Crown Politics - Fiddlehead Focus

Crown Politics

How Maine could raise $100 million more for roads and bridges — and why it needs to

As the Maine Turnpike expects 1 million travelers alone over the Labor Day weekend, policymakers are gearing up for a sprint to solve one of the state’s most intractable problems: a long-standing — and growing — transportation funding gap.

Susan Collins and Sara Gideon are raking in cash for a potential 2020 Senate showdown

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has raised more money for her nationally targeted 2020 re-election campaign than she did in all but one of her previous four races, but a Democratic challenger with national backing raised more than $1 million in 10 days.

Janet Mills will host a meal for Muslim leaders at the Blaine House

Gov. Janet Mills will hold a traditional Muslim meal at the Blaine House for the first time in Maine history, according to an organizer.

Mills signs bill to make Maine the first state to ban Native American school mascots

Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday signed into law a controversial bill banning the use of Native American mascots in all state public schools.

Amid calls for faster child welfare system reforms, Mills plans a hiring surge

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, in her proposed two-year budget, is heeding advice from an auditor of the state’s child protective system by proposing the state hire more caseworkers.

Mills wants to boost rainy day fund with $20 million in extra revenue

Maine is expected to see tens of millions of dollars in extra state revenue, and the governor proposed Tuesday to put $20 million of the money into the rainy day fund.

What Janet Mills’ proposed budget changes tell us about her governing strategy

Gov. Janet Mills took another conservative budgetary stance relative to many other Democrats this week, advocating for putting $20 million into Maine’s rainy day fund in a change package to her two-year budget proposal.

Old Town senator changes vote, clearing the way for stricter Maine vaccine mandate

The Maine Senate reversed itself on Tuesday to support the repeal of a religious exemption to school vaccine requirements by a single vote, putting the controversial priority of Democrats who lead the Legislature back on track for passage.

Bill would allow Maine tribes to prosecute non-Indians for certain crimes on tribal land

Maine’s federally recognized Indian tribes are seeking to restore their ability to prosecute non-Indians in domestic violence and certain other crimes committed on tribal land.

As Maine Democrats pile up legislative victories, Republicans look for points of influence

It could be a stalemate day in the Maine Legislature on Tuesday, when lawmakers are scheduled to vote on bills including an equal-rights amendment, as well as proposals to expand and reduce the use of ranked-choice voting.

Presidential primary wins OK from Maine legislative panel but cost remains a sticking point

Democrats on a legislative committee endorsed a bill Friday that would have Maine switch from nominating caucuses to a state-run primary for the 2020 presidential election in a national transition away from the few remaining caucuses.

Most Maine House Democrats flip to sustain Janet Mills’ first veto

Most Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives reversed themselves on Thursday to uphold the first veto from Gov. Janet Mills, spiking a proposed ban on the sale of a blend of gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol.

Maine moves closer to setting minimum teacher salary at $40,000

A bill to increase Maine’s minimum teacher salary to $40,000 won support in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, likely portending a victory for Democrats and the state teachers union, who have been working since 2014 to enact such a measure.

Senators say release of 30K additional H-2B visas will boost seasonal Maine businesses

Following the advocacy of Maine’s U.S. Sens. Susans Collins and Angus King, the federal government will release an additional 30,000 H-2B visas, with the application period beginning Wednesday and lasting for one week.

Maine Senate endorses modified paid leave mandate

A first-in-the-nation compromise bill that would mandate paid leave in 85 percent of Maine’s workforce is sailing for passage through the Democratic-led Legislature after easily gaining initial approval in a Senate vote on Tuesday.

More people are struggling with high drug prices. So Maine and other states are taking action.

For “big pharma,” a lion’s den might seem more hospitable than the Maine Legislature this year.

Janet Mills still hasn’t paid the full tab for her inaugural celebrations

The committee tasked with paying for Gov. Janet Mills’ January inaugural festivities still needs to raise just more than $67,000 to settle most of its tab from the Augusta Civic Center. Settling that debt may have to wait until early summer.

Maine Senate backs vaccine religious exemption, throwing fate of mandate bill into doubt

In a pressure-packed and surprising Thursday vote, the Maine Senate endorsed an amendment by a one-vote margin that would retain a religious exemption to school vaccine requirements that could throw the passage of a high-profile bill into doubt.

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