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1 week ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
President Donald Trump’s (R) approval rating is holding steady at 47 percent, while a strong majority of Americans have expressed support for a range of his Administration’s policies, including reducing waste in the federal government and deporting criminal illegal immigrants, a new poll shows. More nuanced positions begin to emerge, however, when respondents for the May 2025 Harvard/Harris Poll were asked more in-depth questions about these issues.
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1 week ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
In what is appearing increasingly to be a personally-driven showdown, President Donald Trump vowed this week to strip America’s oldest university of more federal funding and revenue sources and suggested billions of tax-dollars would be better spent on trade schools than on the famously elite institution.
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2 weeks ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
District Court Judge Lance Walker heard arguments Thursday morning in a lawsuit filed against members of the state’s ethics commission and Attorney General Aaron Frey over the new limits on PAC contributions approved by voters in November.
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2 weeks ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
Lawmakers on the Legislature’s tax committee are expected to unanimously reject a bill that would impose an additional four percent tax on capital gains earned by residents over a certain threshold. Capital gains refers to the increase in the value of an asset between the time it is acquired and when it is sold. These assets include a wide range of investments, including stocks, bonds, or real estate, as well as items purchased for personal use, like furniture or a boat.
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2 weeks ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s (R) executive order aiming to dismantle the Department of Education, arguing that doing so requires Congressional approval.
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2 weeks ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
The United States House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including provisions for tax cuts, welfare reform, funding border security, cutting spending in various areas, and raising the debt ceiling, by a single vote early Thursday morning. Both of Maine’s Democratic U.S. representatives voted in opposition to this bill alongside all other members of their party. Two Republicans — Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — also voted against the legislation.
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2 weeks ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
The nation’s first Catholic charter school remains stymied by an Oklahoma court’s chokehold after the United States Supreme Court was unable to reach a majority consensus as to whether or not it is constitutional for it to receive public funds. Because the Court reached a 4-4 decision, the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling against the proposed charter school will stand.
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2 weeks ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
Legislators have unanimously rejected a proposal to make free community college a permanent fixture in Maine, bringing an end to a state-sponsored tuition waiver.. Introduced by Rep. Holly T. Sargent (D-York) and cosponsored by a number of other Democratic lawmakers, LD 1118 would have permanently made community college free for all Maine residents — a benefit that was introduced as an extraordinary, COVID-related measure three years ago. [RELATED: Should Community College Continue to Be Free?
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2 weeks ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
A bill sponsored by Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) aiming to provide millions of dollars in continuing support for the Maine Community College System has been unanimously rejected after the Senate took no action to bring it to the floor for a vote this week. LD 680 sought to give millions of dollars in ongoing funding to the state’s seven community colleges to “support students’ learning and completion for a credential of value,” its text reads.
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2 weeks ago | 
themainewire.com | Libby Palanza
A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Tuesday in favor of state Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) that restored for voting rights in the Maine House raises some question about the legal clout of Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, who argued the nation’s highest court shouldn’t review the censured lawmaker’s case. AG Frey made headlines at home in Maine earlier this month by filing an amicus curiae brief to SCOTUS asking them deny Rep.
