Maine Things Considered

State wildlife officials say nuisance bear complaints, an annual rite of spring in Maine, have begun this year. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife black bear biologist Jennifer Vachon says natural foods are fairly limited in the spring and that’s when people start having black bear problems. “The most common types of problems that we have are usually bears getting into bird feeders and birdseed and garbage,” she says. Vachon says the key is trying to prevent a problem before it

The LePage administration is seeking federal permission to change the eligibility rules for MaineCare, the state version of Medicaid. If approved, able-bodied adults would have to meet work requirements and chip in on their health care. State officials say the changes would make the program financially stable and help enrollees become self-sufficient. But at a public comment hearing in Portland on Wednesday, those opposed say the changes will cut access to health care, which contradicts the real

By a single vote, the Maine House rejected a proposal that would make it a crime to lie to a legislative committee. Supporters, like Republican state Rep. Richard Pickett of Dixfield, say that lawmakers need to be sure what they are told in testimony is truthful. “We have very important business to do in this body and we need to have the truth come before us each and every time so that we can make good, knowledgeable, informed decisions,” he says. Opponents say the measure would be very

Every year, kids in Maine schools have to take all kinds of standardized tests, each with its own acronym — MEA, SAT, NWEA. Students who are still in the process of learning English have to take a test called the ACCESS for ELLs, or “English language learners,” which gauges English proficiency in other subjects, such as science and math. Maine’s standard for this test is the highest in the country, and some teachers believe it’s hurting students emotionally and academically. In Portland, there’s

The Maine Legislature is considering a bill that would allow legal action be taken for the wrongful death of a fetus. The measure is similar to legislation in other states, but opponents, including abortion rights advocates, say it will infringe on a woman’s right to control her own health. The proposal sets viability at 24 weeks, and would allow parents to file a wrongful death suit for actions leading to the death of a fetus over that age. State Rep. Ellie Espling, a Republican from New

Former politician, historian and philanthropist Neil Rolde has died. Rolde, who authored more than a dozen books and served as Democratic leader in the Maine House in the 1970s, is being remembered for his public service and contributions to Maine history.

Point Lepreau is a nuclear power plant just across the border in Saint John. Next month its operating license expires, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is considering whether to renew it for another five years. While that’s not a long amount of time for a 30-year-old plant, there are passionate arguments for and against its operation and implications for an entire region.

It's become a chronic problem in Maine: The state has failed to provide enough resources for court-appointed attorneys who represent low income clients. This year, the funding has dried up two months early.

Under the Republican-backed health care plan passed by the U.S. House earlier this month, the federal Medicaid program would undergo a major overhaul. States would receive a fixed amount of money for the program, versus the open-ended federal support they now get.

Members of the Katahdin-area business community want Maine and the nation to know that support for the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is growing, even among those who initially opposed the 88,000-acre conveyance from Maine environmentalist Roxanne Quimby.

State lawmakers are decelerating a bill designed to give victims of violent crimes the same legal standing as those accused of committing them. The model legislation is backed by high-powered lobbyists and financed by a California billionaire. It also had the backing of the entire legislative leadership. But some lawmakers are worried about implications to the justice system and its financial costs.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that about 34,000 Americans contracted hepatitis C in 2015. Maine has also seen an increase in reported infections. Cases of acute hepatitis C nearly tripled nationally from 2010 to 2015, according to the CDC. Maine’s rate also tripled within that time frame, and state epidemiologist Dr. Siiri Bennett says it’s likely connected to another public health issue.

The Maine House has rejected a bill, supported by Gov. Paul LePage, that would allow cities and towns to bill individuals for the cost of using Narcan and similar drugs to revive them during a drug overdose. The preliminary vote was 81-67.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is considering whether a 34-year-old nuclear power plant just across the border from Maine should be relicensed for another five years.

It’s Thursday and time for the Across the Aisle, our weekly roundtable on politics. This week, Dick Woodbury, an economist who served in the Legislature as an independent; Meredith Strang Burgess of Burgess Advertising, a former Republican lawmaker; and Cynthia Dill, an attorney who served in Augusta as a Democrat.