07/30/2020 AUGUSTA – Oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits will be distributed in northeastern Maine beginning on or about August 3 through August 7 as part of ongoing, cooperative rabies control efforts aimed at reducing the spread of raccoon rabies in Maine. Approximately 385,000 ORV baits targeting raccoons will be distributed by air and ground over a 2,650-square-mile area. Wildlife Services, a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, will distribute the ORV baits in cooperation with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). ORV baits are coated with fishmeal and distributed in one-inch square cubes or two-inch plastic sachets. Humans and pets cannot get rabies from contact with the baits but should leave them undisturbed. This […]

07/30/2020 AUGUSTA- The Mills Administration announced today an investment of $1 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to significantly and quickly expand services to help reduce the disproportionately large racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 in Maine. This funding through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will expand education, prevention, and eligibility for services currently supported by the Coronavirus Relief Fund. Generally, it will include individuals referred to DHHS by communities at elevated risk of COVID-19. It will support temporary wrap-around services such as food as well as referrals to existing child care, health care, and income support programs. This funding will be provided directly to community-based organizations that are run and led by the communities they serve. […]

Augusta, MAINE – The Mills Administration announced today an adjustment to the limit on large gatherings for outdoor activities from 50 to 100 people, effective August 1, 2020. Under the increase, however, no more than 5 people are allowed per 1,000 square feet in order to maintain appropriate physical distancing.    “Recent scientific evidence gives us a better understanding of the relative safety of outdoor activities, as compared to indoor activities,” said Jeanne Lambrew, Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services. “We continue to welcome opportunities for Maine people and businesses to interact in ways that the science indicates pose less risk. Physical distancing, face coverings and hand hygiene remain vital to preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Maine as we take this step.”  The adjustment in the outdoor gathering limit is in line with Maine’s evidence-based approach to COVID-19 restrictions and reflects […]

July 15, 2020 By Ramona du Houx Maine voters overwhelmingly approved Question 1 on the statewide ballot, authorizing a $15 million bond investment to increase access to high speed internet in underserved and unserved areas of the state. “Voters were clear. They understand that access to high speed internet is a necessity and that no community in Maine should be left behind,” said Nick Battista, co-chair of the Yes on 1 for Better Internet campaign. “Question 1 will help our economy to recover from economic hardships caused by COVID-19, strengthen Maine’s rural economy and help families to connect to their jobs, schools and loved ones. I want to thank all of our partners who supported this campaign, and the voters who […]

July 15, 2020 By Ramona du Houx Efforts to Block Ranked-choice Voting Fail The campaign to repeal ranked-choice voting for president failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot in November. “Voters in Maine have made up their minds about ranked choice voting. They like it, it’s easy to understand and it gives them more voice,” said David Farmer, a spokesperson for the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting 2020. “Even after spending more than half a million dollars, opponents of ranked-choice voting couldn’t convince Mainers otherwise. In November, Maine voters will be able to rank their choices for president in a historic first. Today is a good day for voters and for democracy.” “We are grateful to live […]

07/14/2020   Maine Attorney General Aaron M. Frey joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general urging the United States Senate to provide robust financial support for childcare providers in the next federal stimulus bill amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter sent to Senate leadership today, the coalition of attorneys general called on Congress to provide robust funding to address the immediate needs of childcare systems around the country. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some childcare providers are operating at reduced capacity or have closed, leaving them with little to no revenue to cover payroll, rent, insurance, and other fixed costs. This additional financial support would help childcare providers fulfill these financial obligations so that they may remain open and […]

07/07/2020 By Ramona du Houx United States District Judge Lance Walker ruled on July 7, 2020 in favor of a landmark privacy law passed by the Maine Legislature and signed by Governor Janet Mills in 2019. The law, LD 946, “An Act To Protect the Privacy of Online Customer Information,” was sponsored by State Senator Shenna Bellows of Manchester and prevents broadband internet service providers operating in Maine from selling or sharing a customer’s personal data without the customers permission. The groundbreaking law was challenged in federal court on preemption and First Amendment grounds by large telecom industry organizations. The Office of the Maine Attorney General defended the Act. “I enthusiastically supported Senator Bellows bill when it was introduced because […]

Op-ed by Bruce Van Note, Maine’s transportation commissioner There has never been a more important transportation bond vote in Maine than the one to be decided on July 14. Question 2 asks voters if they support a $105 million state investment in Maine’s transportation infrastructure. This bond will be used to match an estimated $275 million in federal and other funds. Like past years, the vast majority of these funds will be used for highway and bridge projects statewide as planned by the Maine Department of Transportation. Unlike past years, approval of this bond is needed to support projects ready to go to construction this year. If this bond does not pass, the Department of Transportation will have no choice […]

07/09/2020 Article and photo taken in Portland, Maine by Ramona du Houx Maine’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women  released its 2020 report to Governor Janet Mills and the Maine Legislature on July 9, 2020. The Commission researches and prepares a biennial report https://www.maine.gov/sos/womens-comm/index.html for the legislature that reflects the current status of women and girls in Maine and recommends policy options that will improve their lives. “We are proud of the progress women have made in our states first 200 years of statehood, but as this report shows, Maine women still disproportionately struggle for economic security, experience domestic and sexual violence, and lack access to health care,” said Commissioners Rebecca Austin and Kate Elmes, in a joint statement. The institutional […]