Both LD 418 & LD 816 were near identical bills. The Veterans & Legal Affairs Committee voted to not pass LD 418. But they disagreed on LD 816 and a divided report is expected for the legislature.
–TMP
Recent Policy
Slew of new bills revives debate over popular property tax relief program for older Mainers
Municipalities say the new program, which became law last year, is difficult to implement and too expensive for ...
Read More
Read More
MAINE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION SETS DATES FOR PUBLIC WITNESS HEARINGS IN CENTRAL MAINE POWER DISTRIBUTION RATE CASE
CMP filed a three-year rate plan structure, citing grid reliability improvements, clean energy investments, improved storm response, and ...
Read More
Read More
Couple who want to mine lithium deposit urge Maine lawmakers to ‘clarify’ mining laws
The couple that owns a lithium deposit in Newry potentially worth more than a billion dollars is urging ...
Read More
Read More
Maine Schools Could Lose Fed Funding Over Assessment Changes
The federal DOE is threatening to withhold money from Maine’s Dept. of Education (MDE) due to the state’s ...
Read More
Read More
Legislature may ban foreign influence in Maine referendums
Supporters of a ballot initiative barring foreign governments from influencing Maine referendums are pushing the Legislature to enact ...
Read More
Read More
Maine prepares for end of pandemic-era Medicaid eligibility safety net
At the end of this month, a federal requirement that prevented people enrolled in Medicaid during the pandemic ...
Read More
Read More
There’s a push to protect Maine’s abundant groundwater as more places deal with scarcity
Officials insist that water is plentiful, but some residents argue Maine has fallen behind in its oversight and ...
Read More
Read More
Harvard researcher details Wabanaki tribes’ economic disadvantages in presentation to lawmakers
A Harvard researcher told state lawmakers that Wabanaki communities trail far behind other tribes economically because of the ...
Read More
Read More
New bill could divest state pension fund from companies boycotting Maine lobster
Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Androscoggin, said his bill is modeled on a 2021 law that called on Maine to ...
Read More
Read More
Volunteer Program Provides Opportunity to Contribute to Restoration of Rainbow Smelt
Rainbow smelt are important prey for seals, birds, Atlantic cod, and salmon, and a prized species for recreational ...
Read More
Read More
The political minefield of Janet Mills’ accelerated clean-energy goal
Among the newsmaking items in the Democratic governor’s budget address this month was a proposal to require all ...
Read More
Read More
Maine’s offshore wind plan will take years to execute
Maine is ahead of most coastal states in its plans for offshore wind, but the floating technology it ...
Read More
Read More
Mills Administration Releases Comprehensive Plan to Responsibly Advance Offshore Wind in Maine
The Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap outlines strategies for Maine to benefit from offshore wind, while preserving Gulf of ...
Read More
Read More
Pingree Reintroduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Expand and Strengthen Local Meat Processing Capabilities
The Strengthening Local Processing Act will increase options for local livestock and poultry producers and help increase resiliency ...
Read More
Read More
Maine proposes new standard license plate to replace chickadee
The design, based on the 1901 Maine flag, would replace ...
Read More
Read More
DEP is seeking grant submissions for waste diversion projects
...is seeking grant applications to assist in the creation, implementation, or enhancement of initiatives, programs, or projects that ...
Read More
Read More
Attorney General Aaron Frey Joins Multistate Coalition in Support of EPA Supplemental Proposal to Regulate Methane Emissions from the Oil and Natural Gas Sector
Attorney General Aaron Frey today joined a multistate coalition, led by California and New York, in submitting comments ...
Read More
Read More
Maine Specialty Crop Grant Program Applications Now Open
The SCBGP is a competitive grant program that funds innovative projects supporting Maine's expanding specialty crop sector and ...
Read More
Read More
Republicans take aim at Whole Foods’ tax incentives after chain pulls Maine lobster off shelves
A state lawmaker urged his colleagues to cut off Whole Foods from a state tax incentive program on ...
Read More
Read More
An Auburn manufacturer has won a major victory in its fight against Chinese competitors following a federal determination that will crack down on unfair trading practices by Chinese state-backed manufacturers.
Following an investigation requested by Auburn Manufacturing, Inc., the US Commerce Dept issued a Feb. 3 report that ...
Read More
Read More
Secretary Bellows Announces Final Wording on Two Referendum Questions
The wording of the citizens’ initiative question entitled “An Act To Create the Pine Tree Power Company, a ...
Read More
Read More
Recent Politics
Taibbi Tells Congress Angus King Sought Twitter Censorship
Taibbi revealed that Maine Sen. Angus King gave Twitter and Facebook lists of people who were critical of King during his 2018 re-election ...
Read More
Read More
WATCH: Wabanaki leaders address Maine Legislature for first time in two decades
Maine tribes are only tribes in the country that do not have the access to federal laws that get passed in Congress that ...
