New statewide energy code aims for tighter buildings, lower emissions

legislature

Published
June 15, 2021

New statewide energy code aims for tighter buildings, lower emissions

Some worry that building contractors will have ‘a rude awakening’ with the change, which is effective July 1 and stems from bills passed in 2019.
Published
June 1, 2021

Bill to replace CMP and Versant with consumer-owned utility gains committee approval

The Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee's 9-2 vote, with 2 lawmakers absent, advances the bill for consideration by the full Legislature and, ultimately, Maine voters.
Published
May 3, 2021

Direct care workers urge lawmakers to raise pay rates to combat staffing shortages

A workforce shortage and low wages have created a crisis for those who need help from direct care workers. On Monday, some workers made their case for a pay hike to the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.
Published
April 29, 2021

Come up with new safety rules, legislators tell funeral home regulators

Lawmakers said they want rules that would keep drivers safe when they are transporting bodies in Maine.
Published
April 23, 2021

Auburn man, hoping to make a difference from his home, has weighed in on 33 bills — and that’s just this month

Mark Chasse, a retiree, pays close attention to bills under consideration in Augusta and doesn't hesitate to offer his two cents' worth at public hearings.
Published
April 18, 2021

Maine redistricting thrown into confusion by census delay, constitutional Catch-22

The state’s process insulates against gerrymandering, unless one party has supermajority control of the Legislature.
Published
March 26, 2021

Winthrop widow seeks more regulation of funeral home vehicles

After her husband died driving one in 2017, Marie Charest wanted to sue her husband’s employer, but soon learned that she couldn’t because workers’ compensation laws bar it unless a company does something that breaks the law.
Published
March 12, 2021

Maine senator calls for crackdown on ‘snake oil and fine print’ payday loans

State Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford calls for limits on how much lenders can charge for short-term loans to hard-pressed Mainers.
Published
February 23, 2021

Maine Democratic leaders pitch COVID-19 Patient Bill of Rights

Lawmakers hold a public hearing on L.D. 1, which would waive all copayments for testing and vaccinations.
Published
January 27, 2021

Next step for Maine’s climate goals: Proposed laws to make them reality

Dozens of ideas being promoted by lawmakers this year represent the next phase of state government's aggressive effort to address a rapidly changing climate.