Author: Libby Palanza

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…

Maine Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) has filed an emergency appeal of an April 19 ruling on her lawsuit against Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) for the denial of her rights following from her party-line censure earlier this year. That censure came after Libby refused to apologize for a viral social media post depicting a biologically male high school student athlete who took first place in a girls’ track and field contest. The post continued to gain traction nationwide as it reached up to the highest levels of government and spurred a show-down between Maine Governor Janet Mills and U.S.…

A bipartisan group of Maine lawmakers have introduced a bill aiming to increase the value of the state’s Property Tax Fairness Credit beginning in the 2025 tax year. When filing their annual tax returns, Maine homeowners may claim the Property Tax Fairness Credit, subject to qualification based on a number of criteria, including income and filing status. Based on the amount paid in property taxes during a given year, homeowners are eligible to receive a maximum of $1,000. Mainers 65 and older, however, are able to get a refund of up to $2,000 as of the 2024 tax year. The…

Democrat lawmakers are looking to expand the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) to all Maine elections, including for the Governor, State Senate, and the State House of Representatives. If a new bill introduced this week is successful, it could change how these state officials are elected. Ranked choice voting has until now been used to ensure that the winner of a given election secures majority support, but Sen. Cameron Reny’s (D-Lincoln) new bill LD 1666 takes a different approach, using a different definition for a calculated end. Maine has used ranked choice voting for federal offices since 2018, but…

Yet another bill aiming to allow Maine municipalities to adopt a local option sales tax has been introduced in Augusta just days after the legislative committee that reviews tax proposals rejected a similar “revenue raiser” for towns and cities. Unlike the previous local option sales tax proposals considered by the Taxation Committee, however, LD 1641 would allow municipalities to retain a hundred percent of the revenue it generates. Additionally under this bill, no restrictions would be placed on how cities and towns could use the proceeds from the tax, meaning that municipalities could direct the funds toward any aspect of…

Maine lawmakers on the Taxation Committee have unanimously rejected three proposals to increase the state’s homestead exemption, a program designed to help lower the property tax bill on Mainers’ primary residences. While one of the now-defeated proposals would have increased the value of this exemption for all homeowners, the other two represented more targeted reforms aimed at increasing aid to seniors and low income residents. By lowering the tax-assessed value of Mainers’ homes, the homestead exemption helps to reduce the total property tax bill for which homeowners are responsible. Currently, the homestead exemption allows Mainers to take $25,000 off the…

Is federal Medicaid spending, which last year amounted to over $580 billion, a virtual sacred cow for which reform or cuts in spending are unthinkable? House Republicans in Congress have called for a ten year trimming of the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget through reconciliation that would average cuts of about $88 billion a year. Are they playing with the third rail? One recent survey suggests that all voters, even Trump-supporting Republicans, would strongly object to any changes to the current program. But in states like Maine, instances of abuse Medicaid raise questions about the need for reform.…

A Maine GOP lawmaker is looking to establish a new special committee tasked with reviewing routine technical rulemaking by state agencies in the name of ensuring “transparency, accountability, and alignment with the public interest.” 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 lawmakers have passed legislation explicitly deeming them to be. LD 1372, introduced…

Lawmakers on the Taxation Committee have unanimously rejected a Democrat-led bill that would have revitalized a now-defunct property tax stabilization for senior homeowners in Maine. LD 559 — sponsored by Sen. Donna Bailey (D-York) — would have allowed municipalities to impose a one percent sales tax on prepared food and living quarter rentals and use the revenue to offset the cost of stabilizing the property tax bills for eligible homeowners who are 62 years of age and older. Cosponsoring this legislation are Sen. Chip Curry (D-Waldo), Sen. Tim Nangle (D-Cumberland), Sen. Joe Rafferty (D-York), Sen. Cameron Reny (D-Lincoln), Rep. Victoria…

Mainers weighed in Monday morning on a proposed amendment to Maine’s Constitution that would prohibit the governor from calling the Legislature into a special session within 90 days of adjournment. This, in effect, is intended prevent or deter the kind of parliamentary maneuvering that was seen most recently last month to pass a controversial $11.3 billion partial biennial budget — a budget that has set the table for massive tax increases in the new special session by failing to fund MaineCare for FY 2027. Following extensive debate on the floor of the House and Senate, a substantial two-year budget bill…

