real IDs, or the form of federally-required identification for boarding planes or entering government facilities, to Mainers. Less than a third of state residents are believed to have one currently even though the deadline passed on Wednesday. [RELATED: Don’t Have Your Real ID Yet? Distracted Secretary of State Asks Feds for Another Extension] Although federal…

A bill repealing the prohibition against charging uninsured patients for COVID-19 vaccinations that received unanimous support in the Legislature became law without Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) signature at the end of April. Under a statute approved in 2021, health care providers have been barred from charging uninsured patients for any costs associated with administering a COVID-19 vaccine. The more recent bill that is now law was sponsored by Rep. Joshua K. Morris (R-Turner) and cosponsored by a handful of other Republican legislators, including Rep. Reagan L. Paul (R-Winterport), Rep. Jennifer L. Poirier (R-Skowhegan), Rep. Tracy L. Quint (R-Hodgdon), and Rep.…

Maine lawmakers are divided over a bill that would require state agencies and officials to fulfill Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) requests within thirty days. State law currently only states that FOAA requests must be fulfilled within “a reasonable time” after being submitted, a standard that is not clearly defined anywhere else in law. One member of the Judiciary Committee preliminarily voted in support of this bill during Tuesday’s work session, while ten members opposed it and three were absent. Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), the sponsor of LD 152, explained the need for this amendment during a public hearing on…

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has released the final question wording for the voter ID citizens initiative introduced in Augusta after over 170,000 Mainers signed a petition in support of bringing this issue to the table. Led by Dinner Table Action Executive Director Alex Titcomb and Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), the effort to get a voter ID question on the ballot was accomplished with minimal funding and hundreds of volunteers, organizers say. “At its core, this initiative is about making sure that our elections are fair, that they are transparent, and that they are secure. It’s not complicated, not partisan,…

Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) has sponsored a bill creating a pilot project to “promote, incentivize and support” the use of a four-day workweek by certain Maine businesses. This program would also aim to study the “benefits and effects” of a four-day workweek on the participating employers and employees. Although there are a variety of ways that a four-day workweek might be implemented, this bill requires that employees receive a “meaningful reduction in hours worked per week without any loss of pay, employment status or benefits.” As LD 1865 is currently written, the pilot project would need to begin no later…

The Maine State Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Committee heard public testimony Tuesday on a bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against someone “in housing or public accommodation” for receiving public assistance. Just as it is currently against the law to discriminate against someone for being a member of a protected class, this law would prohibit discrimination based one’s status as a recipient of “federal, state or local public assistance.” For the purposes of this law, “public assistance” is defined as “a source of income, including medical assistance and housing subsidies and the individual’s having to meet any…

The Legislature’s Taxation Committee has unanimously rejected a bill exempting any money earned by Maine kids from state income tax. This proposal would have made any income earned by someone under the age of 18 years tax-free, either for the individuals themselves or by those who claim them as dependents beginning on January 1, 2026. Although this legislation was primarily led by Republican lawmakers, it also had support from both Independent and Democratic members of the House. Sponsoring this bill were Rep. Benjamin C. Hymes (R-Waldo) and Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) alongside Reps. David Boyer (R-Poland), Quentin J.…

A bill that aims to abolish Maine’s income tax and require state agencies to regularly engage in “zero-based budgeting” may be a canary in the coal-mine, testing how much willingness there might be on the legislature’s tax committee for considering a radically new approach to taxing Mainers. The bill, LD 671, was sponsored by Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) and cosponsored by a handful of other Republican legislators. Based on current indications, it is headed towards a divided report. Under the proposed law, the state government would be prohibited from collecting income tax from residents as of January 1, 2026. The…

Members of the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee have unanimously voted against a Democrat-led proposal to make community college free for all Maine residents — a benefit that was introduced as an extraordinary, COVID-related measure three years ago. To qualify for the proposed program, students would need to (1) enroll in an associate degree, diploma, or certificate program at a participating institution, (2) live in Maine for the duration of their enrollment, and (3) accept all available sources of funding offered to them. For these students, the payment of all tuition and mandatory fees would be waived. Once granted,…

