Author: Libby Palanza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) announced Thursday that the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) now predicts that the state’s 207 area code will survive yet another year longer than previously expected. Newest data suggests that the state will be able to continue issuing 207 phone numbers until the last few months of 2033. This past October, the NANPA estimated that Maine would continue to be able to issue phone numbers with the 207 area code until September of 2032, roughly 3.5 years further into the future than the estimate they released in early 2023. [RELATED: Maine’s 207 Area…

The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case concerning a man who was indicted for his involvement in the events that transpired at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. This is the first time that the Supreme Court Justices have directly considered the events that took place that day in their discussion of a case. Although January 6 has previously factored into arguments presented before the Court, they have largely remained in the background up until this point. That said, there was little to no discussion of the day’s events themselves during Tuesday morning’s arguments, with…

Beginning in August of this year, Maine lawmakers will again have oversight of agency rulemaking related to vehicle emissions standards, including the establishment of statewide “zero-emission requirements.” On Friday, Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed LD 2261 into law, officially guaranteeing that legislators will have the final say over the adoption of vehicle emissions rules by state agencies. Interest in ensuring this oversight gained momentum last year after the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) began considering the adoption of California’s Advanced Clean Cars II program following the submission of a petition by the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). The…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Monday that she will be allowing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact — an agreement that could bring about sweeping changes to how the President of the United States is elected — to become law without her signature. By joining this Compact, Maine’s four electoral votes could eventually be awarded to whichever presidential candidate garners the most votes nationwide, irrespective of who the majority of Mainers vote for at the ballot box. This Compact will only take effect, however, if the total number of electoral votes represented by the signatories is equal to or greater…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) called out President Joe Biden’s (D) Fiscal Year 2025 budget for not doing “nearly enough to address the flood of illegal migrants and fentanyl entering the United States” at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week. Also at this hearing, Sen. Collins asked Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to address Customs and Board Protection (CBP) staffing shortages in Maine that are jeopardizing the arrival of international cruise ships in Eastport this fall. According to a press release published by Collins this past Thursday, CBP has told Eastport that it “cannot accommodate the four planned…

Lawmakers in Augusta voted nearly-unanimously this past Friday to advance a bill guaranteeing Mainers the right to repair their electronic devices. This was followed by a more partisan vote to adopt a floor amendment advanced by the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot). The only senator to vote against LD 1487 — as amended by the Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business (IDEA) Committee — was Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin). Sen. Mark Lawrence (D-York) was excused at the time and did not participate, resulting in this version of the bill being approved in a roll call vote of 33-1. All…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed into law a bill last week repealing limitations on municipal property tax collection that have been in place for nearly twenty years. Brought forward by Sen. Teresa Pierce (D-Cumberland), LD 2102 sought to roll back statutes that have been in place since 2005 and were designed to curb government spending and reduce Mainers’ tax burden. The now-repealed law — referred to as LD 1 — 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…

Lawmakers in Augusta have approved legislation changing how medical debt is handled in the State of Maine. LD 2115 — sponsored by Sen. Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot) — was introduced earlier this year and subsequently referred to the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services (HCIFS) Committee. Under the amended version of this bill now approved by both chambers of the Legislature, debt collectors are prohibited from charging any interest or fees in connection with medical debt. It also bars debt collectors from pursuing litigation to compel the payment of medical debt if the consumer’s household income is less than 300 percent…

The Legislature voted Wednesday to sustain Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) veto of a bill preventing repeat offenders from being charged with felony theft if the stolen property’s total valuation is lower than $500. Currently, Maine law contains what is colloquially known as a “three strikes” provision for theft, allowing for the imposition of harsher penalties upon those who have two or more prior convictions for related crimes. This bill sought to modify this by allowing for it’s application only to those whose subsequent offenses involve the theft of more than $500 worth of property. “Limiting the ability of prosecutors to…

