U.S. Sen. Susan Collins joined Senate Republicans on Wednesday in blocking a Democratic effort to restore consumer protections rolled back under Pres. Donald Trump, marking the second time in just over a year that she has sided with banks over efforts to limit predatory charges. The votes targeted a series of policy changes made by…
With Pres. Donald Trump’s newly-passed federal budget slashing funding for consumer protections, experts say state-level laws will be more important than ever to keep people safe from scams, crushing debt, and predatory lenders. Fortunately, Maine’s legislature passed several laws this session – on medical debt, housing, access to credit and health care – that will…
Mainers gathered in downtown Lewiston on Tuesday to call on U.S. Senator Susan Collins to take a strong stand against Pres. Donald Trump’s federal budget reconciliation bill that slashes funding for critical programs including Medicaid, to fund tax breaks for billionaires. “We want to encourage [Collins] not just to vote no on the budget, but…
This week on the podcast, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey breaks down how his office is standing up to President Donald Trump’s executive orders, holding Big Tech and Big Oil accountable, and defending immigrant and LGBTQ+ rights. With an 80% success rate in federal legal challenges, Frey shares why the rule of law still matters…
Maine lawmakers are considering legislation to remove medical debt from most consumer credit reports while a federal rule remains in limbo. The rule was finalized by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and slated to go into effect last month but the Trump administration has placed it on hold. Kate Ende, policy director at Augusta-based Consumers for…
As we enter phase two of America Fascista, where our Mussolini-wannabe builds up his dictatorship by tearing down our constitution, our economy, and our standing in the world (see Italia Fascista if you want to know more), there is one piece of methodical madness that may be the most on-the-nose example of the larger project…
Medical debt will no longer appear on credit reports, according to a new rule the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized on Tuesday. The ruling is set to remove $49 billion in medical debt from the credit reports of approximately 15 million Americans. In Maine, more than 40% of residents say they’ve taken on medical…
Take action here to support the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s plan to remove medical debt from credit reports. Maine households struggling to pay medical debt could benefit from a proposed federal rule to remove medical bills from credit reports. The rule would prevent credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt details with lenders and prohibit…
Robo-calls from unrecognized or blocked numbers, calling for payments that we don’t owe. Collection agencies calling multiple times per day, failing to identify themselves, lying about what’s owed, or violating Mainers’ privacy by speaking about the debt to whomever answers the phone. Companies calling at all hours even after they’ve been told to stop or…
Senator Susan Collins fell in line with the Senate GOP on Thursday in a 50-49 vote to confirm Kathleen Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The nomination was opposed by Maine’s independent Senator Angus King and Senate Democrats, who raised concerns about Kraninger’s lack of experience in consumer protection, her role in implementing…