Beacon (2025)

15/07/2025

A new Gallup poll shows a significant shift in public opinion on immigration just months into Trump’s renewed push for mass deportations. Only 30% of Americans now say fewer immigrants should be allowed entry to the U.S. — nearly half last year’s figure — and a record 79% view immigration as good for the country.

In Maine, immigration-related arrests have more than doubled, sparking community outcry and new legislation to limit local cooperation with federal enforcement. Maine People’s Alliance organizer Megan Smith says Mainers increasingly recognize the moral and economic value of protecting immigrant families.

“They are our neighbors,” Smith said. “They are people we know and love and who add to our community every day, and we shouldn’t be using local resources to help the federal government.”

Click the link below to read the full story!

Just months since President Donald Trump was elected on the promise of mass deportations, a new Gallup poll shows Americans’ views on immigration have changed significantly. Just 30% of people want less immigration, falling by nearly half since last year, while a record 79% of Americans now say i

14/07/2025

Maine Democrats are calling out Sen. Susan Collins for voting to advance the recently passed Republican budget bill — and for her attempts to justify that vote. The bill is expected to result in tens of thousands of Mainers losing access to food assistance, heating aid, and health care.

“I'm not just saying that Senator Susan Collins lied. I can prove it,” said Sen. Mike Tipping at a press conference outside of Collins’ Bangor office. “We have the receipts.”

Click the link below to read the full story.

Maine Democrats say Sen. Susan Collins’ efforts to justify her procedural vote to advance Senate Republicans’ budget bill don’t hold water — and Collins needs to be held accountable for her role in advancing the bill, which will gut essential programs and harm tens of thousands of Mainers. ....

11/07/2025

This week on the podcast, Cate chats with Garrett Martin of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. They do some unpacking on what the new federal tax bill really means for Maine families.

Garrett breaks down how deep cuts to programs, like stricter work requirements for Medicaid and food assistance could leave many Mainers without essential supports. He also highlights who really benefits from the bill and talks about why it’s time for Maine to do what the federal government isn’t, and make our tax system fairer.

Subscribe to the Beacon podcast on Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!

This week on the podcast, Cate chats with Garrett Martin of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. They do some unpacking on what the new federal tax bill really means for Maine families. Garrett breaks down how deep cuts to programs, like stricter work requirements for Medicaid and food assistanc

10/07/2025

The Maine Recovery Access Project (ME-RAP) has officially opened its Access Center in downtown Augusta, transforming a long-vacant building into a hub for recovery, harm reduction, and support services. Funded by opioid settlement dollars and supported by local partnerships, the center offers everything from recovery meetings and job help to showers and syringe disposal.

“The Access Center is more than just a building — it’s a community-built recovery hub rooted in love, hope, and solidarity,” said Courtney Gary-Allen, executive director of ME-RAP. “By blending recovery support with harm reduction, we’re meeting people where they’re at and proving what’s possible when we lead with love, solidarity, and relentless hope.”

Click the link below to read the full story!

More than 180 community members, advocates, and lawmakers gathered Wednesday in Augusta to celebrate the grand opening of the Access Center, a new grassroots hub led by the Maine Recovery Access Project (ME-RAP). The space aims to support individuals in recovery and those navigating challenges relat

10/07/2025

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is warning that a provision in the new federal budget bill could jeopardize care for thousands of Mainers. The measure blocks Medicaid reimbursements to the organization, meaning it can continue to serve Medicaid patients — but without being paid.

PPNNE leaders say the move could cost the organization $5 million and threaten access to essential services like cancer screenings, STI treatment, and birth control. “People are going to suffer,” said CEO Nicole Clegg, who called the decision a politically motivated attack on reproductive health care.

While state lawmakers recently approved $6 million for family planning services, Planned Parenthood says more support will be needed to meet growing demand and protect access for Maine patients.

Click the link below to read the full story.

Thousands of patients in Maine could lose access to essential health care after Congress moved to block Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, according to leaders from Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE). The change stems from a provision in the newly passed federal budget recon

08/07/2025

Maine labor advocates celebrated several victories this session — including new shutdown protections for public workers, minimum wage expansion for farmworkers, and clean energy bills with strong labor standards. But they also voiced frustration over stalled progress on state employee pay equity and farmworker organizing rights.

“Union members are really going to need to continue to show up for each other and stand together,” said Beth White of the Maine Service Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989. “We have over 100 years of experience fighting for justice, and now is the time to flex those muscles again.”

Click the link below to read the full story!

Labor leaders are celebrating a string of victories at the State House this year — from new shutdown protections to expanded clean energy jobs — but say lawmakers missed key opportunities to address chronic issues like the state worker pay gap and farm labor rights. One win was the passage of a ...

07/07/2025

Mainers woke up to higher electricity bills this past Tuesday, and prices could continue to rise. A new Republican-backed federal budget bill threatens clean energy progress and could increase household energy costs while cutting thousands of jobs nationally. The legislation rolls back tax credits for renewables, EVs, and home energy upgrades, despite opposition from Maine’s entire congressional delegation.

In Maine, 1,600 jobs are forecast to evaporate and average household energy costs are expected to rise $80 per year by 2035, said Dan O’Brien, a senior modeling analyst at Energy Innovation.