Maine’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee held a public hearing Monday morning for a proposal concerning Maine’s unique method of distributing its electoral votes that would essentially hitch its wagon to whatever Nebraska does. Maine and Nebraska are the only two states in the country that do not have a winner-take-all system for allocating their electoral college votes. Instead, both states distribute them in accordance with their congressional districts, meaning that the winner in each House district is awarded an electoral vote, while the overall winner is given the two statewide electoral votes. Currently, an effort is underway in Nebraska…

The distribution of Maine’s four presidential electoral votes was up for grabs in Augusta Monday morning, as lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee held a public hearing on legislation related to Maine’s participation in the Electoral College. Two nearly identical bills to withdraw from the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact were the focus of a public hearing Monday morning. 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…

A Republican lawmaker is looking to legally abolish the controversial practice of introducing placeholder legislation, known as a “concept draft,” with the intention of swapping it out with the text of an actual bill later on down the road. Under the proposal introduced by Rep. Laurel D. Libby (R-Auburn), any legislation that could not theoretically become law without further amendment may not be referred to Committee for a public hearing. Click Here for More Information on LD 1563 Earlier this year, the Democratic majority on the Joint Rules Committee voted to preserve the use of “concept drafts,” albeit with some…

A public hearing has now been set for a bill seeking to revitalize a now-defunct property tax stabilization program for seniors. On Tuesday, April 15 at 2pm in Room 127 of the State House, Mainers will have the opportunity to weigh in on the GOP-led proposal. Written testimony may also be submitted online at www.mainelegislature.org/testimony. Introduced by Rep. Wayne R. Parry (R-Arundel), LD 1481 would bring the short-lived stabilization program back beginning in April of this year for eligible seniors. To qualify for the program, homeowners must be over the age of 65 and have owned a home in the…

A group of Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would improve transparency in Maine’s program allowing students to attend a public school outside of their home district through what is known as a Superintendent Agreement. LD 1588, sponsored by Rep. Barbara A. Bagshaw (R-Windham), would require all school administrative units throughout the state to produce an annual report by July 1 detailing how many transfers were approved and denied. Districts would also be required to identify whether a given student requested to transfer in or out of the district. For any denials, the school administrative unit would need to…

In an effort to address the affordable housing crunch, the Maine State Housing Authority has awarded $23.5 million in Rural Affordable Rental Housing funding to build a combined 137 new rental apartment units across nine municipalities. All housing constructed under the auspices of this program must be made affordable to those earning up to 80 percent of the area median income, its qualifying terms specify. Funding under this program is intended to increase the availability of housing for both working and retiring or semi-retired Mainers in places where it is demonstrated to be scarce. The $23.5 million allocation will be…

As Congress fast-tracks the SAVE Act, which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register, lawmakers in Maine are looking to remedy another challenge to election integrity by cutting down on the possibility of people being registered in more than one state or jurisdiction at a time by cross-checking the state’s voter rolls with those of other states. Although this bill is primarily supported by Republican legislators, one Democratic representative has signed on a cosponsor. LD 1431 would give the Secretary of State’s Office the authority to create an “interstate voter registration cross-check program” in cooperation with…

A group of Democratic lawmakers are looking to give Mainers who do not have a permanent residence an alternative means by which to register their vehicles. Rep. Daniel Sayre (D-Kennebunk), the primary sponsor of LD 611, explained that he was inspired to bring forward this bill after he was made aware that a homeless Mainer was prevented from registering their vehicle and paying excise tax to a municipality due to their lack of permanent housing. LD 611 would allow allow individuals with “no residing place” to pay excise tax directly to the Secretary of State’s Office in the event that…

The Maine State Senate unanimously approved a bill Tuesday that aims to address the state’s indigent legal defense crisis, incorporating an amendment advanced by the Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Originally introduced in March by Sen. Anne Carney (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Amy D. Kuhn (D-Falmouth), this legislation looks to make notable changes to the process for ensuring that those who cannot afford an attorney are provided one. Sens. Carney and Kuhn, who are also Chairs of the Judiciary Committee, introduced some preliminary amendments to the bill that would have significantly pared back its scope, largely reducing it to an emergency…

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled at the end of March that a Biden-era rule regulating so-called “ghost guns” may stand, at least in certain cases. Gun control groups hailed the recent ruling in Bondi v. Vanderstock, but it may not apply to all instances of make-your-own firearms, gun rights advocates hope. Ghost guns are firearms without serial numbers that can be assembled using parts printed on a 3D printer or purchased online or by mail without a background check. While the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has argued that the rules are necessary to address an “urgent…