The Maine House of Representatives voted late Wednesday evening to advance a bill that would institute legal protections for those seeking or providing “gender-affirming health care” and “reproductive health care services” in Maine. On Thursday, the State Senate passed the measure along party lines, 21-13, sending the controversial measure to Gov. Janet Mills’ desk. The 80-70 House roll call vote was divided along nearly-partisan lines, with all Republicans opposing the bill alongside Democrats Rep. Michel A. Lajoie (D-Lewiston) and Rep. Bruce A. White (D-Waterville). No lawmakers were absent or excused at the time this vote was taken. Leading up to…

Lawmakers in Augusta have scrapped a bill that would have legalized the possession of illicit drugs, including opioids, swapping it out in favor of a plan to study whether decriminalizing hard drugs is a good idea. The amended legislation establishes a task force responsible for reviewing decriminalization efforts elsewhere in the country and investigating their impact on a range of public health and safety metrics, including the incidence of overdose. After receiving unanimous committee approval, both chambers of the Legislature voted to advance the amended bill without taking a roll call vote. Once lawmakers cast their final votes on the…

A proposed amendment enshrining abortion in Maine’s state constitution failed Wednesday to gain enough support for final passage in the House of Representatives. In Maine, resolutions proposing amendments to the state constitution must be backed by at least two-thirds of the members present in each chamber in order to be placed on the ballot for final approval by voters at the next election. During Wednesday’s vote in the House, no Republican lawmakers voted in support of advancing the amendment, leading to a roll call vote of 75-65. Consequently, support came up far short of the super majority necessary to advance…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed into law this past Wednesday a bill that implements new regulations on the fees that landlords can impose upon their current and potential tenants. LD 1490 puts in place a number of provisions pertaining to the types of fees landlords may charge current and future tenants, as well as those that may be imposed by the owners of mobile home parks. It also adds into statute a mandatory 45-day notification requirement for any increase in recurring fees, mirroring that which is currently in place for rent increases. This law also requires landlords to provide potential…

Lawmakers in Augusta have approved a bill providing property tax relief to a broader group of Maine veterans and their families, while also extending a greater measure of relief to veterans with qualifying disabilities. The version of the bill supported by legislators in the House and Senate looks markedly different, however, from the original draft introduced last year by Rep. Benjamin C. Hymes (R-Waldo). At first, this bill — LD 1737 — was designed to allow qualifying veterans to reduce their state property tax bill by up to $5,000, replacing the current exemption, which instead allows them to take $5,000…

Former Republican President Donald Trump announced his stance Monday on abortion and fertility treatments in advance of the 2024 presidential election, prompting his Democratic rival, President Joe Biden, to release a statement in response criticizing his remarks. The back-and-forth comes amidst an ongoing discussion nationwide over abortion and fertility treatments, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, wherein Roe v. Wade was overturned, sending the issue of abortion back to the states. In a five-minute video posted to the social media platform Truth Social Monday morning, former…

On Tuesday, the Maine Legislature sustained Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of a bill that would have placed restrictions on the enforceability of non-compete clauses. LD 1496 — sponsored by Rep. Sophia B. Warren (D-Scarborough) — was introduced in 2023 and carried over into the current legislative session for consideration. Non-compete clauses are contractural agreements used by employers to limit the professional activities of current employees in the event they leave a company. Warren’s bill aimed to prohibit the enforcement of non-compete clauses except under a few narrowly-defined circumstances. Under the version of the bill adopted by the Legislature, such agreements…

No Labels announced Thursday that it will not be advancing a ticket in the 2024 presidential election. This comes just weeks after the group decided to proceed forward with the candidate selection process after receiving feedback from members a “Unity Ticket” was desired. According to the organization, they have opted to not offer a presidential slate this November because no candidates emerged during their selection process that they felt had a realistic chance of success in the general election. [RELATED: No Labels Moving Forward with Plans to Run a “Unity Ticket” This November] “Americans remain more open to an independent…

Earlier this week, lawmakers defeated a bill that would have allowed municipalities to impose a one percent sales tax on the cost of short-term rentals for the purpose of raising money for locally-driven affordable housing efforts. Introduced last year by Rep. Charles A. Skold (D-Portland), LD 1298 sought to give cities and towns the ability to impose a one percent sales tax on short-term rentals in order to create a revenue source for municipal-level programs supporting affordable housing, as well as for providing rental assistance to residents. While this would not have required municipalities to implement such a tax, it…

