Maine Politics

State lawmakers have fallen well short of overriding Gov. Janet Mills' veto of bills to boost the incomes of some farm workers and to prohibit businesses linked to foreign governments from participating in Maine ballot campaigns in Maine.

Post-viability abortions in Maine are rare. There were no abortions after 20 weeks in 2021.

Health advocates are once again urging state lawmakers to ban the sale of flavored tobacco and electronic smoking cartridges in Maine, citing a surge in youth vaping in recent years.

Lawmakers heard testimony on bills that target vaccine mandates, and those specifically for COVID-19 vaccines. Debunked claims that were spread during the pandemic became a central feature of the hearing.

Such a move – “majority budget” in Augusta-speak – is rare, but it happened as recently as 2021. And it could happen next week.

During public testimony on Tuesday, foreign-trained medical professionals and others urged lawmakers to form a committee to look into potential fixes.

Gov. Janet Mills held a private meeting Tuesday with legislative leaders and budget writers to discuss negotiations over the state's next two-year spending plan. The discussion comes amid growing concern from Republicans that Democrats will flex their majority to ram through the governor's $10.3 billion proposal.

In many ways the address mirrored the first one that took place 21 years ago. This time, however, the tribes addressed state lawmakers who are far more receptive to their main goal — greater self-governance — than the legislators who preceded them.

State lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday about a proposed constitutional amendment that aims to reverse a nearly 150-year-old decision to stop printing a portion of Maine's Constitution related to the Wabanaki nations.

Maine tribal members couldn't vote when the Baxter State Park Authority was created in 1931. Now lawmakers are considering whether a tribal member should have a say in how the park is run.