House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) has introduced legislation that aims to cap the share of state tax dollars that any one municipality may receive to cover the cost of administering General Assistance in a measure that appears aimed at Maine’s largest city and substantially the biggest spender on welfare — Portland. In Maine, General Assistance is a municipal-level program designed to help low-income individuals cover a variety of basic expenses, including food, housing, fuel, and utilities. Assistance is distributed in the form of a voucher payment to the appropriate vendor. The State of Maine is required by…

Maine’s Legislature officially defeated efforts to eliminate ranked choice voting (RCV) following a nearly party-line vote in the Senate. Late last month, members of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee were split straight down party lines over LD 234, An Act to Eliminate Ranked-Choice Voting. While all Republicans on the committee voted in support of doing away with the controversial system, all Democrats opposed the effort. A similar pattern emerged on the Senate floor, where nearly all Republican lawmakers voted in support of the bill, while all Democratic senators voted against. Joining the Democrats in opposition to repealing ranked choice…

One Democratic lawmaker has proposed making major changes to how Maine’s primary elections are held by instituting a unique and controversial method of ranking choices now well-known to the state’s voters. Under LD 1422, sponsored by Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Penobscot), Maine’s most important elections would be determined using open primaries where ballots would be tabulated using ranked choice voting. With an open primary system, all candidates appear on the same primary ballot regardless of their political party. That would allow voters to cross over and make choices in a party in which they are neither registered nor for whom they…

Maine’s Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing Tuesday on several bills that aim to amend the state’s vehicle inspection requirements. Lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle have introduced legislation that would change Maine’s annual vehicle inspection requirements as they are known today. While some proposals would make this program more restrictive, others would make it less intrusive or do away with it entirely. The public hearing is set to begin at 1pm and will be held in Room 126 of the State House. Written testimony may also be submitted online at www.mainelegislature.org/testimony. Of the six vehicle inspections…

A Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill that would revitalize the now-defunct property tax stabilization program with several key amendments. Introduced by Rep. Wayne R. Parry (R-Arundel), LD 1481 would bring the short-lived stabilization program back beginning in April of this year for eligible seniors. To qualify for the program, homeowners must be over the age of 65 and have owned a home in the state for at least twenty years, up from the ten-year threshold included in the original language. Rep. Parry’s proposal would also make stabilization available only to households making less than $75,000 annually. In these two…

Rhode Island-based U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose presided Friday over the first hearing in Rep. Laurel Libby’s (R-Auburn) federal lawsuit against House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) over his decision to block the representative from voting and speaking on the floor of the Maine Legislature. Libby was censured by a party-line vote in February for posting an image on social media that identified a biologically male athlete who took first place in a girls’ track and field contest, and which gained significant traction as it reached up to the highest levels of government and spurred a show-down between Maine Governor…

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has filed an amicus brief in support of Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) in her lawsuit against Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) seeking relief for his stripping her of the right to vote and speak on the chamber floor after she refused to apologize for a viral social media post. FIRE’s self-defined mission is to “defend and sustain the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought.” In their brief, FIRE argues that the House went too far in barring Rep. Libby from voting and participating in floor…

Lawmakers on the Taxation Committee have unanimously rejected two bills that would have imposed new taxes on the cost of hotel rentals in Maine. While one bill sought to give municipalities the opportunity to adopt a two percent sales tax to fund affordable housing initiatives, the other would have mandated an additional three percent sales tax to generate revenue for education. Both of these taxes would have been added to the existing nine percent sales tax on hotel rentals, also referred to as the lodging tax. Absent extraordinary action, neither of these proposals will be considered further this legislative session.…

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has joined a coalition of twenty-three states in suing Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the termination of approximately $11 billion in federal COVID-era grants, $91 million of which had been earmarked for Maine. In March, the Trump Administration cancelled and revoked $11.4 billion worth of COVID-era funding that had originally been scheduled to run through September of this year. A spokesperson for the DHHS explained to NPR why the Department believed it made sense to freeze funding at this juncture. “The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS…

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) delivered remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday in support of a resolution sponsored by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) that would end President Donald Trump’s (R) emergency declaration imposing tariffs on Canada for not doing enough to stop illegal drugs from coming into the United States. The Senate went on to approve this resolution 51-48 with support from all Democrats and four Republicans, including Sens. Collins, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Rand Paul (R-KY). On February 1, President Trump declared an emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), citing a lack of effort…

