The former Republican governor now says he would eliminate them from the bottom up, and may not need to increase increase sales taxes to pay for it – a claim some experts question.
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 inHealth, Maine
Individuals could see 15 percent rate increase for ACA insurance
A variety of factors are driving Affordable Care Act rate increases in Maine and across the country, including COVID-19, the expiration of tax credits, inflation, and health care workforce shortages.
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Posted inMaine
Regional planners raise funds for communities of tiny homes to house asylum seekers
The Greater Portland Council of Governments is raising money to purchase and install 200 small modular homes for migrant adults and families seeking asylum.
Posted inMaine, Politics
LePage would seek to cut state support for asylum seekers
In an interview after a Republican rally in Lewiston on Friday, the former governor said that if re-elected, he would once again try to take away their eligibility for assistance to pay for food, shelter and other needs while awaiting federal authorization to work.
Posted inMaine
Abortions in Maine rose at twice the national average over 3-year period
A research group that supports abortion rights said a national increase reverses a 30-year downward trend and is likely the result of policies such as Maine’s decision to expand insurance coverage of abortion.
Posted inMaine, Uncategorized
Maine legislator steps down to focus on consumer-owned power effort
Rep. Seth Berry of Bowdoinham has dropped his re-election bid, leaving it up to the Sagadahoc County Democratic Committee to name a replacement.
Posted inMaine, Politics
AG rules that state appointees can’t run for political office
The governor’s office had initially advised at least one Democratic candidate that she would only need to resign if she won based on what it now says is ‘a longstanding, but erroneous, understanding of the law’ that preceded the administration.
Posted inMaine
Gov. Mills assembling Cabinet-level group to address aging issues in Maine
The new ‘Cabinet on Aging’ will coordinate efforts to ensure that people can age safely, affordably and in settings that best serve their needs.
Posted inMaine
Don’t expect Maine to join the gun control debate, especially in an election year
The state has a high rate of gun ownership, driven primarily by hunters, and past efforts to restrict firearms and hunting have only motivated gun rights supporters to turn out to vote.
Posted inMaine, Uncategorized
Maine’s ‘yellow flag’ gun safety law still a work in progress
The 2019 law allowing police to temporarily confiscate weapons from people deemed to be dangerous to themselves or others has had limited impact because it requires a medical assessment that hospitals are hesitant to provide.