News Center Maine - For well over thirty years, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, through its annual Kids Count Data Book, has ranked all fifty states on “the overall well-being of children....The numbers are alarming. 74% of fourth graders in Maine aren’t proficient in reading, up from 64% in 2019. 75% of eighth graders aren’t skilled in math, up from 66% six years ago.
Press Herald - 85,000 fewer visitors crossed into Maine from Canada this May compared to last year
Press Herald - Maine won't be spared in the political fight over the future of federal lands as the Trump administration looks to offset tax and spending cuts by slashing conservation programs, opening areas to resource extraction and laying off national park staff. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, told The Maine Monitor that the battle taking place in Washington will likely impact everything from visits to national parks to our ability to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.
The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine
Fair Vote - This month, Maine’s state legislature passed LD 1666, a bill to expand use of ranked choice voting to general elections for governor and the state legislature. The measure now goes to Gov. Janet Mills to sign into law. Currently, Maine uses RCV in all federal elections but only in primaries for state offices. Once signed, LD 1666 may face additional legal challenges due to an earlier opinion from the Maine Supreme Court. Regardless, this is a major step forward for more voter choice and majority winners in the Pine Tree State....
WGAN - A bill aimed at eliminating misleading, deceptive, and fraudulent sales of concert tickets is now law in Maine after being signed by Governor Janet Mills. It requires the prominent display of the total ticket price and bans speculative tickets, such as those that the seller doesn’t have or has not yet gone on sale.
It also requires ticket sellers to provide refunds for counterfeit or canceled tickets and prohibits the sale of duplicate tickets. In addition, it prohibits the use of deceptive website addresses and bots to bypass online sales limits and imposes a price cap on the resale of tickets.
Maine ranks #2 in the nation for most breweries per capita in 2024. That’s 14.3 breweries for every 100,000 people,
WCYY - New laws referred to as ‘no touch’ laws have recently been enacted in dozens of states. How do these changes compare to Maine’s laws?
While these laws are just another added measure, the goal is clear—to help reduce and eventually stop distracted driving. By targeting phone and electronic use behind the wheel, they aim to prevent accidents and keep roads safer across the country.
The Hands-Free Driving Law, effective September 19th, 2019, here in Maine, prohibits holding any electronic device while driving, with exceptions for voice commands or devices mounted to the vehicle for certain functions. Violations carry a minimum $50 fine for the first offense, increasing to $250 for subsequent offenses within three years...
.Again, as highlighted by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety and Maine.gov, the primary exception to Maine's Hands-Free driving law allows drivers, except for those operating on a permit, to use a handheld device in emergencies to contact law enforcement or other emergency services personnel. This provision ensures that individuals can seek help in critical situations without violating the hands-free mandate...
The new ‘no-touch’ laws make it illegal for drivers to hold or physically handle their cell phones or other electronic devices while driving—even to touch the screen—effectively banning all hand contact. In contrast, ‘hands-free’ driving laws permit the use of electronics as long as they remain mounted and are controlled by voice commands, with no manual interaction allowed.