Democratic Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) has filed his official response to Rep. Laurel Libby’s (R-Auburn) lawsuit against him for violating her rights as an elected legislator by censuring her earlier this year. Rep. Libby was censured by a party-line vote in February brought by House Democrat leadership for posting a viral image on social media that identified a biologically male athlete who took first place in a girls’ track and field contest. After she refused to apologize for the post — a condition of her censure — Speaker Fecteau stripped Libby of her right to vote and…

Maine has been found to have the fourth highest total tax burden in the country, according to a new study published by personal finance website WalletHub. To determine residents’ tax burden, WalletHub calculated property, income, and sales and excises taxes as a share of personal income. The data used for these rankings were collected on March 4 of this year from the Tax Policy Center. Based on these calculations, Mainers bear a 10.64 percent overall tax burden, annually paying 4.4 percent of their income in property taxes, 3.02 percent in income taxes, and 3.48 percent in sales and excise taxes.…

The Maine Judiciary Committee released updated language Monday morning for a bill aimed at addressing the lack of state-provided attorneys for criminal defendants ahead of this week’s work session. Originally introduced earlier this month by Sen. Anne Carney (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Amy D. Kuhn (D-Falmouth), this legislation look to make notable changes to the process for ensuring that those who cannot afford an attorney are provided one. The updated language shared by Sen. Carney and Rep. Kuhn in their role as Judiciary Committee Chairs significantly pairs back this bill, striking out several pages of text and reducing it primarily to…

Maine lawmakers have introduced a bill that would exempt any money earned by kids from state income tax. This proposal would make 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. If approved, these changes would go into effect beginning on January 1, 2026. Although this legislation is primarily led by Republican lawmakers, it also has support from both Independent and Democratic members of the House. Sponsoring this bill was Rep. Benjamin C. Hymes (R-Waldo) and Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) alongside Reps.…

A public hearing is now on the books for a series of constitutional amendments that would give Mainers the right to popularly elect key constitutional officers, including the Attorney General and Secretary of State. Because several separate resolutions have been introduced so far this session that all effectively aim accomplish this same objective in slightly different ways, the State and Local Government Committee has opted to conducted a consolidated hearing where testimony will be heard on all bills simultaneously. The hearing is set to begin at 10am on Monday, April 7 in Room 214 of the Cross Building, which is…

Nearly two-thirds of Mainers agree with President Donald Trump (R) that biological men should be barred from participating in women’s sports, according to the newest Pine Tree State Poll, a States of Opinion Project, conducted by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center. While 64 percent of respondents said that biological men “definitely” or “probably” should not participate in women’s sports, only 29 percent said that they “definitely” or “probably” should. A somewhat higher percentage of Mainers were okay with biological women participating in men’s sports. Source: Pine Tree State Poll, a States of Opinion Project, University of New…

Republican lawmakers are taking steps to make Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave Program voluntary. Currently, all employers and employees are required to participate in the program, but some legislators are looking to change that. 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 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 months ahead of when benefits are first scheduled…

Maine lawmakers in the state Senate have rejected a push to call for an Article V Convention to amend the U.S. Constitution. The now-defunct request would have called specifically sought to call an Article V Convention to implement campaign finance reform. This, however, is not the only Article V resolution on the table in Augusta this year, as lawmakers are still considering the possibility of requesting a Convention to propose the imposition of term limits on members of Congress and Supreme Court Justices. In order for an Article V Convention to be called, thirty-four state legislatures — representing at two-thirds…

Maine’s Judiciary Committee is set to hold a massive public hearing this Friday on a slate of abortion-related legislation. The hearing is set to begin at 9:30am in State House Room 438 and is expected to go until sometime between 5pm and 6pm that night. Mainers may begin arriving as early as 8am to sign up to testify. Based on sign up order, those looking to offer testimony will be assigned a group number that will determine when they will be called to speak. Due to the volume of public testimony that is expected Friday, the Legislative Analyst for the…

Republican lawmakers in Maine have proposed an amendment to the state’s constitution that would prohibit the 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 has set the table for massive tax increases in the new special session by failing to fund MaineCare for FY 2027. Following extensive debate on the floor of the House and Senate, a substantial two-year budget bill was…

