The state asked for a waiver of the federal six-month waiting period to let asylum seekers go to work, but no such provision exists in federal law.
maine legislature
Posted inLocal & State
Party-line committee vote spells trouble for proposed constitutional right to abortion
The bill now goes to the Senate, where at least two Republicans would need to join with Democrats to get the two-thirds threshold needed for the constitutional amendment.
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Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Maine Republicans oppose background checks for private gun sales
The governor’s office said Republicans mischaracterized the background check proposal and incorrectly stoked fear that it would lead to a registry of firearm owners.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Mills administration to study how state pay stacks up against private sector wages
The administration says it has increased wages 24% in the past 5 years, but union leaders say the pay gap has continued to grow.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Maine governor seeks to navigate treacherous terrain of gun reform
Gov. Janet Mills’ proposal to require background checks for some private firearm sales gives new momentum to an idea that has been defeated multiple times. But political analysts say proponents still will have to overcome Maine’s tradition of hunting and gun ownership.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Lawmakers considering proposal for state board to permit affordable housing
The bill from Rep. Traci Gere, D-Kennebunkport, would give developers proposing affordable housing in areas identified for growth an alternative pathway to having their projects approved.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News, Politics
Lawmakers considering rewrite of voter-approved right to repair law
Right to repair advocates are concerned that the bill would gut the core tenets of the existing law, but legislators are concerned that the law puts consumers and their privacy at risk.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
National gun safety group focuses on reforms in Maine
Everytown for Gun Safety is joining with Moms Demand Action and a Maine state senator to push for significant reforms in Maine to prevent more violence like the mass shooting in Lewiston.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Victim support groups plead for state funds
The Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault estimates Maine services will lose $5.8 million in federal funding this year. The funds cover emergency hotlines and shelter programs for victims of sexual violence.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, Politics
Struggling emergency medical responders still awaiting $31 million in funds approved last year
Bureaucratic hurdles have delayed urgently needed funding for Maine’s struggling ambulance services.