The Maine Senate reversed itself on Tuesday to support the repeal of a religious exemption to school vaccine requirements by a single vote, putting the controversial priority of Democrats who lead the Legislature back on track for passage.
Maine’s federally recognized Indian tribes are seeking to restore their ability to prosecute non-Indians in domestic violence and certain other crimes committed on tribal land.
It could be a stalemate day in the Maine Legislature on Tuesday, when lawmakers are scheduled to vote on bills including an equal-rights amendment, as well as proposals to expand and reduce the use of ranked-choice voting.
Democrats on a legislative committee endorsed a bill Friday that would have Maine switch from nominating caucuses to a state-run primary for the 2020 presidential election in a national transition away from the few remaining caucuses.
Most Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives reversed themselves on Thursday to uphold the first veto from Gov. Janet Mills, spiking a proposed ban on the sale of a blend of gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol.
A bill to increase Maine’s minimum teacher salary to $40,000 won support in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, likely portending a victory for Democrats and the state teachers union, who have been working since 2014 to enact such a measure.
Following the advocacy of Maine’s U.S. Sens. Susans Collins and Angus King, the federal government will release an additional 30,000 H-2B visas, with the application period beginning Wednesday and lasting for one week.
A first-in-the-nation compromise bill that would mandate paid leave in 85 percent of Maine’s workforce is sailing for passage through the Democratic-led Legislature after easily gaining initial approval in a Senate vote on Tuesday.
For “big pharma,” a lion’s den might seem more hospitable than the Maine Legislature this year.
The committee tasked with paying for Gov. Janet Mills’ January inaugural festivities still needs to raise just more than $67,000 to settle most of its tab from the Augusta Civic Center. Settling that debt may have to wait until early summer.