Democrat lawmakers are now looking to amend Maine’s constitution to cap property tax increases for senior homeowners. Sponsored by Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Penobscot), LD 1304 would amend the state constitution to give the Legislature authority to cap property tax increases for homeowners over the age of 65 to two percent annually. Under the proposed language, the state government would be required to reimburse municipalities for at least 90 percent of the lost revenue using funds from a two percent tax on lottery tickets and sports betting. Cosponsoring this resolution are Rep. Dani L. O’Halloran (D-Brewer), Sen. Tim Nangle (D-Cumberland), Rep.…

A Maine Republican representative has filed an application to begin collecting signatures for a People’s Veto of the $11.3 billion two-year, party-line budget approved last week. 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.” To earn a place on the ballot, these petitions must each receive more than 67,000 signatures, a number that is calculated based on the turnout levels from the most recent gubernatorial election. Submitted by Rep. Gary A. Drinkwater (R-Milford), this application to begin collecting signature’s for a People’s Veto petition…

Lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee are divided along partisan lines over whether or not to advance a proposal to repeal ranked choice voting. While all Republicans on the committee voted in support of doing away with the controversial system, all Democrats opposed this effort. LD 234 — An Act to Eliminate Ranked-Choice Voting — was sponsored by Rep. Richard H. Campbell (R-Orrington) and cosponsored by Rep. Amy Bradstreet Arata (R-New Gloucester), Rep. Irene A. Gifford (R-Lincoln), Rep. Randall Adam Greenwood (R-Wales), Rep. Abigail W. Griffin (R-Levant), Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R-Fairfield), Rep. Michael Soboleski (R-Phillips), and Rep.…

This past week in Augusta, Democrat lawmakers pursued a relatively obscure parliamentary maneuver to pass an $11.3 billion spending bill without any Republican support. But how did we get here from the $120 million supplemental spending bill that was being debated earlier this month? After significant back and forth between chambers, this bill was placed in the legislative files as dead legislation, putting an end to the possibility that it could be adopted. Two days later, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee offered a more than 400-page amendment to a previously-introduced concept draft, morphing it into a partial biennial budget.…

President Donald Trump signed an executive Thursday that represents the first step toward officially abolishing the federal Department of Education (DOE). Flanked by students and educators in a White House signing event, President Trump moved closer towards fulfilling a promise to return decision-making and resources for education from the federal government to the states. “Our Nation’s bright future relies on empowered families, engaged communities, and excellent educational opportunities for every child,” the president wrote in his executive order. “Unfortunately, the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucracy those programs and dollars support…

A new bill introduced this week looks to amend the laws governing Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program to allow employers who had a “substantially equivalent” private plan in place by January 1 of this year. Currently, Maine employees and employers are required to make non-refundable contributions to the new paid leave program, even if the employer intends to substitute a private plan. 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 fund paid leave for all employees statewide, with…

Republican lawmakers are pushing for Maine to eliminate the state’s vehicle excise tax and replace it with an annual mileage-based fee. Drivers in Maine currently have to pay an annual excise tax on their vehicles, the amount of which is calculated based on a vehicle’s age and manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). LD 1194 — sponsored by Sen. Joseph Martin (R-Oxford) and cosponsored by Rep. James E. Thorne (R-Carmel) — would phase this tax out over the next five years, reducing it by 20 percent each year. In its place, the state would begin collecting a mileage-based fee every year,…

Democrat lawmakers are now looking to extend funding that makes community college free for all Maine residents — a benefit that was introduced as an extraordinary 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, a waiver would be valid for up to twice…

The State of Maine has now awarded the last of the $60 million relief package approved last year in response to the destructive storms that swept through the state in the winter of 2023, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. This final round of funding, worth a total of $2 million, was allocated across 40 businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the state. Distributed by the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), this represents the second and final batch of awards to be given out through the Business Recovery and Resilience Fund (BRRF). The BRRF was first established…

Maine lawmakers are on track to reject a proposal to soften the restrictions surrounding candidates’ ability to communicate with voters at the polls on election day. Members of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee are divided along partisan lines over whether or not the state should amend the restrictions surrounding candidates’ ability to interact voters at the polls on election day. Sponsored by Sen. Jim Libby (R-Cumberland) and cosponsored by Rep. David Boyer (R-Poland) and Rep. Kimberly J. Pomerleau (R-Standish), LD 199 sought to allow candidates to communicate more extensively with voters at the polls. The proposed language would explicitly…

