Randy Billings – Page 86 – Centralmaine.com

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.

Health, Local & State

Racial disparity in Maine’s COVID-19 cases deepens

by Randy Billings May 16, 2020May 15, 2020

But in one of the whitest states in the country, there is also growing concern about stigmatizing immigrant and minority communities.

Health, Local & State

Racial disparity grows along with Maine’s number of virus cases

by Randy Billings May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

Blacks and African Americans make up 1.6% of Maine’s population but more than 6% of its coronavirus infections.

Local & State

Increase in arrests of Portland’s homeless worries civil liberties group

by Randy Billings May 7, 2020May 6, 2020

Police say the rise in arrests is due to many factors. The ACLU is concerned about introducing the coronavirus into the county jail.

Health, Local & State, News

Shortage of swabs hampers COVID-19 testing in Maine nursing homes

by Randy Billings May 5, 2020May 6, 2020

Most of the facilities that responded to a survey said they lacked the basic tool to detect the disease.

Local & State

Newly released data suggest ‘alarming’ racial disparity among Maine’s COVID-19 cases

by Randy Billings April 30, 2020May 1, 2020

African Americans account for 1.7% of the state’s population but 3.7% of the state’s infections. The state CDC director says, ‘These disparities are concerning.’

Local & State

Thousands of Mainers turning to program that helps renters and landlords

by Randy Billings April 30, 2020April 30, 2020

In less than 2 weeks, 5,000 people have applied for rent relief under the new statewide program aimed at keeping people housed during the pandemic.

Local & State

State rents 115 hotel rooms to create social distancing for homeless Mainers

by Randy Billings April 30, 2020April 30, 2020

Hotel rooms in Portland and Bangor are reserved for people awaiting test results or recovering from COVID-19, while rooms in Knox County are used to create physical distance.

Local & State

Some taxpayers, including Waterville couple, get shut out of stimulus, prompting challenge to federal law

by Randy Billings April 28, 2020April 29, 2020

Anyone who doesn’t have a Social Security number or is married to someone who doesn’t is ineligible to receive payments. That includes many immigrants who have tax ID numbers.