Maine Morning Star
@mainemorningstar.com
Maine Morning Star is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news site covering state policy and politics. It is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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Maine Morning Star
@mainemorningstar.com
· Nov 13
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Hey there. We are a nonprofit news site and part of the States Newsroom network. We are focused on how policy decisions made in Augusta affect communities all across Maine. Follow along here to see our work, and you can also sign up to receive our newsletter: mainemorningstar.com/subscribe/
Maine courts and public defenders disagree over indigent defense attorney appointments
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Maine courts and public defenders disagree over indigent defense attorney appointments • Maine Morning Star
The judicial branch and public defenders disagree on who should be appointing, supervising and paying for indigent defense attorneys
mainemorningstar.com
February 20, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Maine courts and public defenders disagree over indigent defense attorney appointments
mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/19/m...
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Maine’s property tax task force releases initial recommendations to reduce burden mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/19/m...
Maine’s property tax task force releases initial recommendations to reduce burden • Maine Morning Star
While there is bipartisan agreement that Maine’s property tax burden is too high, legislators from both parties last year decided to hold off on substantial reform until a task force they convened…
mainemorningstar.com
February 19, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Maine’s property tax task force releases initial recommendations to reduce burden mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/19/m...
Offshore wind triumphs over Trump in court, but future projects face delays via @stateline.org
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Offshore wind triumphs over Trump in court, but future projects face delays • Maine Morning Star
The five East Coast offshore wind projects that recently won court victories over the Trump administration have restarted construction, but they make up just a small fraction of Atlantic states’…
mainemorningstar.com
February 19, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Offshore wind triumphs over Trump in court, but future projects face delays via @stateline.org
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Lawmakers again consider returning more sovereignty to Wabanaki Nations.
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Lawmakers again consider returning more sovereignty to Wabanaki Nations • Maine Morning Star
The movement to return more sovereignty to the Wabanaki Nations continues as lawmakers and members of the public convene Thursday to reignite debate, even as the prospect of full restoration under…
mainemorningstar.com
February 19, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Lawmakers again consider returning more sovereignty to Wabanaki Nations.
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As hospitals close their maternity wards at a faster rate, a new proposal would require them to give the state at least 120 days notice before ending or reducing maternity or newborn care services. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/18/a...
As maternity wards close across Maine, a new bill would mandate 120-day notice • Maine Morning Star
As hospitals close their maternity wards, a new proposal would require them to give the state at least 120 days notice
mainemorningstar.com
February 18, 2026 at 9:37 PM
As hospitals close their maternity wards at a faster rate, a new proposal would require them to give the state at least 120 days notice before ending or reducing maternity or newborn care services. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/18/a...
Facing simultaneous federal funding reductions and increasing state costs for health care, Gov. Janet Mills’ plan to fill those budget gaps drew mixed feedback during a hearing Tuesday. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/18/h...
How state funds MaineCare again at center of budget debate • Maine Morning Star
Facing simultaneous federal funding reductions and increasing state costs for health care, Gov. Janet Mills’ plan to fill those budget gaps drew mixed feedback during a hearing Tuesday, with many…
mainemorningstar.com
February 18, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Facing simultaneous federal funding reductions and increasing state costs for health care, Gov. Janet Mills’ plan to fill those budget gaps drew mixed feedback during a hearing Tuesday. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/18/h...
Four more measles cases confirmed in Penobscot County mainemorningstar.com/briefs/four-...
Four more measles cases confirmed in Penobscot County • Maine Morning Star
Four additional measles cases in Penobscot County were confirmed this week, ten days after the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported Maine’s first case of the highly contagious…
mainemorningstar.com
February 18, 2026 at 2:15 AM
Four more measles cases confirmed in Penobscot County mainemorningstar.com/briefs/four-...
A ‘servant leader’ honored: The nation pays tribute to Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/r...
A ‘servant leader’ honored: The nation pays tribute to Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon • Maine Morning Star
WASHINGTON — Tributes poured in across the country for the revered civil rights figure the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., who died Tuesday morning at 84. The two-time Democratic presidential hopeful and…
mainemorningstar.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:15 AM
A ‘servant leader’ honored: The nation pays tribute to Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/r...