GOP lawmakers are looking to reinstate the property tax stabilization program for Maine’s older homeowners that previously had been repealed after just one year. Referred to the Taxation Committee Tuesday, LD 1144 was sponsored by Sen. Jim Libby (R-Cumberland) and cosponsored by Sen. Bruce Bickford (R-Androscoggin) and Sen. Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook). Originally introduced in 2022, this program allows eligible seniors to stop their property tax bills from increasing year over year, locking in the cost as of the preceding tax year. Should this law be approved, seniors would be able to apply for the program starting with the 2026 property…

A new Republican-led bill introduced on Tuesday looks to amend the citizens petition process with respect to agency rule making in Maine. Under current Maine State Law, agencies are required to begin appropriate rule making proceedings upon receipt of a petition with 150 valid signatures. This process was recently invoked by the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) to prompt the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) to consider adopting a California-style electric vehicle (EV) mandate. Had the rule proposed in the petition been approved, 51 percent of new car sales in Maine would have needed to be comprised of EVs…

Lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee have unanimously voted to recommend that a bill allowing candidates for Attorney General and Secretary of State to participate in the Maine Clean Elections Act (MCEA) not be passed into law. LD 454 was sponsored by Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Penobscot) and, if approved, would have given candidates running for these key constitutional offices the right to access public campaign financing. Because the Attorney General and Secretary of State are currently selected by legislators — and not by popular election — this change would not have gone into effect unless the state constitution…

A public hearing has been scheduled next week for a bill that aims to support Maine’s hospitality industry by eliminating the sales tax on prepared foods, including meals sold in restaurants. The official summary of this legislation indicates that the purpose of this change would be to “mak[e] dining out more affordable,” as well as potentially to boost tourism. Because LD 908 was originally introduced by Sen. Joseph Martin (R-Oxford) as a concept draft, the final language of the proposed bill has not yet been released. Having become a controversial tool in recent years, the Joint Rules Committee recently approved…

Maine Democrats have proposed levying an additional four percent tax on income earned over $1 million 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 used to fund public pre-kindergarten through grade…

The public will now get a chance to weigh in on whether to give Maine voters the opportunity to approve or reject pay raises for elected officials in the state, including legislators and the governor. Sponsored by a group of GOP lawmakers, LD 775 would put the pay raise legislators already approved earlier in the session on next ballot as a referendum question. The State and Local Government Committee will be holding a public hearing on this bill at 1pm on Monday, March 24 in Room 214 of the Cross Building, which is located directly across from the State House.…

Democrat lawmakers in Augusta have introduced a bill that aims to prohibit “housing discrimination” based on a person’s source of income under the Maine Human Rights Act. If approved, this law would prevent anyone looking to sell or rent a property from refusing to rent to, or engage in housing negotiations with, individuals because of their income source, so long it is legal and rightfully obtained. For example, landlords and property owners could not discount potential tenants or buyers because a portion of their income is sourced from a public assistance program, non-governmental organization (NGO), or the Social Social Security…

Mainers gathered in Augusta Wednesday for a public hearing on two bills that look to allow cities and towns throughout the state to adopt a local option sales tax on short-term lodging. Both laws up for consideration this week would give municipalities the option of imposing a two percent sales tax on the cost of hotel rentals. While one proposal — sponsored by Rep. Charles A. Skold (D-Portland) — would restrict the use of these funds to qualified affordable housing initiatives at the local level, the other — sponsored by Rep. Gary Friedmann (D-Bar Harbor) — would give cities and…

Northern Light Inland Hospital and its associated Waterville clinics are slated to be shut down and will halt patient care on May 27 before fully closing their doors on June 11, its administration said on Thursday. According to the announcement, Lakewood Continuing Care, a 105-bed facility, will remain open and will not be affected by these changes. A statement posted on the Northern Light Health Facebook page explained that the 48-bed hospital has been struggling under the weight of financial pressures and labor shortages. “Like hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide, Northern Light Health continues to feel the immense pressure of…

Funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for Maine universities was restored Wednesday following a brief pause by the federal government on Monday. U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement on Wednesday as news of that the funding pause had ended broke. The University of Maine System (UMS) announced Monday that the USDA had temporarily halted funding, apparently in connection to an investigation announced by the agency in February. The USDA announced publicly on February 22 that it would be initiating a review of UMS’ compliance with Title IV and Title IX,…

