Billy Kobin

Augusta, Maine

Political Reporter at Bangor Daily News

Helping cover politics @bangordailynews // Previously @courierjournal // Proud alum @NorthwesternU // Wisconsinite // Be kind.

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Articles

Paul LePage baselessly claims there was illegal voting in race he lost to Janet Mills

1 day ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

PoliticsOur political journalists are based in the Maine State House and have deep source networks across the partisan spectrum in communities all over the state. Their coverage aims to cut through major debates and probe how officials make decisions. Read more Politics coverage here. Former Gov. Paul LePage used his first radio appearance since announcing a bid for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District to claim the 2022 election he lost to Gov. Janet Mills was “bought” and featured illegal voting.
UMaine engineering center lays off 9, citing Donald Trump’s research cuts

2 days ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

The University of Maine’s high-profile engineering and offshore wind research hub laid off nine employees this week after President Donald Trump’s administration paused millions in awards to help the center build floating turbines and complete other projects. Leaders with the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center told staff earlier this week in a message that nine employees were notified of layoffs.
Mainstream Democrats are openly talking about dumping Jared Golden

2 days ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

Want the latest political news? Subscribers of Pocket Politics get breaking news and analysis on their phones before the stories go anywhere else. Text POLITICS to 207-288-7412 to get in. First two weeks are free, $3.99/month after that. Cancel any time. All links to the site are free. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden is perennially considered a vulnerable Democrat by way of representing a rural Maine district that has backed President Donald Trump, but next year’s potential matchup against former Gov.
Mainstream Democrats are openly talking about dumping Jared Golden

2 days ago | observer-me.com | Billy Kobin

By Billy Kobin, Bangor Daily News StaffU.S. Rep. Jared Golden is perennially considered a vulnerable Democrat by way of representing a rural Maine district that has backed President Donald Trump, but next year’s potential matchup against former Gov. Paul LePage may not be his first challenge.
Sharply divided Maine House marks Jan. 6 riots as ‘day to remember’

3 days ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

The Maine House of Representatives passed Tuesday a Democratic proposal to designate the U.S. Capitol riots of Jan. 6, 2021, as a “day to remember,” following floor speeches that included a Republican defending her presence in Washington that day. The bill from Rep.
The unregulated and potent hemp products on Maine shelves

4 days ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

Years after Congress passed a milestone Farm Bill, an alliance of marijuana and health advocates are raising the alarm about how a loophole has permitted sales of intoxicating hemp products that appear on shelves with few regulations. The federal legislation in 2018 legalized hemp, which is cannabis with less than 0.3 percent of THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana.
Donald Trump’s administration gives $8M to center serving Lewiston shooting survivors

1 week ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

AUGUSTA, Maine — President Donald Trump’s administration will give a roughly $8.5 million grant to support the Maine Resiliency Center and ongoing efforts to serve those affected by the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston that was the deadliest in state history.
High school athletes headline long day of testimony on Maine transgender laws

1 week ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

AUGUSTA, Maine — High school students took center stage at the State House on Thursday to testify on Republican proposals that would ban transgender girls from girls sports, the issue over which President Donald Trump has targeted Maine. The marathon day of testimony before the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee focused on bills seeking to ban transgender girls from competing in sports aligned with their gender identity.
Maine Republicans’ anti-transgender bills go beyond sports

1 week ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

AUGUSTA, Maine — Numerous proposals from Republican lawmakers seeking to change Maine’s policies on transgender athletes after President Donald Trump targeted the state will receive hearings Thursday and go far beyond sports. The Judiciary Committee is expecting an all-day marathon of testimony on the seven Republican bills in addition to one other from Sen. David Haggan, R-Hampden, that would repeal legal protections for those who seek or provide gender-affirming care.
Federal money is held up for Lewiston mass shooting recovery efforts

1 week ago | bangordailynews.com | Billy Kobin

AUGUSTA, Maine — Lawmakers are trying to give more than $3 million in state funding to the Maine Resiliency Center that continues serving those affected by the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston that was the state’s deadliest on record. But additional federal dollars that could help keep the center located in Lewiston up and running have not yet been released by President Donald Trump’s administration. Sen.