Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

Scott Thistle Portland Press Herald

Scott Thistle is the State House reporter for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He has covered politics and government in Maine since 2006. Prior to that he served as the State House reporter for the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minnesota. A Maine native, Thistle has worked in journalism since 1990, when he got his start at a weekly newspaper in rural Oxford County, Maine. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and an active volunteer with the National Ski Patrol. He resides with his wife, Amy and his two sons Finn and Kai, in Auburn, Maine.

Latest

Published
February 8, 2021

Maine group pushes ban on flavored tobacco products

A coalition of health and social justice advocates says many of the flavored and metholated products are designed to appeal to children, especially in communities of color.
Published
February 8, 2021

Lines are being drawn in the next election for Maine governor

No other Republicans are stepping forward as former two-term Gov. Paul Lepage lobs shots at Democratic incumbent Janet Mills.
Published
February 3, 2021

Dozens in hearing back bill to gauge racial impacts in all state legislation

House Assistant Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross says the measure is an important step toward eliminating systemic racism in Maine.
Published
February 1, 2021

Bill to give Maine clerks more time to process absentee ballots is opposed by some Republicans

The measure would give town clerks more time to process absentee ballots, but vote counting would still not begin until Election Day.
Published
January 29, 2021

Bill would shift control of Capitol Police to Legislature

Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, says the force that protects the State House and other properties should be overseen by lawmakers rather than the executive branch.
Published
January 28, 2021

Maine State House leaders tighten policy aimed at preventing spread of COVID-19

The new policy will designate 3 specific types of face shields that can be worn instead of cloth masks.
Published
January 27, 2021

Republican staffer at Maine House tests positive for COVID-19

A memo from the Legislature’s human resources director says a staff member for the House Republican caucus tested positive last week but had no close contacts with other State House staff.
Published
January 27, 2021

Sen. Collins promotes censure action against Trump instead of impeachment

Maine’s senior senator says the proposal is gaining traction now that a majority of her Republican colleagues have made it clear they won’t vote to convict the former president for inciting a riot on Capitol Hill.
Published
January 25, 2021

Mills’ budget proposal would tax Paycheck Protection Program funds as income

The Legislature’s tax and budget committees met Monday to hear testimony on a set of proposals by Gov. Janet Mills that could leave some businesses paying state taxes on loans exempt from federal taxes.
Published
January 22, 2021

Republican lawmakers defend Capitol Police chief’s posts on Facebook

In a letter, 69 Republicans and an independent accuse Democrats of trampling on the free speech rights of Chief Russell Gauvin, whose posts raised questions about the legitimacy of the presidential election.