Democrat lawmakers in Maine are looking to 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 alongside all other income in accordance with an…

Maine lawmakers are now looking to have the final say over what civil lawsuits are brought by the state’s Attorney General. In recent years, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has pursued litigation on a host of controversial topics, as well as joined a number of suits challenging the policies of President Donald Trump’s (R) administration. [RELATED: Crusading AG Frey Leaves Maine Behind in His Quest to Slay Dragons Across America] This year, Attorney General Frey has filed lawsuits against the Trump Administration for the president’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, as well as for allowing Elon Musk and the Department…

Democrat lawmakers are looking to add new penalties and enforcement measures to Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program that went into effect earlier this year. The bill introduced by President of the Senate Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) 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 fund paid leave for all employees statewide, with…

Taking your car in every year for its inspection sticker is a familiar ordeal to all Maine drivers, but some lawmakers are looking to make this a less frequent experience. Under LD 1010, sponsored by Rep. Chad R. Perkins (R-Dover-Foxcroft), drivers would only need to get their inspection stickers updated every other year. Cosponsoring this bill are Rep. Roger Clarence Albert (R-Madawaska), Rep. Quentin J. Chapman (R-Auburn), Rep. Randall Adam Greenwood (R-Wales), Rep. Michael J. Lance (R-Paris), Rep. Richard G. Mason (R-Lisbon), Rep. James Lee White (R-Guilford), and Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec). Click Here for More Information on LD 1010…

The federal government has temporarily halted millions of dollars in funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the University of Maine System (UMS). The USDA announced publicly on February 22 that it would be initiating a review of UMS’ compliance with Title IV and Title IX, citing “the State of Maine’s blatant disregard for President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14201, Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” Title IV refers to a subsection of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination on the basis of “race, color, or national origin.” Title IX is a federal law barring schools and educational…

Maine’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee voted Wednesday to recommend that millions in proposed cuts to certain child care programs included in the state’s proposed biennial budget be scrapped. These cuts, worth more than $36 million in total, were originally proposed as part of an effort to address the massive budget shortfall that Maine is currently facing. For the upcoming 2026-2027 budget cycle, Maine is looking at a $450 million “structural deficit,” where spending is projected to far outpace revenue unless changes to either side of the equation are made. The decision to eliminate these proposed cuts came shortly…

Democratic lawmakers have proposed replacing Maine’s statewide minimum wage with a regionally based structure tied to an assessment of the living wage for the area of the state where one is based. Under this legislation, Maine would be divided into three regions: coastal, northern, and Portland metropolitan. Each of these sub-divisions would be subject to a different minimum wage as determined by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Living Wage Calculator. These new wages requirements would take effect on January 1, 2026. Beginning the following year, the minimum wage in each region would be indexed to the cost of living,…

A group of Maine Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would allow municipalities to adopt a local option sales tax to fund affordable housing initiatives. If approved, this law would give cities and towns the option of imposing a two percent sales tax on the cost of hotel rentals. While the majority of revenue generated would be returned to municipalities, 15 percent would be reserved for the Maine State Housing Authority and administrative costs. To opt into this program, residents would need to approve of the sales tax in a referendum vote. To be valid, the total number of…

Criminal defendants in Maine will now be released from jail if a lawyer is not provided within 14 days, and charges must be dropped for those who have been incarcerated for more than 60 days without receiving legal representation. Those who are released from jail under this new order will be subject to conditions of release similar to those who are granted bail. These changes are the result of an order published Friday by Kennebec County Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy. At the end of January, Justice Murphy heard arguments in a lawsuit filed two years ago by the American…

The United States Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in support of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), rejecting the argument made by two veterans that the denial of their claims deserved deeper review by the courts. When veterans apply for service-related benefits from the VA, they are entitled to receive the “benefit of the doubt” if the evidence supporting and opposing their claims is roughly balanced. In practice, this means that the VA is obligated to grant a veteran’s request for benefits if the evidence for and against their claim is nearly equal. At the center of this case is the…

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 transfer to be blocked. State law does not specify what actually constitutes a transfer being “in the student’s best interest,” leaving this language almost entirely up to a given superintendent’s discretion. A bill introduced by Rep.…

