All posts tagged "governor janet mills"
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Maine DOE gave MEA, other groups access and editing privileges to official COVID response documents
From early March 2020 through the summer, when discussions about whether to close...
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Emails show how MEA, other interest groups steered Maine DOE’s COVID-19 response
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) worked with several interest groups in the...
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Governor Mills’ pursuit of California-style EV mandates will hurt Mainers, do little to address climate change
High energy costs are making Maine increasingly unaffordable for people of average means....
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Fishing interests ‘disappointed’ in federal push for offshore wind in Gulf of Maine
On August 18, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), part of...
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Opinion: Mills’ broadband bureaucracy expands with massive infusions of Biden bucks
Earlier this month, the Treasury Department approved a plan to invest $110 million...
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Maine’s $850 checks to start hitting mailboxes by next week
The $850 checks passed as part of the most recent supplemental budget deal...
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Lawmakers sustain all five of Gov. Mills’ vetoes
When the legislature returned to Augusta for veto day on May 9, lawmakers...
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Gov. Mills issues first vetoes of the second session
Gov. Janet Mills has so far vetoed two bills passed during the 130th...
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Unpacking the tribal sovereignty bills and debate
Though the 130th Maine Legislature will return to Augusta for a veto day...
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Here’s what has become law thus far from the legislature’s second session
On April 27, Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 2003 into law. The bill...
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Lawmakers extend session one day, Mills’ utility accountability bill revived with new amendment
Lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and Senate met on April 20...
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Final version of local zoning, affordable housing bill leaves much to be desired
Last week, LD 2003, a bill sponsored by Speaker Ryan Fecteau to reform...
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Lawmakers enact budget agreement, House rejects Gov. Mills’ utility accountability proposal
Both the House of Representative and the Senate convened on April 19 for...
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Lawmakers closing in on final deals on budget, housing and utility accountability measures
With only three days left in the 130th Legislature’s second session, both the...
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Both parties outline spending priorities with less than three weeks until adjournment
The 130th Maine Legislature is currently scheduled to adjourn its second session on...
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Why are Maine lawmakers letting special interests nickel-and-dime us on vehicle inspections?
Mandatory motor vehicle inspections already cost Mainers $14 million and countless hours of...
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Energy committee splits on Gov. Mills’ utility accountability proposal
On March 18, the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology held...
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Appropriations Committee Democrats sink plan to accelerate disbursement of direct relief checks
During a work session on a bill proposing to return surplus money to...
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Gov. Mills’ final supplemental budget plan increases value of relief checks to $850
Gov. Janet Mills unveiled her change package to the supplemental budget on March...
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Mills admin recommends optional masking in schools, childcare settings starting March 9
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Maine Department of...
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Revenue Forecasting Committee revises projected surplus upwards by $411 million
Maine’s General Fund revenue forecast will increase by approximately $411.6 million following a...
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Following other states, Gov. Mills calls on state liquor commission to delist Russian spirits
On February 28, Gov. Janet Mills signed a proclamation expressing solidarity with the...
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Energy committee holds hearing on Gov. Mills’ utility accountability bill
The Maine Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee held a public hearing February...
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Governor Mills unveils $850 million supplemental budget that would lift state spending to record levels
On February 15, Gov. Janet Mills released her supplemental budget proposal, which includes...
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Gov. Mills pitches $500 relief checks, new education and broadband spending in State of the State address
During her annual State of the State address, Gov. Janet Mills announced her...
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Read Gov. Mills’ State of the State Address
The following is Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ State of the State Address as...
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Gov. Mills’ earmarks $8 million for child welfare system in forthcoming supplemental budget
On February 7, Gov. Janet Mills unveiled an $8 million proposal intended to...
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Testing partnership brings rapid tests to ‘vulnerable’ Mainers using old data
In late January, Gov. Janet Mills announced her administration has partnered with The...
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Lawmakers sustain Mills’ veto on bill allowing farm workers to unionize
Members of the Maine Legislature’s House of Representatives failed to override Gov. Janet...
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Governor Mills to deliver State of the State address, supplemental budget to legislature next month
Maine Gov. Janet Mills will deliver the State of the State address on...
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Maine leaning on federal government to increase Mainers’ access to rapid COVID-19 tests
The Mills administration has announced no plans to provide at-home COVID-19 rapid tests...
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Legislature launches pilot program to assess racial impact of pending legislation
In March 2021, Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law requiring the...
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Gov. Mills announces deployment of 38 National Guard members to 10 Maine healthcare facilities
Less than one week after announcing she was activating up to 75 members...
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Gov. Mills activates Maine National Guard to address capacity concerns in healthcare system
Gov. Janet Mills appeared at a December 8 press conference held by the...
