Maine: Emergency order ending; daily cases below 2 dozen
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s emergency order about the coronavirus pandemic is entering its final days. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills declared the “state of civil emergency” in the early days of the pandemic. She has said the order will end on Wednesday. The ordered has allowed Mills to use state resources to try to control the spread of the virus in Maine. Republicans and Democrats have sparred for months about whether the emergency order has gone on for too long. The state’s emergency order is ending as the number of daily new cases of coronavirus has fallen below two dozen.
It’s wicked hot in New England, too
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — New England is starting off the week with heat advisories as the hottest weather of the year envelops the region. While the Pacific Northwest is dealing with record-setting het, the Northeast is also dealing with heat advisories and temperatures approaching 100 degrees. The temperature is forecast to reach 95 degrees Monday in Portland, Maine. But that pales in comparison to 112 degrees recorded the day before in Portland, Oregon.
Motorist tops 100 mph in pursuit spanning 2 counties
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A man who led police on a chase topping 100 mph and spanning two counties is facing numerous charges in Maine. State Police say it started Sunday when the motorist declined to stop for a trooper in Stetson and sped away in a sport utility vehicle. At one point, the motorist stopped, entered a home, and then departed with a stolen vehicle. Police said the man was arrested Sunday in Bangor after the stolen vehicle was disabled by spike mats. It’s unclear if the suspect has an attorney.
Panel sends bipartisan budget proposal to Maine lawmakers
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Legislature will vote later this week on a proposed $8.5 billion budget that includes a $300 payment for most workers. It also reaches the goal of boosting the state’s share of K-12 public education costs to 55%. The appropriations committee announced the bipartisan agreement Sunday evening. The full Legislature is expected to vote on Wednesday, the last day of the fiscal year. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said the budget makes “important, meaningful, and historic progress for Maine people.”
EMERGING DISEASES
CDC gives Maine $7M to prep for future public health crises
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The federal government has given Maine a $7 million boost to help prepare for another public health crisis. Republican Sen. Susan Collins and independent Sen. Angus King said the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has received the money from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About $1.8 million of the money is for preventing and controlling emerging diseases and the rest is for preparing and responding to public health emergencies.
MAINE HOME SALES
Home sales, prices continue to trend up in Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Home sales and home prices in Maine are continuing to trend upward. The Maine Association of Realtors said sales and prices were both up by 28% in May compared to May 2020. The association said high buyer demand is driving the increase in home values. The state’s median sales price was $305,000 in May. That increase was similar to the national increase. The national median sales price increased about 24% to $356,600.
BICENTENNIAL CAPSULE
Mainers asked for suggestions for Bicentennial Time Capsule
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Bicentennial Commission wants to hear from residents about what should go the state’s official Bicentennial Time Capsule. The commission wants to preserve items from our era for future Mainers to rediscover upon the state’s 300th anniversary, a hundred years from now, in the year 2120. The deadline is Aug. 13. The commission will review the submissions and present suggestions for a vote in the fall. The Bicentennial Time Capsule will be dedicated and sealed in a December ceremony in Augusta.
CONGRESS-FILIBUSTER-SENATORS TO WATCH
Senators to watch as Dems debate changing filibuster rules
WASHINGTON (AP) — Looming over the Senate Democrats this year is a decision that could fundamentally change Congress as it has operated for decades. That’s whether they should change or eliminate the rules of the filibuster. Liberal advocates have pushed hard for the change, which could modify or eliminate current rules that require a vote by 60 of the 100 senators to cut off debate and advance a bill. Many Democrats are on board, arguing that Republicans will block almost every one of their priorities in the 50-50 Senate even though Democrats hold Congress and the presidency. But others are wary.
UMAINE TUITION
No tuition hike for in-state students in UMaine system
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — In-state students in the University of Maine system will not see a tuition increase in the coming academic year. The $578 million budget approved Friday by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees holds in-state tuition flat for the seventh time in the last 10 years. The average full-time tuition for Maine students at UMaine system schools will be about $8,500 next academic year. Gov. Janet Mills called the decision a “welcome step forward in keeping public higher education affordable for Maine students. The move comes after Gov. Janet Mills proposed boosting state funding to the UMaine system by about $6 million, or 3 percent.
AERIAL SPRAYING-MAINE
Bill banning aerial herbicides on forestland vetoed by Mill
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Janet Mills has vetoed a bill to ban aerial spraying of some herbicides in forestland in the nation’s most heavily wooded state. Democratic Senate President Troy Jackson, who introduced the legislation, said he was deeply disappointed by the veto and said aerial spraying is “devastating” bodies of water, plants and wildlife. Mills, a Democrat, said she will be issuing an executive order to further limit spraying. But she defended the practice, saying it can be a tool for keeping forests healthy.