Stories by Michael Shepherd

Good morning from Augusta. A largely unheralded 2016 legislative move made Maine a presidential primary state, but a quirk took the law off the books.

Good morning from Augusta. Maine is promising “a big week” for its Medicaid expansion push after enrolling more than 2,100 people in the nascent program so far during the first month of Gov. Janet Mills’ tenure ahead of her first budget proposal.

A longtime lobbyist for Maine doctors and public health advocate was introduced Thursday as Gov. Janet Mills’ pick to manage her new administration’s response to the state’s opioid crisis.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins will vote for President Donald Trump’s offer to reopen the federal government for $5.7 billion in border wall funding and a rival Democratic plan that will also come up for a Senate vote on Thursday.

Good morning from Augusta, where Gov. Janet Mills marked the 46th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion with a news conference signaling that her administration would work to counter anti-abortion efforts at the state and national levels.

Good morning from Augusta, where Medicaid expansion is ticking on under Gov. Janet Mills and a staff at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services that has done a 180-degree turn from the new governor’s predecessor in less than three weeks.

After a long history of being the main funding source for state government, the property tax lives on as the mainstay for every Maine city and town budget.

The field of potential opponents to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins hasn’t expanded much since her 2018 vote for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh that looks to have rearranged the Republican’s base of support along party lines.

Former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree was introduced Thursday as Gov. Janet Mills pick to run a rebranded policy office aimed at focusing on the state’s economic future, though its ramp-up will require legislative approval.

Good morning from Augusta. Gov. Janet Mills has said she won’t call for higher taxes in her first two-year budget proposal. She also wants to spend more to work toward fully funding Maine’s share of education costs, increase property tax relief and pay for Medicaid expansion.