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Appropriations Committee receives briefing on state finances, including revenue surplus and ARPA spending
At the Appropriation and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee meeting on December 7, Department...
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Maine has a projected $822 million surplus. Lawmakers will debate how to spend it next session
Following its November 23 meeting, the Maine Revenue Forecasting Committee (RFC) upgraded the...
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Ten percent of workers affected by Gov. Mills’ mandate have left covered facilities since July
A recent analysis of the data in Maine CDC’s Health Care Worker COVID-19...
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Maine healthcare workers face uncertain future amid state and federal vaccine mandates
Maine’s requirement that healthcare workers at designated healthcare facilities be fully vaccinated against...
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Supreme Court declines to block Maine’s healthcare worker vaccine mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal for injunctive relief on October 29...
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Gov. Mills announces $14 million in aid to combat healthcare workforce shortages
Gov. Janet Mills held a press conference on October 25 to announce funding...
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Some healthcare workers resign as enforcement deadline of Gov. Mills’ vaccine mandate approaches
As the date of enforcement for Gov. Janet Mills’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate for...
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What is an ‘advocacy journalist’ and why was the Maine CDC restricting access to its briefings?
That darn First Amendment. This week, The Maine Wire learned that the Maine...
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Legal and legislative challenges to Gov. Mills’ vaccine mandate are piling up
There are a growing number of legal challenges to Gov. Janet Mills’ requirement...
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Bipartisan group of lawmakers sign letter opposing new lobster regulations
The number of state legislators who have signed a letter calling for President...
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Mills administration throwing money at hospitals, nursing homes in attempt to overcome workforce shortages
Gov. Janet Mills’ administration recently announced it is awarding Maine hospitals and long-term...
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Governor’s gamble: Weighing the potential costs of Mills’ healthcare worker vaccine mandate
On August 12, Maine Governor Janet Mills issued an emergency rule change through the state...
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Future of Shawmut Dam, Sappi mill remain uncertain
The future of the Shawmut Dam remains in question. Following a draft ruling...
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Consumer-owned utility supporters launch ballot initiative over LD 1708 veto
Though the legislature failed to override Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of a bill...
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Lawmakers pen letter in opposition to Gov. Mills’ vaccine mandate
Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced a new vaccine requirement for healthcare workers on...
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Mills administration faces pushback from healthcare workers over new vaccine mandate
On August 12, Gov. Janet Mills announced that all Maine healthcare workers will...
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Gov. Mills’ ‘Back to Work’ program comes to a close
The Maine Department of Labor’s (DOL) Back-to-Work grant program will close applications on...
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It’s way past time to open US-Canadian border
It is far past time to reopen the border between the United States...
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Maine conforms with new CDC guidance on masking in schools, indoor settings
On July 28, Gov. Janet Mills announced updates to Maine’s recommendations for wearing...
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Mills’ ‘Back to Work’ program not helping Maine’s stagnant unemployment rate
The unemployment rate in Maine remained stuck at 4.8% for the fifth straight...
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Mills attempts to rewrite history on rainy day fund increase
Don’t let Gov. Janet Mills play you for a fool. In a recent...
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Legislature right to sustain Mills’ veto of ‘hastily crafted’ Pine Tree Power bill
Gov. Janet Mills fortunately stopped a sloppy, misguided attempt to put a loaded...
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Maine’s ARPA spending package becomes law without legislative compromise
On July 19, the Maine Legislature voted to approve a plan for spending...
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Legislature sustains Gov. Mills’ veto of CMP takeover bill
Though the bill is dead, voters may still see the question LD 1708...
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Gov. Mills and allies are destroying affordable, accessible child care for Maine families
In recent months, we’ve heard a lot about child care in the news...
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Face-saving partisanship killed emergency powers reform in Maine this session
Saying “no emergency is going to be perfect,” Facteau outlined his hesitancy to...
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Mills vetoes state takeover of utility companies, setting stage for future ballot initiative
Gov. Janet Mills held a press conference on Tuesday to announce her veto...
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Mills vetoes another bill sponsored by Senate President Jackson
On July 12, Gov. Janet Mills vetoed LD 1711, which would have allowed...
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Mills signs packaging bill, vetoes state takeover of private utilities
Gov. Janet Mills just missed the mark on two controversial and misguided pieces...
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Civil asset forfeiture reform bill becomes law without Mills’ signature
A bill that would strengthen protections against civil asset forfeiture, sponsored by Rep....
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Mills signs offshore wind ban amid lingering skepticism from fishermen
Though the ban is a win for now, Mills’ next moves towards offshore...
