Briefs
Millions in debt, low-barrier shelters warn committee they are at risk of closing
Hope House Health and Living Center, a low-barrier homeless shelter in Bangor is searching for a new financial partner. Without it, the shelter will need to close come next October. Currently, the shelter has an $800,000 budget gap, according to remarks made by Lori Dwyer, president and CEO of Penobscot Community Healthcare, which runs the […]
Mills administration awards $1.3 million to support green energy and tech businesses in Maine
The administration of Governor Janet Mills on Tuesday announced that three organizations have been selected to receive a total of $1.3 million in funding to help advance the green energy economy in Maine. In a statement, Mills said the investments will “further establish our state’s leadership in developing forward-looking technologies to reduce our reliance on […]
State officials project budget surplus, union says excess could close pay gap
Unionized state workers argue Maine has the resources to meet their ongoing demands to close the pay gap, citing the projected $265 million budget surplus for the current biennial state budget announced by the Revenue Forecasting Commission on Tuesday. State executive branch workers in the Maine Service Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees […]
Advocates say projected revenue surplus should be spent on housing, childcare and other social services
Maine’s Revenue Forecasting Committee on Tuesday projected that the state will have a $265 million budget surplus over fiscal years 2024 and 2025 and an additional $257 million over the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years, continuing a trend of revenue growth that dates back to the pandemic. State officials said Tuesday that the projected revenue […]
Making space for people sleeping outside, Portland to open new asylum seeker shelter
A new emergency shelter is opening Wednesday in Portland with 179 beds and wrap-around services for asylum seekers. The shelter is opening due to increased demand from asylum seeking individuals, according to a news release from the city. The roughly 16,000 square-foot facility at 166 Riverside Street will be operated by city of Portland Health […]
Maine Bureau of Insurance warns about scams when searching online for health coverage
The Maine Bureau of Insurance on Monday warned customers to be careful when searching online for health insurance, warning that they could end unintentionally up with a policy with limited benefits. Open enrollment in Maine began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 16, during which time many Mainers will purchase insurance plans. In a news […]
Three presidential debates, one VP debate scheduled ahead of 2024 election
WASHINGTON — The Democratic and Republican nominees for president would debate three times next year if both candidates agree to a schedule released Monday by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. “The United States’ general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates […]
Millworkers vote to reject Woodland Pulp offer, continue strike
A strike at Woodland Pulp, Washington County’s largest employer, will continue—for now— after workers decisively voted late last week to reject an offer that they said was in some ways regressive. Union workers at the mill represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1490, the Service Employees International Union Local […]
Lewiston shooting commission pursuing subpoena power from state legislature
At its first meeting, the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston decided to move forward with obtaining subpoena power to ensure it can gather all the necessary information to understand the state’s deadliest mass shooting. The commission unanimously agreed Monday to ask Gov. Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey […]
Biden signs stopgap spending bill, avoiding government shutdown
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has signed the stopgap spending bill, giving his administration and Congress about two months to work out agreement on the dozen annual spending bills. Those appropriations measures were supposed to become law by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, but disagreement about whether to adhere to the […]
Gov. Mills, congressional delegation want vital fishing area free of offshore wind development
Despite last month’s proposed map for offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine being dubbed a victory for the fishing industry, Maine’s congressional delegation and Gov. Janet Mills are calling for more. Along with Mills, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King along with Reps. Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree sent a letter urging that […]
Maine’s funding for affordable broadband is running out
More than 94,000 low-income households in Maine could lose access to their discounted broadband connection as early as April. Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal program that provides eligible households with a discount on broadband service and connected devices, is predicted to run out by the spring if all eligible households enroll, according […]