The Maine Child Safety and Family Wellbeing report establishes a framework for future policy decisions and proposes $1 million in seed funding to launch a public education campaign and provide technical assistance to help community providers close service gaps.
Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Gun debate returns to Augusta amid rise in mass shootings nationwide
Lawmakers will continue to hear more gun rights and gun control bills in the coming days, and behind-the-scenes discussions are just beginning on a proposal aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of people who are prohibited from having them.
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Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Maine lawmaker calls for sweeping review of state constitution
Democratic Sen. Craig Hickman wants to create a 13-member, bipartisan commission to study and recommend changes to state government.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
House majority leader proposes expanding state child tax credit
Rep. Maureen Terry’s proposal would eliminate minimum income requirements for people to receive tax credits for dependents and increase that credit from $300 to $350 per dependent.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Lawmakers move to ask state’s high court for opinion on referendum dispute
Lawmakers from both parties say there is widespread support for a citizen initiative to ban foreign governments from spending money on state referendum campaigns.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Some House Republicans join lawsuit over Democrats’ budget maneuver
The plaintiffs, including Republican Reps. Shelley Rudnicki and Randall Greenwood, claim that Gov. Janet Mills and Democratic leaders in the Legislature violated the state constitution by passing a party-line budget in March and then calling a special session to finish other work.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Committee advances bill to address Maine’s chronic homelessness
The bill would devote millions in revenue the state receives from real estate sales into a statewide program to support permanent housing and services for people who are chronically homeless.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
State expects another budget surplus and parties again clash over what to do with it
Higher prices and higher wages have led to more sales and income taxes being collected by the state, reigniting the debate over whether to cut taxes or invest in state programs.
Posted inLocal & State, Nation / World, Politics
Sen. King proposes ethics rules for U.S. Supreme Court justices
Maine’s independent senator teams up with an Alaska Republican on a bill to require the U.S. Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct and investigate complaints, while Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree has co-sponsored similar bills in the U.S. House.
Posted inLocal & State
State leaders denounce white supremacist letters sent to lawmakers
At least 8 Democratic legislators received the letters Wednesday, leaders said. A former Portland City Council candidate read the same letter aloud at Monday’s council meeting.