The Maine State Legislature’s Judiciary Committee voted to advance a bill on Tuesday afternoon that would restore to the Wabanaki Nations in Maine the same rights that other federally recognized tribes in the U.S. have. Prior to the roll call, several Democrats on the committee spoke to their colleagues about the significance of their vote.…
The Maine legislature passed Tuesday what Democrats are calling a “back-to-basics” biennial budget that party leaders say will provide Mainers with stability as the state continues to recover from the pandemic and prevent the possibility of a government shutdown that could halt crucial services. The budget, which mirrors the spending plan passed by the legislature…
The state supplemental budget is heading back to the Maine House, with Republicans expected to attempt to amend the short-term spending plan to include additional tax breaks that would primarily benefit large corportations. Both the House and the Senate took up the supplemental budget Wednesday, which makes adjustments to the final year of the state’s…
An idea designed to spur private investment in green technology by leveraging public funds is once again on the table with President-elect Joe Biden taking office next month. Several state lawmakers, along with leaders of Maine environmental groups, called last week on Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden…
Last spring, Kalie Hess wanted to know whether her state senator supported LD 798, a bill that strengthened the state’s vaccination rules. Hess, who lives in Augusta, has a masters degree in public health and reached out to state Sen. Matthew Pouliout, a Republican, because she thought he would be interested to hear what his…
With up to 221,000 Mainers at risk of losing their employer-sponsored health insurance as a result of the pandemic, Maine health care advocates convened a press call Thursday to denounce Republicans for continuing their effort to undo the Affordable Care Act. “At a time when, more than ever, we should have a government that works…
After a wave of Maine small business owners have expressed frustration with the Paycheck Protection Program, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey are each calling for changes to the federal program to ensure that the state’s small business community can weather the pandemic. Frey announced on Wednesday that he has joined…
At a virtual forum on Tuesday more than a dozen Maine small businesses owners joined state Sen. Heather Sanborn (D-Portland) and national economic policy experts to discuss ongoing issues with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal initiative meant to provide payroll relief to small business grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. “One of the narratives…
The Maine People’s Alliance’s 2019 legislative scorecard launched online Tuesday, with 38 legislators earning perfect scores for advancing progressive values with votes they made during the first session of the 129th legislature. In an email announcing the scorecard’s launch, MPA co-director Amy Halsted said it is a “chance to make clear how our state lawmakers voted on some…
Democratic members of the legislature’s Tax Committee voted last week to advance a bill that would lower the threshold for the state’s estate tax in a move advocates hope will restore a measure of fairness to the Maine tax code. Over the course of his administration, former Governor Paul LePage raised the estate tax threshold,…