Lawmakers look to old school buildings as potential for new housing mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/l...
Lawmakers look to old school buildings as potential for new housing • Maine Morning Star
A new proposal seeks to create a fund to help municipalities redevelop vacant school buildings into housing.
mainemorningstar.com
February 17, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Lawmakers look to old school buildings as potential for new housing mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/l...
High housing costs, shortages propel movement on reform in Congress mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/r...
High housing costs, shortages propel movement on reform in Congress • Maine Morning Star
WASHINGTON — Republicans, Democrats and the White House are methodically, calmly inching toward a common goal: agreeing on a thick package of laws that would do something quickly about slowing…
mainemorningstar.com
February 17, 2026 at 8:52 PM
High housing costs, shortages propel movement on reform in Congress mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/r...
As Trump administration pushes for more detentions, immigrants’ options for parole shrink | via @Stateline.org mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/r...
As Trump administration pushes for more detentions, immigrants’ options for parole shrink • Maine Morning Star
Despite immigration detention numbers receding from recent highs and even as conservative judges are opting to release more detainees by rejecting President Donald Trump’s mass detention policy,…
mainemorningstar.com
February 17, 2026 at 6:45 PM
As Trump administration pushes for more detentions, immigrants’ options for parole shrink | via @Stateline.org mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/r...
What’s driving up Maine’s energy bills? Natural gas. | via @CanaryMedia.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/w...
What’s driving up Maine’s energy bills? Natural gas. • Maine Morning Star
Natural gas, not solar panels and wind turbines, is the primary driver behind soaring power prices in Maine, according to a new report released this week by the state’s energy department. Mainers pay…
mainemorningstar.com
February 17, 2026 at 5:16 PM
What’s driving up Maine’s energy bills? Natural gas. | via @CanaryMedia.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/w...
What Merrimack documents reveal about Trump’s plan for nationwide immigrant detention network | via @NewHampshireBulletin.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/r...
What Merrimack documents reveal about Trump's plan for nationwide immigrant detention network • Maine Morning Star
In an effort to carry out President Donald Trump’s goal of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, the federal government is creating a network of immigrant detention centers across the country…
mainemorningstar.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:15 PM
What Merrimack documents reveal about Trump’s plan for nationwide immigrant detention network | via @NewHampshireBulletin.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/17/r...
Lawmakers pressed the Maine Department of Health and Human Services over a federal audit finding $45 million in potentially improper payments
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Lawmakers question Maine’s health department after federal audit • Maine Morning Star
Lawmakers pressed the Maine Department of Health and Human Services over a federal audit finding $45 million in potentially improper payments
mainemorningstar.com
February 17, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Lawmakers pressed the Maine Department of Health and Human Services over a federal audit finding $45 million in potentially improper payments
mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/16/l...
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Early voting is underway for a legislative special election to fill the vacant Maine House of Representatives seat for Lewiston. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/16/l...
Lewiston special election candidates highlight housing, affordability, immigration enforcement
Early voting is already underway in the Feb. 24 Maine House District 94 election
mainemorningstar.com
February 16, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Early voting is underway for a legislative special election to fill the vacant Maine House of Representatives seat for Lewiston. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/16/l...
A Valentine’s story in the tundra: How two whimbrels reunite each year in Arctic Alaska to mate | via @AlaskaBeacon.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/14/r...
A Valentine’s story in the tundra: How two whimbrels reunite each year in Arctic Alaska to mate
mainemorningstar.com
February 14, 2026 at 2:15 PM
A Valentine’s story in the tundra: How two whimbrels reunite each year in Arctic Alaska to mate | via @AlaskaBeacon.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/14/r...
Clock ticks toward Department of Homeland Security shutdown after midnight deadline | via @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/13/r...
Clock ticks toward Department of Homeland Security shutdown after midnight deadline • Maine Morning Star
WASHINGTON — The second partial government shutdown in 2026 was set to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, after lawmakers left the nation’s capital without reaching a deal on changes to immigration…
mainemorningstar.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Clock ticks toward Department of Homeland Security shutdown after midnight deadline | via @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/13/r...
With growing concern about the prevalence of forever chemicals in Mainers’ drinking water, a proposal to fund the testing and clean-up of affected private wells is headed to a vote in the Maine Legislature.
