Press Herald - Deveral Maine school districts are sticking with new transgender student policies despite a lawsuit that alleges they violate state law and foster hostile environments in schools.
At a school board meeting Tuesday night, officials at Regional School Unit 24 in Hancock County voted to keep the district’s recently-adopted policy barring transgender students from using bathrooms or playing for sports teams that align with their chosen gender.
Press Herald - A new independent poll shows two-term Gov. Janet Mills with a 10-point lead over combat veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary race. The survey of 318 likely Democratic primary voters released Wednesday by Portland-based Pan Atlantic Research shows the 77-year-old Mills with 47% support, compared to 37% for Platner and 14% undecided.
Press Herald
- Users on two online betting platforms are placing money on the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in Maine − and most are wagering that Sullivan oysterman and veteran Graham Platner will win. Platner is leading Gov. Janet Mills on both Polymarket and Kalshi, two sites that allow people to place bets on elections, sports and current events. Some experts say the sites are better predictors than polls of the likely outcome.
- At least two Maine judges have directly assigned public defenders to represent people accused of crimes, bypassing a process established by the state more than a decade ago that discourages judges from selecting lawyers for defendants. Defense leaders worry that appointments made without first going through the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services will overwhelm defenders and impact whether judges are seen as neutral.
- A nearly 400-foot tower that would transform Portland’s skyline moved one step closer to reality Tuesday night when it received unanimous approval from the city’s Planning Board. The 30-story mixed-use, high-rise is proposed for 45 Union St., adjacent to the Old Port. Now, the developer will need to secure building permits, finalize financing and begin work on detailed construction documents.
- Temperatures fall below zero across Maine, but relief is on the horizon
- Maine’s congressional delegation pressing for ACA tax credit compromise
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 16 key indicators of elder-abuse protection. The data set ranges from each state's share of all elder abuse complaints to their laws concerning financial elder abuse.
Elder-Abuse Protections in Maine (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
- Overall Rank: 7th
- 21st – Elder-Abuse, Gross-Neglect & Exploitation Complaints*
- 5th – Total Long-Term Care Ombudsman-Program Funding*
- 30th – Number of Eldercare Organizations & Services*
- 27th – Number of Certified Volunteer Ombudsmen*
- 21st – Nursing-Homes Quality
For the full report