Beacon (Maine)

Beacon is a platform that includes both a website and a podcast, launched by the Maine People’s Alliance. Its purpose is to showcase the stories of ordinary Mainers, provide insights into the political and policy matters that impact the lives of people in Maine, and advocate for a progressive perspective that values community, equity, and future investments.

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Maine farmers, others hurt by USDA freeze on funding grants

2 months ago | mainebeacon.com | Julia Tilton

Kevin Leavitt was just days away from getting reimbursed by the U.S. government for $48,000 when the Trump administration signed an executive order freezing federal funding and stopping payments to farmers across the country. Leavitt, who owns Farmer Kev’s Organic in West Gardiner, Maine, was authorized to receive money through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
‘It just feels disrespectful’: Veteran and former Togus employee speaks out about DOGE firing

2 months ago | mainebeacon.com | Andy O'Brien

On Monday night, probationary employees of the Veterans Administration’s Togus VA Medical Center in Chelsea were informed by email that they had been fired without any prior notice or due process. Like other probationary federal employees, the Trump administration informed Togus workers that they are being fired for “poor performance,” despite having exemplary records. The impacted VA employees were immediately locked out of their email.
‘Nothing stable about this’: Unions warn shipyard workers against Musk’s federal buyout offer

2 months ago | mainebeacon.com | Andy O'Brien

The Metal Trades Council, which represents 3,000 workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, is advising members against accepting the Elon Musk’s federal employment buyout offer, according to SeacoastOnline. In an effort to slash the federal government’s civilian workforce, the Trump administration has promised federal workers to pay their salaries until September 30 without requiring them to work if they sign a separation agreement.
Maine workers oppose bill that undermines unions and drive down wages

2 months ago | mainebeacon.com | Andy O'Brien

Union workers from all over Maine testified against a so-called “right-to-work” bill designed to weaken the collective power of workers and drive down wages on Wednesday, Feb. 12. LD 187, An Act to Prohibit Labor Organizations from Imposing Mandatory Service Fees on Nonmembers, sponsored by Rep. Josh Morris (R-Turner), would outlaw union security agreements in contracts between workers and employers.
Record number of Mainers enrolled in online health care marketplace

Feb 7, 2025 | mainebeacon.com | Kathryn Carley

Consumer advocates in Maine said the availability of enhanced subsidies have helped record numbers of people get the health care coverage they need. Nearly 65,000 Mainers enrolled in health plans this year through the state’s online marketplace. Rachel Collamore, consumer assistance program manager at Augusta-based Consumers for Affordable Health Care, said more people are catching problems early and avoiding trips to the emergency room.
‘Do we hit pause? Do we pull the plug?’: In Maine, questions follow federal funding freeze

Feb 5, 2025 | mainebeacon.com | Josh Keefe |Rose Lundy |Emily Bader |Stephanie McFeeters

On Tuesday morning, Claire Berkowitz, the CEO of Midcoast Maine Community Action in Bath, got some unusual and frightening news: her organization couldn’t access the federal funding it needed to run its Head Start program. Soon, she was hearing the same thing from her counterparts across Maine. “My first thought was ‘How can that be?’” said Berkowitz, who also serves as the chair of the statewide Maine Community Action Partnership.
Rural Mainers struggle to find recovery housing

Feb 3, 2025 | mainebeacon.com | Kathryn Carley

More than half of rural residents with substance use disorder have experienced homelessness in the past six months, according to a new study. Those who care for people with drug and other addictions in Maine said many people entering “sober homes” have spent time in jail or a shelter, since there is a critical shortage of affordable housing statewide.
Governor Mills’ budget proposal: key takeaways and recommendations

Jan 22, 2025 | mainebeacon.com | James Myall

On January 10, Governor Janet Mills unveiled her budget plans for Maine through 2027. While the proposal balances the budget through some revenue increases, it largely relies on cuts to previous commitments, impacting vulnerable Mainers and low wage workers while letting the rich and big corporations — whose wealth largely surged during the pandemic — off the hook.
Opinion: Voter suppression initiative uses Jim Crow-style playbook to get more power for Republicans

Jan 15, 2025 | mainebeacon.com | Ethan Strimling

Maine Republicans have only been in power in Augusta for two of the past 50 years (they have only held the trifecta of the House, Senate, and Governorship once since 1975). That is a very long reign of futility. I assume that’s why they’re trying to suppress voters they don’t like — the poor, the elderly, communities of color — by proposing a voter ID referendum. The reason for their generational failures at the ballot box is multi-faceted, of course.
Maine’s yellow flag law in three charts

Jan 14, 2025 | mainebeacon.com | Emily Bader

Use of Maine’s yellow flag law has grown dramatically since the Lewiston mass shootings: law enforcement agencies completed more than 500 weapons restriction orders in the past 14 months, up from fewer than 100 in the three years prior to the tragedy. Since August, when an amendment to the yellow flag law went into effect, officers have had the option to apply for a warrant when trying to bring people into protective custody, which is the first step for a weapons restriction order.