The Norway spruce that graces Portland’s Monument Square for the holiday season was planted three decades ago by a young city arborist in his first year on the job.
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 inMaine, News, Politics
Susan Collins introduces bill to let asylum seekers work sooner, bucking Donald Trump’s plan
The bipartisan measure runs counter to a White House proposal to double the waiting period, and is similar to one proposed by Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree and supported by independent Sen. Angus King.
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Posted inMaine, News
Influx of asylum seekers fills Portland’s overflow shelters
Nearly 170 people, most from sub-Saharan Africa, have arrived in Portland in the past three weeks and city officials say they’ve run out of space to shelter them.
Posted inMaine, News
Inauguration of Portland mayor reflects historic shift in local, national politics
Portland has had eight women serve as mayor in its 233-year history, but none had been elected mayor in a citywide vote until Kate Snyder’s victory last month.
Posted inMaine, News
About 70 more asylum seekers expected to arrive in Portland this week
The African families released at the border in Texas will be offered overnight shelter in local gymnasiums, and city officials are making contingency plans in case the influx is larger than expected.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland council decides to ask voters whether to expand ranked-choice voting in city elections
The effort to expand ranked-choice voting to all city elections was initially led by Fair Elections Portland, but the group failed to gather enough signatures to put it on the ballot.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland poised to ask voters to expand use of ranked-choice voting
The City Council on Monday is expected to set a date to ask whether they want to expand the voting method to all council and school board elections.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland considers ban on face-scanning technology
Civil rights advocates fear the proliferating facial recognition technology will be used to conduct mass surveillance of innocent civilians without probable cause.
Posted inMaine, News, Politics
Kate Snyder wins heated race for Portland mayor, unseating incumbent Ethan Strimling
After taking a commanding lead, the former school board chair wins a late-night ranked-choice runoff.
Posted inMaine, News
New ICE office in downtown Portland draws protests
A spokesperson says the the Homeland Security Investigations office will specialize in transnational criminal probes, not deportations.