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Worried about PFAS in your drinking water? Legislators advance plan to test and treat wells • Maine Morning Star
With growing concern about the prevalence of forever chemicals in Mainers’ drinking water, a proposal to fund the testing and clean-up of affected private wells is headed to a vote in the Maine…
mainemorningstar.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:00 PM
With growing concern about the prevalence of forever chemicals in Mainers’ drinking water, a proposal to fund the testing and clean-up of affected private wells is headed to a vote in the Maine Legislature.
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Federal agencies did not communicate with Maine’s state or local law enforcement during last month’s immigration enforcement surge, according to two top law enforcement officials.
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Maine law enforcement heads say immigration agencies did not communicate plans during recent surge • Maine Morning Star
Federal agencies did not communicate with or brief Maine’s state or local law enforcement during last month’s immigration enforcement surge, according to the heads of the Maine Department of Public…
mainemorningstar.com
February 13, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Federal agencies did not communicate with Maine’s state or local law enforcement during last month’s immigration enforcement surge, according to two top law enforcement officials.
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Maine is among the states that recently enacted a law requiring Medicaid and health insurance companies cover non-opioid pain medications as an alternative to opioids, which can be cheaper for insurers but also more addictive for patients. | via @Stateline.org mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/13/r...
More states are requiring insurers to cover non-opioid pain meds • Maine Morning Star
More states are requiring their Medicaid programs and health insurance companies to cover non-opioid pain medications as an alternative to opioids, which can be cheaper for insurers but also more…
mainemorningstar.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Maine is among the states that recently enacted a law requiring Medicaid and health insurance companies cover non-opioid pain medications as an alternative to opioids, which can be cheaper for insurers but also more addictive for patients. | via @Stateline.org mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/13/r...
Members of Congress again challenge Noem policy limiting visits to immigration facilities | via @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/13/r...
Members of Congress again challenge Noem policy limiting visits to immigration facilities • Maine Morning Star
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress on Thursday sought a ruling from a federal judge to block yet another Department of Homeland Security policy that required a notice for lawmakers to conduct oversight…
mainemorningstar.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Members of Congress again challenge Noem policy limiting visits to immigration facilities | via @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/13/r...
Maine community colleges optimistic about tuition-free future after cost cuts and surging support mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/13/m...
Maine community colleges optimistic about tuition-free future after cost cuts and surging support • Maine Morning Star
After months of limbo, the Maine Community College System is optimistic that the state Legislature will make the free college pilot permanent. Last session, the Legislature did not fund Maine’s free…
mainemorningstar.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Maine community colleges optimistic about tuition-free future after cost cuts and surging support mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/13/m...
Department of Homeland Security shutdown nears, as US Senate remains stuck on funding | via @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/12/r...
Department of Homeland Security shutdown nears, as US Senate remains stuck on funding • Maine Morning Star
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill remained at a stalemate Thursday over bans on face masks and other immigration tactics as a Friday night deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security…
mainemorningstar.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Department of Homeland Security shutdown nears, as US Senate remains stuck on funding | via @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/12/r...
Maine Gov. Janet Mills said President Trump's rollback of greenhouse gas regulations "disregards years of scientific research and data, leaving American families to feel the pain with dirtier air, poorer health, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/12/r...
Trump administration completes rollback of Obama-era greenhouse gas regulations • Maine Morning Star
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and his top environmental policy officer finalized a move Thursday to undo an Environmental Protection Agency regulation that laid the foundation for federal rules…
mainemorningstar.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Maine Gov. Janet Mills said President Trump's rollback of greenhouse gas regulations "disregards years of scientific research and data, leaving American families to feel the pain with dirtier air, poorer health, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/12/r...
US senators denounce immigration agents’ use of force in deadly Minneapolis shootings | via @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/12/r...
US senators denounce immigration agents’ use of force in deadly Minneapolis shootings • Maine Morning Star
WASHINGTON — The top leaders of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee showed a play-by-play video leading up to the fatal shooting in Minneapolis of Alex Pretti by Customs…
mainemorningstar.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:59 PM
US senators denounce immigration agents’ use of force in deadly Minneapolis shootings | via @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/12/r...