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Mills kills another misguided drug pricing bill
LD 1117 would have accomplished nothing in terms of lowering prescription drug costs...
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Though the state of emergency has expired, some of Mills’ pandemic-related executive orders remain in effect
Though Maine’s state of emergency expired on June 30, some changes to rules...
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Department of Labor announces updates to its Back-to-Work grant program
If all 300 workers received the $1,500 benefit, the grant program has already...
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Mills bucks her party on environment, drug pricing in newest vetoes
The vetoes, among some of her other recent ones, are a welcome check...
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Legislature, governor pass $8.5 billion supplemental budget
The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 123-23 and...
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New report shows opioid deaths on the rise in Maine
Between 2019 and 2020, drug deaths in Maine rose by 33% according to...
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Legislature sustains Mills’ veto on LD 920, a victory for communities and consumers alike
Gov. Janet Mills made the right choice in vetoing LD 920, sponsored by...
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Mills’ veto stops new graduated real estate transfer tax
Should Mainers have to pay more in taxes for buying a new piece...
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Budget agreement suggests lawmakers may have learned lessons from the pandemic
A new bipartisan budget agreement might prove that lawmakers learned a valuable fiscal...
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Should California be able to set drug prices in Maine?
Imagine if California passed a law telling Maine lobstermen how much to charge...
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Governor Mills issues her first vetoes of the 130th Legislature
The governor’s office recently posted veto messages for seven bills rejected by Gov....
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Governor Mills signs a full slate of election, campaign finance reforms into law
Governor Mills recently signed into law several bills that affect campaigns and elections...
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Governor Mills signs bills on energy, telemedicine and remote meetings into law
Bills passed by the Maine Legislature during its recently convened special session have...
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Healthcare group asks Gov. Mills to veto prescription drug price control bill
The Maine Legislature recently passed LD 1117, a bill that would prohibit excessive...
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Maine Senate votes to keep controversial ‘fusion center’
Even if the allegations in Loder’s lawsuit are not true, the fact that...
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Gov. Mills announces ‘Vaccinationland’ lottery sweepstakes
On June 16, Gov. Mills announced the creation of a sweepstakes for Mainers...
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Semi-open primaries bill advances in Maine House and Senate
L.D. 231 aims to increase voter turnout and bipartisanship in an increasingly partisan...
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Paid to stay home: study finds lucrative unemployment helps fuel labor shortage
This study on the nationwide impacts of the historically high UI has simply...
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More wrangling to come on supplemental budget, federal relief spending
On June 17, the Maine Legislature is expected to adjourn a special session...
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Maine launches ‘Back to Work’ program while leaving federal pandemic unemployment benefits in place
On June 14, Gov. Mills announced a program to incentivize unemployed Mainers to...
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Fifteen months later, Maine is finally terminating its state of emergency
On June 11, Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced she was renewing the state...
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Maine schools to be freed of pandemic mandates starting July 1
On June 9, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) updated its PreK-12 and...
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Legislators missed the mark on child care reform this session
A prominent refrain in the pandemic recession-recovery story has been the persistent labor...
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The dizzying pace of Governor Mills’ executive orders
Maine Gov. Janet Mills is on pace to exercise her executive authority almost...
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Seven lawmakers stripped of committee assignments after entering State House without masks
Seven Maine lawmakers were stripped of their committee assignments on Monday by House...
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Some states are ending enhanced unemployment benefits to get residents back to work
Maine’s Department of Labor currently has no plans to end enhanced employment benefits....
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Why should Mainers pay more for closed government schools?
Governor Janet Mills unveiled a new supplemental budget last week that would grow...
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The problems with Governor Mills’ giveaways for vaccines
On Tuesday, Maine Governor Janet Mills joined President Joe Biden and a small...
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Mills’ abuse of power as governor predictable after conduct as attorney general
Janet Mills is notorious for her abuses of power and seeming disregard for...
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Mainers, not Governor Mills, should decide Maine’s participation in the TCI
Maine’s Committee on State and Local Government held public hearings last Friday on...
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New England governors are lifting pandemic mandates, but not Governor Mills
On Tuesday, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that he will lift all business...
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Governor Mills thinks her emergency power should be even more expansive
On Wednesday afternoon, Maine’s Health and Human Services Committee will hold a public...
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Democrats approve Maine’s next biennial budget on majority vote
Maine lawmakers convened at the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday to tackle the...
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Breaking down the bills to reform Maine’s emergency powers law
As many Mainers question the appropriateness of a year-long state of emergency, in...
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Democrats confirm plan to approve majority budget by April 1
The Maine Legislature will convene in person on Tuesday to approve the state’s...