Read More
Read More
Maine employees union says Janet Mills’ administration violated labor laws
The union representing Maine state workers filed a labor relations complaint on Friday against Gov. Janet Mills’ administration, alleging a negotiator refused to ...
Read More
Read More
Republicans are winning over Mainers on voter ID, poll shows
Nearly two-thirds of Maine voters backed requiring photo identification to vote, according to a University of New Hampshire poll ...
Read More
Read More
Angus King’s Social Security proposal puts him to Susan Collins’ right
Sen. King is working on a SS plan with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana. It has not been released yet, but early reports show ...
Read More
Read More
Increasing Use of “Concept Draft” Reduces Legislature’s Transparency, Undermines Public Hearings
A “concept bill” is basically a detail-free statement of intent, like “An Act to Reform Education.” Under current rules, lawmakers can supply the ...
Read More
Read More
Angus King’s “Enemies List” Targeted Journalists, Ordinary Mainers for Facebook, Twitter Censorship
Sen. Angus King’s 2018 campaign targeted journalists and ordinary Mainers for censorship if their posts showed they were critical of the Senator or ...
Read More
Read More
Angus King’s list of ‘suspicious’ Twitter accounts included political critics
Sen. King’s 2018 campaign flagged hundreds of social media accounts in communications with Twitter, including those run by the Maine Republican Party and ...
Read More
Read More
Maine Democrat Resigns Amid “Clean” Elections Fraud Investigation
Rep. Clinton Collamore Jr. (D-Waldoboro) resigned his recently won seat in the Maine House today after pleading not guilty to state charges of defrauding ...
Read More
Read More
Maine GOP chair ousted after bad 2022 election
Former Maine Assistant House Minority Leader Joel Stetkis ousted Maine Republican Party Chair Demi Kouzounas on Saturday after a bad 2022 election for ...
Read More
Read More
Governor Mills to Deliver State of the Budget Address on Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Gov. Mills will discuss the challenges Maine faces, highlight her budget proposal, & outline actions her Admin. is taking to strengthen the economy ...
Read More
Read More
Maine Democrats still have no plan for big FTX executive donation
The Maine Democratic Party said it has made no decision on what it will do with a $100,000 donation from an executive at ...
Read More
Read More
Mills vs LePage was most expensive governor’s race in Maine
More than $28.5 million was spent by candidates, party committees and outside groups to influence the race, according to the reports. That included ...
Read More
Read More
Maine lawmakers reach deal on heating aid package after long hearing
After Democrats agreed to a key demand for a public hearing, the top Republican in the Maine Senate voted to advance a heating ...
Read More
Read More
Maine Democratic Party chair won’t run again after big 2022 election wins
Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, took the party reins after being termed out of his Maine House seat. Now that he’s been elected to ...
Read More
Read More
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, lawmakers unloading FTX founder’s contributions
Lawmakers who accepted piles of cash from Samuel Bankman-Fried, including Sen. Susan Collins, now can’t move fast enough to offload their contributions from ...
Read More
Read More
Top Maine Democrat signals he’ll meet key GOP demand to break heating aid impasse
Senate President Troy Jackson said that his party wants to hold a hearing on a stalled heating aid bill in a development that ...
Read More
Read More
Dropping middle-class relief checks may not solve Maine’s heating aid impasse
Maine state senators from different parties proposed reining in relief payments under a stalled heating aid bill, but it was panned by top ...
Read More
Read More
This may be Maine lawmakers’ best path to a heating fuel relief deal
In the week since Maine Senate Republicans voted down a $473 million heating aid bill led by Gov. Janet Mills, there has been ...
Read More
Read More
Maine lawmakers want Janet Mills to govern like a centrist in her 2nd term
Even as disagreements grow across the aisle in Augusta, many Legislators seem united on one front: Wanting Gov. Mills to take a middle ...
Read More
Read More
Maine heating aid bill won’t pass before January without Senate Republicans’ support
Mills placed blame for the heating aid bill failure squarely on Senate Republicans. She called on them to reconsider their votes against the ...
Read More
Read More
State panel levies $10,680 in fines against group that backed Democratic candidates
The Maine Ethics Commission voted Wednesday to fine a group that supported Democratic state legislative candidates nearly $11,000 for failing to disclose its ...
Read More
Read More
Maine GOP: Not Our Fault We Lost Big Races
The Maine Republican Party is not to blame for Maine Republicans losing early and often on Election Day, according to Maine GOP Chair ...
Read More
Read More
$86K in Unspent GOP PAC Money Raises Questions for Maine Republicans
Question swirl among Maine Republicans following the transfer of over $86k from helping elect Republicans to the House of Representatives to the personal ...
Read More
Read More
Top FTX Executive Nishad Singh Gave Maine Democrats $100,000
Nishad Singh, a member of Bankman-Fried’s core inner circle, gave Maine Dems $100k in August 2022 — $90k of which was transferred to ...
Read More
Read More