President Biden himself went straight at Donald Trump, saying his expected Republican rival’s ideas were ‘a little old and out of shape.’
Politics
Local, statewide and national political news from the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Committee advances proposal to raise minimum wage for Maine farmworkers
The Committee on Labor and Housing passed an amended version of Gov. Janet Mills’ bill to raise the minimum wage for farmworkers to $14.15 per hour, the same rate as that for other workers.
Susan Collins won’t vote for Trump: ‘I don’t think it should surprise anyone’
Maine’s senior senator said she doesn’t know how she will vote in November, rejecting both President Biden and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as well as the Republican frontrunner.
Maine lawmakers scrap bill to decriminalize drug possession; opt for study instead
The original proposal sought to treat substance use as a public health issue and would have set up receiving centers to help people dealing with a crisis.
House narrowly approves bill to send fewer youths to troubled prison
The proposal would allow the state to assess the needs of young people accused of crimes and provide them with services so they can remain in the community, rather than be sent to Long Creek Youth Development Center.
Maine House rebuffs plan to use performance as guide for utility rates
Several Democrats joined solid Republican opposition to reject legislation that proposes a first step in judging utilities’ performance when setting rates.
Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump
Among the changes announced, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for species newly classified as threatened.
Maine’s high court rules Sunday hunting ban is constitutional
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court disagrees with a Readfield couple who argued that the ban contradicts a ‘right to food’ amendment voters approved in 2021.
Committee backs expanded background checks, waiting period for gun purchases
The Judiciary Committee also will soon take up a last-minute bill that would put in place ‘an improved crisis intervention order’ for restricting access to firearms when people are deemed to be a threat.
Maine Democrats advance digital privacy bill opposed by businesses
The measure would enact strict limits on when a company can collect, store and analyze consumer information, while creating exemptions for nonprofits, educational institutions and hospitals.