In the coming months, the state government will be studying ways to increase the use of renewable energy in and improve the energy efficiency of Maine’s public schools. Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed a resolution in late March directing the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to conduct a study evaluating “opportunities for clean energy and energy efficiency programs in schools.” By January 31, 2025, the MDOE’s Office of Innovation must “study and develop guidance” for public elementary and secondary schools to achieve “energy efficiency” and “maximiz[e] the use of clean energy.” This work is to be conducted in coordination with…

A bill separating the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was passed Wednesday in the Senate with strong bipartisan support. Instead, this bill establishes a cabinet-level department that would take on the responsibilities currently managed by the DHHS OCFS, including child welfare, children’s behavioral health, and early childhood services. According to the appropriations and allocations section attached to the amended version of the bill currently under consideration, roughly $4.2 million from the state’s General Fund will be needed to cover the costs associated with the new department. On Wednesday,…

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved more than $7 million in taxpayer funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments at farms and businesses throughout rural Maine. This funding comes as part of a $124 million nationwide dispersal from the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) program, which was spread across a total of 541 projects in 44 states. Funding for the REAP program came, in part, from the Inflation Reduction Act which — according to the United States Department of Energy (DOE) — made “the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history,…

Lawmakers in Augusta have voted to repeal limitations on municipal property tax collection that have been in place for nearly twenty years. Brought forward by Sen. Teresa Pierce (D-Cumberland), LD 2102 seeks to roll back statutes that have been in place since 2005 and were designed to curb government spending and reduce Mainers’ tax burden. [RELATED: Republican Lawmakers Express Staunch Opposition to Repeal of 2005 Limit on Municipal Property Tax Increases] The law now repealed by lawmakers — referred to as LD 1 — was originally implemented in January 2005 after “countless hours” of consideration by the Legislature’s Joint Select…

Mainers are some of the most heavily taxed citizens in the United States. According to a recent study conducted by personal finance website WalletHub, Mainers currently bear the nation’s highest property tax burden and are responsible for the country’s fourth highest total tax burden. Only residents of New York, Hawaii, and Vermont were calculated as paying a higher percentage of their personal income in taxes. Included in WalletHub’s report are an evaluation of property taxes, individual income taxes, and sales and excise taxes. To determine the tax burden each state imposes on its residents, taxes owed in each category were…

The Democratic effort to amend Maine’s Constitution to protect the abortion industry is on life-support after failing to get a supermajority of support in the State Senate Monday. The legislation proposing the amendment that would enshrine a “right to abortion” advanced along partisan lines, but the measure failed to get the two-thirds support it will ultimately need to appear before voters on the ballot this November for final approval. LD 780 — sponsored by Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D-Sagadahoc) — was introduced during the 131st Legislature’s first session and carried over to this year for consideration. If approved, this amendment would…

On Monday, state lawmakers in the House of Representatives advanced Gov. Janet Mills’ proposal to transfer millions out of the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF) — colloquially known as the Rainy Day Fund — in response to recent storm damage throughout the state. In accepting the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee’s Democrat-backed majority report, representatives opted to not only approve Gov. Mills’ proposal to reallocate $50 million from the BSF to the Infrastructure Adaptation Fund (IAF), but also to transfer an additional $10 million from the BSF to the newly-created Business Recovery and Resilience Fund (BRRF). Created in 2021, the…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Friday her plans to allocate millions in taxpayers’ dollars to a series of one-time initiatives in Fiscal Years (FY) 2024 and 2025. This new funding comes in addition to the governor’s proposed supplemental budget that is currently being debated by lawmakers. In a press release distributed before the Easter weekend, Gov. Mills’ highlighted a number of projects that she hopes to see receive funding in the forthcoming budget, including additional support for affordable housing construction in rural Maine, grants to child care providers, low or no-interest loans to groups of mobile home park residents seeking…