Maine Legislature

Lawmakers from Maine and Massachusetts also said New England should take a regional approach to PFAS, especially amid uncertainty over the Trump administration's plans for regulating the "forever chemicals."

While Democrats in some left-leaning states are pledging to respond to Texas Republicans' attempts at gerrymandering, Maine's constitution requires the redistricting process to be bipartisan.

Those are two of roughly 60 bills that Mills is holding onto until state lawmakers return to Augusta either later this year or in January. She then has the option of either vetoing the measures or allowing them to become law without her signature.

Gov. Janet Mills has signed a bill to offer state-backed no-interest loans to federal and state employees if they are furloughed or required to work without pay during a federal or state shutdown.

Maine has amended its Death with Dignity Act to let doctors reduce the waiting period from 17 to as few as seven days, aiming to ease patient suffering. Supporters call it compassionate; critics warn of risks.

Libby, R-Auburn, alleges in a federal lawsuit that Maine's House Speaker violated her free speech rights by preventing her from voting or speaking on the House floor following a formal reprimand.

Mills plans to hold onto the legislation, which would have limited how much local and state police in Maine can collaborate with federal immigration agents seeking to round up and deport non-citizens.

Gov. Janet Mills has vetoed five bills enacted by the Maine Legislature and lawmakers have been unable to muster the two-thirds support needed to override her.

Nearly 300 bills had received initial approval in the House and Senate but were awaiting funding decisions by the budget-writing committee. Lawmakers will vote on more than 80 of those on Wednesday as well as at least five vetoes from Gov. Janet Mills.

The roughly $320 million spending bill would provide tens of millions of dollars to nursing homes and plug a funding shortfall in the state's Medicaid program. But it would also increase taxes on tobacco, cannabis and popular video and audio streaming services.