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Crown Politics

Effort to expand abortion access in Maine rekindles spirited debate

Wednesday’s public hearing on a Democrat-backed bill that would increase the number of licensed medical professionals who can perform abortions in Maine provided the latest forum for the long-running debate over the legal procedure.

‘Franky’s Law’ would give animals legal advocates in cruelty cases

A bill that proposes creating a court advocate for the victims in animal cruelty cases would be named for Franky, the Boston terrier-pug mix stolen from his Winter Harbor home and killed last year, if passed into law.

Maine’s projected $87 million tax windfall creates small budget ‘cushion’

Maine is projected to beat revenue projections by $66 million in this budget year and nearly $21 million in the next two years, providing a small cushion to a tight two-year budget proposed by Gov. Janet Mills but not enough to fund many Democratic priorities.

Janet Mills creates task force to address problem ATV riders

All it takes is one bad apple to spoil the bunch.

Maine aims to fortify internet privacy protections that Congress weakened

A bill that could make Maine the first state to reinstate internet privacy rules similar to those nixed by a Republican-led Congress in 2017 was endorsed by a legislative committee on Tuesday in a move that bodes well for its passage.

How Janet Mills is moving to repair Maine’s relationship with its native tribes

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has signed into law a bill that will change the Columbus Day holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day.

Another poll shows Maine Republicans rallying around Susan Collins

Good morning from Augusta. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is a top target of Democrats and a little-known grassroots Republican has announced a primary challenge against her, but a poll shows the senator’s reshaped base is holding together in the approach to the 2020 election.

Maine moves closer to banning Native American school mascots

The Maine Legislature took a first step on Tuesday toward banning the use of Native American names, imagery and mascots in Maine public schools amid a long-standing controversy over the Skowhegan Indians nickname.

Maine House gives initial OK to removal of nonmedical vaccination exemptions

The Maine House of Representatives initially approved a bill on Tuesday that would repeal all nonmedical exemptions to school vaccination requirements, putting it on track to pass and create some of the most stringent immunization laws in the country.

Maine’s latest attempt to ban conversion therapy gains momentum

A bill broadly banning the use of conversion therapy on minors won bipartisan support in a legislative committee Thursday.

Common ground remains elusive on Maine’s latest gun-control effort

Overflow rooms were filled Monday at the State House complex as Mainers took turns providing testimony on Democrats’ biggest gun control push of the 2019 session — a revived “red flag” bill fought by gun-rights groups that still may have a compromise waiting in the wings.

Angus King slams Trump for ‘reckless judgment’ after reviewing Mueller report

U.S. Sen. Angus King said special counsel Robert Mueller’s report into Russian interference in the 2016 election revealed “numerous examples of reckless judgment” by President Donald Trump and his advisers.

Maine is on the verge of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day

A bill to officially change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day in Maine received final approval from the Senate on Thursday, paving the way for it to become law.

How Maine Democrats aim to clamp down on charter schools

Lawmakers on Tuesday voted on three charter school regulation bills that, while inconsequential in the immediate future, signal building momentum among Democrats in the Legislature to tighten the standards on Maine’s charter school system.

Woman accused of sending threatening letter to Collins held without bail

The Burlington woman accused of mailing a threatening letter to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins waived a probable cause hearing on Tuesday and agreed to be held without bail while her case is pending in federal court in Bangor.

What the biggest Maine state employees union wants from Janet Mills

Good morning from Augusta. Bargaining between Maine’s new chief executive and the largest state employees union over a new two-year contract began in earnest at the end of February and has largely been kept confidential since then, but there are plenty of hints about what employees are seeking.

Maine House Democrats again rebuff GOP efforts to alter minimum wage law

Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives effectively killed a handful of Republican-backed bills on Thursday that were designed to slow the state’s voter-approved minimum wage hikes or offset its impact on employers.

Bill to strip Maine vaccination exemptions moves ahead despite GOP opposition

A bill that would repeal nonmedical exemptions to Maine school immunization requirements won a split legislative committee’s backing on Wednesday, putting the measure supported by Gov. Janet Mills’ administration on track to pass.

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