AUGUSTA – Rep. Vicki Doudera, D-Camden, introduced legislation before the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee on Tuesday that would increase penalties for use violations of herbicides and pesticides.

Doudera was compelled to pursue the legislation after learning of the poisoning of a Camden resident’s trees by a neighbor in 2022. The incident made national news and revealed weaknesses in the way the state assesses penalties for those who knowingly abuse pesticides. 

AUGUSTA – Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, joined 47 Maine House and Senate members in sending a letter urging Maine’s Congressional Delegation to work to reinstate funding for AmeriCorps programming across the country that was recently cut by the Trump Administration.  

Last Friday, the AmeriCorps agency immediately terminated close to $400 million in grant program funding, leaving all of Maine’s AmeriCorps grants, totaling over $4 million, at risk. 

AUGUSTA – Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, joined 47 Maine House and Senate members in sending a letter urging Maine’s Congressional Delegation to work to reinstate funding for AmeriCorps programming across the country that was recently cut by the Trump Administration.  

Last Friday, the AmeriCorps agency immediately terminated close to $400 million in grant program funding, leaving all of Maine’s AmeriCorps grants, totaling over $4 million, at risk. 

AUGUSTA – On Tuesday, the Maine House and Senate voted to advance a bill sponsored by Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Freeport, that would provide funding for the Low Income Assistance Program (LIAP) to help Mainers pay their electric bills. The bill passed the House 120-26 and was approved unanimously in the Senate. The House gave final approval on Wednesday. 

By Rep. Parnell Terry

AUGUSTA – Rep.

AUGUSTA – Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, was named House Chair of Maine’s Citizen Trade Policy Commission (CTPC) last Thursday. His appointment by House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, was confirmed Tuesday by the Legislature.  

AUGUSTA – Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, introduced a bill before the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee Thursday that would establish a Working Waterfront Infrastructure Engineer Corps to help protect Maine’s coastline communities and habitat.  

AUGUSTA – On Thursday, the Legislative Council voted to advance an emergency bill from Rep.

AUGUSTA - Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio, D-Sanford, introduced a bill before the Legislature’s Transportation Committee on Thursday that would make learner’s permits more accessible for students between the ages of 15-and-a-half and 18 years of age.