Maine is one of a handful of states that treat bail violation as a new criminal charge, even when the alleged misconduct isn’t inherently criminal.
Politics
Political news and information from the Sun Journal.
Amid a deluge of constituent calls, Maine’s delegation challenges Elon Musk’s authority
Rep. Chellie Pingree says the tech billionaire’s access to sensitive personal information and aggressive efforts to cut federal spending have caused a flood of calls to her office from ‘panic-stricken’ Mainers.
Maine members of Congress pushing to eliminate trade penalty on PFAS-free outerwear
Because of a loophole, water-resistant clothing made with harmful ‘forever chemicals’ qualifies for a lower import tax. New legislation seeks to change that.
Lawmaker and secretary of state clash over constitutional amendment on voting by noncitizens
Rep. Laurel Libby told fellow lawmakers that her proposal would boost the integrity of Maine’s elections, though opponents, including the Maine secretary of state, say it’s unnecessary and could foster anti-immigrant sentiment.
Advocates call for higher taxes on the rich and corporations to balance Maine’s budget
Gov. Janet Mills has warned against such broad-based tax reforms and Republicans have already vowed to oppose any tax increases.
Effort to create Maine missing persons database draws concerns from state police
The new bill would require Maine State Police to maintain an online list of all missing people in the state, similar to a national database.
Susan Collins will support Tulsi Gabbard as Trump’s director of national intelligence
Gabbard faces confirmation votes this week and still must win over some other Republican senators.
Trump agrees to pause tariffs on Canada and Mexico after they pledge to boost border enforcement
The tariffs against Canada and China were still slated to go into effect Tuesday, but uncertainty remained about the durability of any deals and whether the tariffs were a harbinger of a broader trade war.
Trump puts tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, spurring trade war as North American allies respond
In Trump’s view, the 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico and a 10% tax on imports from China are a way for the U.S. to throw around its financial heft to reshape the world.
Maine education officials uncertain about impact of Trump orders on diversity, school choice
Both orders call for further action by federal officials to enforce Trump administration policies, and Maine schools will be watching to see if there are any impacts to funding or programs.