Lawmakers considered a bill to ban the small plastic bottles found at hotels by 2032 with the intent of reducing plastic waste in tourism-heavy Maine.
Politics
Political news and information from the Sun Journal.
Posted inMaine, News, Politics
Laurel Libby draws impassioned crowd to Topsham event as she weighs run for governor
The Auburn Republican state representative spoke about free speech issues and the controversy surrounding her social media post of a photo of a transgender athlete.
advertisement
Posted inMaine, Politics
Maine’s voter-approved campaign finance limits deemed unconstitutional
A US District Court judge rules that the referendum, which was passed by nearly 75% of voters in November, runs afoul of the First Amendment.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News, Politics
Collins votes no but Senate advances Trump budget request
Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie in a procedural vote on the president’s demand to cut $9.4 billion in funding already approved by Congress for foreign assistance and public broadcasting.
Posted inMaine, News, Politics, Schools & Education
Chellie Pingree, Jared Golden join House Democrats’ call for release of withheld education funds
The Trump administration says it’s reviewing $7 billion in federal school funding, including $26 million for Maine, which 150 House Democrats decried as illegal in a Thursday letter to the Department of Education.
Posted inMaine, News, Politics
Jared Golden introduces bill to increase penalties for crimes against law enforcement officers, judges
The Back the Blue Act proposes a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years for anyone who kills a federal law enforcement officer, a U.S. judge or a federally funded public safety officer.
Posted inMaine, News, Politics
Maine again fails to establish a statewide system to track rape kits
Two bills to create a tracking system received support in the Legislature but weren’t funded. A similar bill also failed to make it into law last year.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News, Politics
New Hampshire judge to pause Trump’s birthright citizenship order
The ACLU of Maine is among several plaintiffs challenging the White House’s use of a phrase in the 14th Amendment in a bid to end an intrinsic part of US law for more than a century.
Posted inMaine, News, Politics, Schools & Education
How Trump’s big bill will reshape the affordability of Maine higher education
The newly signed law adds caps on federal graduate student loans, expands Pell grants to cover workforce training and changes the college endowment tax, potentially giving millions in relief to small Maine colleges.
Posted inMaine, News, Politics
Federal workers in Maine face uncertainty following court ruling allowing for mass layoffs
It’s unclear how federal workers in Maine might be impacted, but the ruling allowing the Trump administration to move forward with plans for staff reductions has prompted concerns.