Lawmakers on the state legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee held public hearings Friday afternoon on several proposed voter ID laws, all seeking to require photographic identification to cast a ballot. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) both testified, on opposing sides of the key question these bills raised. One of these bills — LD 1149 — was the product of a citizens initiative petition signed by over 170,000 Mainers. Led by Dinner Table Action Executive Director Alex Titcomb and Rep. Libby, the effort to get a voter ID question on the ballot was accomplished with…

The number of homes available for sale in Maine has increased substantially since last year, and home prices have also dropped slightly during this same period. The number of homes sold, however, has also decreased over the past twelve months, recent data shows. According to the Maine Association of Realtors, there were nearly 14 percent more homes on the market in March 2025 compared to March 2024. Homes are also spending longer on the market, averaging about 22 days — up from 15 days in March of last year. This is more than double the historic low of 9 days…

The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday concerning the constitutionality of the nation’s first religious charter school. Originating in Oklahoma, this case focuses on St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School and its application for public funding through the state’s charter school program. Although charter schools operate independently from the public school system, they are funded with taxpayers’ dollars and are free for any student to attend. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Roman Catholic, has recused herself from the case, although a reason for this decision was not given. The New York Times reported, however, that Justice…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed a bipartisan bill into law prohibiting banks from charging customers a fee for opting to receive paper statements. Originally sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators, LD 580 was ultimately approved by substantial majorities in both the House and the Senate. Although Maine state law currently prohibits businesses from penalizing customers who choose to receive paper statements, as opposed to electronic ones, depository institutions — including banks and credit unions — have until now been exempt. In a single sentence, LD 580 repealed this exemption, meaning that 90 days after the Legislature adjourns for…

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced on Tuesday $3 million in grants for research supporting farmers impacted by PFAS, or “forever chemical,” contamination. The combined $3 million in grants were awarded to seven different projects, five of which are based out of the University of Maine. For the other two, one project is spearheaded by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and another is based out of Harvard University. The goals of these projects range from offering farmers practical solutions for managing contaminated soil to developing “portable, farmer-friendly sensors” for PFAS testing directly on…

More than a quarter of Mainers feel that the most important problem facing the state right now is the political left, according to the Pine Tree States Poll, a States of Opinion Project, conducted by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center. In recent years, only two other issues have reached this level of significance for Mainers: housing and the cost of living. Currently, housing is the second most commonly cited concern (12 percent), followed by national issues (11 percent), the state budget (9 percent), and the economy (9 percent). Only 7 percent of respondents mentioned the political right…

Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would exempt Maine seniors from paying property taxes. LD 1541 was sponsored by Sen. Joseph Martin (R-Oxford) and cosponsored by House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) and Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook). This bill looks to amend the now-defunct property tax stabilization program for seniors to exempt this demographic from property taxes entirely. Should this bill be approved, the exemption would be effective beginning on April 1, 2027. This exemption would include an individual’s primary residence, as well as up to an acre of land surrounding their home. In order…

Maine Rep. Laurel Libby’s (R-Auburn) has filed an emergency petition to the United States Supreme Court, asking for their intervention in her lawsuit against Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) 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. Rep. Libby’s appeal comes almost immediately after the First Circuit Court of Appeals denied her motion for an emergency appeal that would have expedited the legal process. As a result of this ruling, Rep. Libby’s appeal was set to continue along a regular…

A proposed constitutional amendment requiring at least two-thirds support to increase Mainers’ taxes is up for a public hearing early next week. On Monday, April 28 at 11am, the Taxation Committee will hold a public hearing on LD 1553 in Room 214 of the Cross Building, located directly across from the State House. Mainers looking to make their voices heard on whether Maine’s constitution should require a supermajority vote in the legislature to raise taxes may either appear in person to testify, speak virtually at the hearing over Zoom, or submit written testimony online. To sign up to give virtual…

A bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced a bill that aims to provide property tax relief to Maine homeowners, as well as convene a study to determine the best path forward to reduce the property tax burden for Mainers going forward. LD 1770 — an emergency bill titled An Act to Provide Immediate and Long-term Property Tax Relief to Maine Households — would increase the Property Tax Fairness Credit and establish the Real Estate Property Tax Relief Task Force. The Task Force would consist of 13 voting members and at least two non-voting members, including economic experts, someone to represent…

Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program was the center of sustained attention Wednesday afternoon in Augusta as the legislature’s Labor Committee held a massive public hearing on a protracted series of bills seeking to either amend or repeal the program. 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…