“Maine already has quite high power prices,” O’Brien said. “But by passing a renewable standard last month, the legislature is effectively shielding Mainers from some of the price spikes and volatility of imported thermal fuels. Sure, the cost of adding new renewables will go up due to repealed tax credits, but there will be so much less gas and petroleum use on the grid that power prices won’t increase to quite the same degree as in states with heavy grid fossil reliance.”

Click the link below to read the full story. Originally published by The Maine Monitor.

On Tuesday morning, hundreds of thousands of Mainers woke up to higher electricity bills. Central Maine Power’s rate hike, its second in as many years, was largely driven by the utility’s need to recover costs from severe storms in the last few years — the type of extreme weather events that a...

07/07/2025

On the podcast, Andy O’Brien from the Maine AFL-CIO provides an overview of the wins and losses for labor from the 2025 legislative session. Key wins included the rejection of $40 million in childcare cuts, continued funding for free school meals, improved retirement security for mental health workers, and expanding minimum wage to farm workers.

Andy also shares some disappointments, such as the Gov. Janet Mill’s veto of farm workers’ rights and the failure to address state staffing crises.

“I think it is really important to creating an environment where we elect progressive, pro worker candidates and make lasting change,” Andy shared. “And I think there’s a lot of opportunity to do that. … I am always hopeful in seeing the power of organizing and what ordinary people can do when they get organized and fight back.”

Click the link below to listen to the full podcast!

This week on the podcast, Andy O'Brien from the Maine AFL-CIO provides an overview of the wins and losses for labor from the 2025 legislative session. Key wins included the rejection of $40 million in childcare cuts, continued funding for free school meals, improved retirement security for mental he

03/07/2025

The U.S. House passed President Trump’s 2025 budget bill, slashing Medicaid, food assistance, and clean energy investments while delivering permanent tax cuts to the ultra wealthy. Garret Martin, the president and CEO of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said that this bill results in the largest upward transfer of wealth in U.S. history, “making it even harder for Mainers to get a fair shot at a good life.”

“Let’s be clear: every Republican in Congress is complicit,” Martin said “A handful of party-sanctioned ‘no’ votes from politically vulnerable members do nothing to stop the carnage when leadership rigs the rules and rams the bill through. Congress has abdicated its duty as a co-equal branch of government and turned its back on fiscal sanity, rural communities, and the working people who keep Maine running.”

Click the link below to read the full story.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s budget reconciliation bill Thursday, resulting in devastating effects on Maine’s working families, rural communities, and access to health care. Gov. Janet Mills condemned the legislation as “ugly” and “purely partisan,” w...

02/07/2025

With federal cuts to food assistance and health care looming due to President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, Maine lawmakers passed several new laws to strengthen support for Maine’s unhoused community and public health. One measure directs $4.5 million to keep emergency homeless shelters open. Another waives fees for unhoused youth who need access to vital records.

“At a time when the federal government is threatening to eliminate critical resources for people experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty, Maine is ensuring vital supports for people in our state,” said Terence Miller, advocacy director at Preble Street.

Click the link below to read the full story!

With federal threats to food assistance and health care looming due to President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, Maine lawmakers approved a series of measures this session aimed at protecting the state’s most vulnerable residents. Among the new laws is LD 698, sponsored by Sen. Rachel Talbot Ros...

01/07/2025

While the U.S. Senate narrowly passed President Trump’s budget bill earlier today — with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote — nurses from across Maine rallied outside Sen. Susan Collins’ Portland office to protest the budget's proposed cuts to Medicaid and health care access. Collins ultimately voted against the bill, but she enabled its advancement days earlier. It is estimated that this budget will strip health care coverage from 60,000 Mainers.

“We're going to continue to hold [Collins] accountable,” said Janel Crowley, a registered nurse at Maine Medical Center, “and we would like her to help us in holding her colleagues in the House and Senate accountable to kill this bill and not implement it.”

The bill now heads to the U.S. House for a final vote.

Click the link below to read the full story.

Nurses from across Maine gathered outside Sen. Susan Collins’ Portland office Tuesday to protest the extensive health care cuts included in President Donald Trump’s budget proposal. The U.S. Senate passed the bill in the same moment the rally was happening. Organized by National Nurses United, t

01/07/2025

Maine is now on a faster path to 100% clean electricity. Under a new law, the state must hit 90% renewable and 10% low- or zero-carbon energy by 2040 — a decade earlier than previous targets. The policy expands what is included in clean energy and directs regulators to seek lower-cost, regional energy contracts to benefit Maine ratepayers.

“Expanded eligibility to meet Maine’s decarbonization goals and flexibility for new technologies to contribute once they become viable will support the most affordable, reliable portfolio of resources,” lead sponsor Sen. Mark Lawrence (D-York) told fellow members of the energy, utilities and technology committee in May.

Click the link below to read the full story. Originally posted by The Maine Monitor.

Legislation signed by Gov. Janet Mills this month codifies and fast-tracks Maine’s transition to 100 percent clean energy amid growing uncertainty about the future of federal tax credits for renewable energy projects. The law, L.D. 1868, advances Maine’s previous energy goals by a decade. It req...

Beacon

15/07/2025

14/07/2025

11/07/2025

10/07/2025

10/07/2025

08/07/2025

07/07/2025

07/07/2025

03/07/2025

02/07/2025

01/07/2025

01/07/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share