Nine Republican lawmakers are looking to completely phase out Maine’s income tax by 2030 and reduce the state budget proportionally, according to a bill they introduced this week. Based on their plan, beginning in 2026, state income taxes would gradually be phased out over the course of several years, with Mainers paying a smaller and smaller percentage of the state income tax until it is eliminated entirely in 2030. If approved, this legislation would result in the elimination of state income tax both for individuals and corporations. In conjunction with this, the Bureau of the Budget would be directed to…

A group of Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill aims to eliminate the eight percent sales tax on prepared food, including meals sold in restaurants. The official summary of this legislation indicates that the purpose of this change would be to “mak[e] dining out more affordable,” as well as potentially to boost tourism. The Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) would be directed under this legislation to launch an advertising campaign to “encourage tourism in Maine and promote dining establishments as tax-free, with the exception of alcoholic beverages.” To offset the loss of revenue as a result of this…

Child care workers gathered at the State House Tuesday morning to protest tens of million dollars worth of cuts that were included in the proposed biennial budget. To allow workers to participate in Tuesday’s protest, a number of child care centers throughout the state were closed or only open for part of the day. According to a Portland Press Herald report, as many as 200 workers from at least 15 child care centers throughout the state were expected at the State House as of Monday evening. Concerns primarily centered around the $30 million worth of proposed cuts to the Early…

Maine is currently facing a significant housing crisis, and researchers at a state-based think tank have written a report illustrating how the situation has been exacerbated by some of the policies being pursued at the state and local level, and suggesting what can be done to remedy it. In their report — titled Under Construction: Fixing Maine’s Self-Imposed Housing Crisis — James Siodla, Ph.D. of Colby College and Harris Van Pate, J.D of the Maine Policy Institute take a look at the impact of various housing policies that have been implemented throughout the state. The researchers then go on to…

Maine lawmakers are again considering proposals to allow the State Police to require the use of an electronic inspection program for the state’s annual vehicle safety inspections. If approved, this would create an electronic surveillance system to track vehicle inspections that mechanics around the state would be required to use, if directed to by the State Police. More specifically, an “electronic inspection program” is defined in these proposals as a program designated by the Chief of the State Police “that uses electronically generated data as part of an inspection and permits the creation and exchange of an electronic record for…

Maine voters could soon have the opportunity to approve or reject pay raises for elected officials in the state, including legislators and the governor, should a new initiative make it to the ballot this November. Sponsored by a group of GOP lawmakers, a new bill would give Mainers a say in whether or not legislators and the state’s chief executive will be receiving a pay raise. This comes after it was revealed earlier this year that state senators and representatives were set to be given a 61 percent pay raise beginning this session, as well as a significantly higher level…

A Democrat-led bill restructuring Maine’s income tax brackets is officially set to go before the Legislature’s Taxation Committee for a public hearing today. If approved, this proposal would result in higher taxes on the state’s individuals who earn more than $144,500 per year. The public hearing for this bill will be held on Thursday, February 27 at 1pm at the State House in Room 127. Testimony can also be submitted online at: www.mainelegislature.org/testimony 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.…

A group of Republican lawmakers are looking to eliminate Maine’s income tax and require the state to develop zero-based budgets for the next two bienniums. Under the proposed law, the state government would be prohibited from collecting income tax from residents as of January 1, 2026. The state would also be directed to develop a zero-based budgets for fiscal years 2026-27 and 2028-29. From that point on, all departments and agencies in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Departments of State Government would be required to create a zero-based budget at least once every eight years. For the purposes of this…

Signed by former President Joe Biden (D) in January, a law co-authored by U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) allowing public employees and their spouses access to increased social security benefits has now taken effect. Based on a statement from the Social Security Administration released Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s (R) administration is supportive of this policy. Approved by significant margins in both the House and Senate, this bill repealed two statutes reducing the amount of Social Security benefits that public employees and their spouses were eligible to receive. Known as the “Social Security Fairness Act,” this law eliminated the Windfall Elimination…

A group of Democrat lawmakers have proposed a plan to stabilize property taxes for Maine seniors that would be funded by a local option sales tax. LD 559 — sponsored by Sen. Donna Bailey (D-York) — would allow municipalities to impose a one percent sales tax on prepared food and living quarter rentals and use the revenue to offset the cost of stabilizing the property tax bills for eligible homeowners who are 62 years of age and older. Cosponsoring this legislation are Sen. Chip Curry (D-Waldo), Sen. Tim Nangle (D-Cumberland), Sen. Joe Rafferty (D-York), Sen. Cameron Reny (D-Lincoln), Rep. Victoria…