Question B on the city ballot would add enforcement provisions – including a private right of action for people to sue the city – to an existing prohibition on city employees using facial recognition technology.
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
Portland’s new racial equity panel gets to work on policy review
The Racial Equity Steering Committee begins an examination of public safety, community partnerships and other policies that disproportionately affect people of color in Maine’s largest city.
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Posted inMaine
What’s that structure going up next to Back Cove?
It’s not a hotel or condominium. It’s a temporary part of a project that will reduce the amount of raw sewage and polluted stormwater runoff being discharged into the cove.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland and South Portland release ambitious climate action plan
The cities plan to work together on regional strategies to reduce carbon emissions from buildings and eliminate virtually all waste in the next 30 years.
Posted inElection 2020, Maine, Politics
How to win an election during a pandemic: Candidates for local offices get creative
Many of the honored traditions of handshakes, door-knocking and group events carry a risk of transmitting coronavirus.
Posted inMaine
Portland ballot will only summarize 6 citizen referendums
However, the city will also send the full ordinance proposals to residents who request absentee ballots; others can see them at the polls.
Posted inMaine, News
Protesters raise awareness about potential flood of evictions in Maine
About 20 people gathered in downtown Portland to urge action to avoid a wave of evictions that could put thousands of Mainers on the streets as winter approaches.
Posted inBusiness, Maine
Lawsuit challenges access to prized piece of Portland’s working waterfront
Attorney Glenn Israel, who represents Soley Wharf, says the aim is to allow the owners to enforce parking and gear storage rules.
Posted inMaine
New proposal could be Portland’s tallest building and add 260 apartments downtown
Rents for most units are projected to range from $1,200 to $2,000, while 27 would be deed-restricted as workforce housing with rents affordable to median income tenants.
Posted inMaine
Debate heats up over public health versus police spending in Portland
Over the past decade, spending on police has increased by nearly 40%, while the public health budget has dropped by more than 50%. But city officials say those numbers don’t reflect additional investments in social services.