MAINE LEGISLATURE-FACIAL RECOGNITION
Facial recognition bill gets initial approval in Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A proposal for Maine to require statewide regulations on the use of facial recognition by police and other agencies has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature. It was unanimously approved by Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee last month and received initial approval in both chambers of the Legislature this week. The bill’s advocates say the proposal would make Maine the first state to regulate the technology for law enforcement statewide. The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine said unregulated technology would leave Mainers “open to unprecedented surveillance.”
MAINE LEGISLATURE-PUBLIC UTILITY
Proposal to replace Maine power companies moves ahead
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A proposal to replace power companies in Maine with a consumer-owned utility has passed a test in the Maine Legislature. Critics of the two biggest power companies in the state, Versant and Central Maine Power, want to replace the companies with a new utility called Pine Tree Power Company. The Maine Senate voted 19-16 in favor of the bill a day after the Maine House gave its approval. More votes were necessary. The proposal would ultimately allow residents of the state to vote on whether they want to create the new nonprofit utility. Supporters of the move have said they were motivated to propose it by high power costs and frequent outages.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MAINE
Maine to give someone $1 for each vaccinated person in state
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine is going to offer a cash prize of more than $875,000 to try to convince more people in the state to get vaccinated against coronavirus. More than 56% of the state’s total population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. That’s one of the highest percentages in the country. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said Wednesday that the state will hold a drawing to give one vaccinated person $1 for every person vaccinated in Maine by July 4. Entries are due by June 30. That’s the day Maine’s state of the emergency over the coronavirus pandemic is scheduled to end.
CREMATION BUSINESS SUSPENDED
Maine regulators suspend crematorium services
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Maine regulators have filed an order to suspend the operations and the funeral license of Affordable Cremation Solutions after the remains of 11 people were discovered in an unrefrigerated room. The Sun Journal reports that an investigator said that the “odor of decomposition” coming from downstairs gave him a headache while he waited in the upstairs office last week. According to the investigator, at least eight of the bodies had been there since mid-May, and one that was too big for a body bag was in an unsealed box. The suspension is for 30 days, pending a formal hearing that is scheduled for July 13.