Randy Billings
Kennebec Journal
Portland, ME, United States
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Past articles by Randy:
Lawmakers hear passionate debate over restoring parole in Maine
Advocates said parole is the hope incarcerated people need to better their lives and become productive, but opponents say it will only cause additional trauma to victims and survivors of violent crimes. → Read More
Maine Senate strongly endorses Ukraine resolution that divided House members
The 27-4 vote came two days after the same resolution sparked a testy debate in the House, where 53 of 67 Republicans and one Democrat voted in opposition. → Read More
Gov. Mills, lawmakers clash over printing tribal treaty language in Maine Constitution
Supporters of House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross' bill say it is a powerful truth-seeking measure,' while the governor's office dismisses it as 'a misguided attempt to right a historical wrong that never occurred.' → Read More
Resolution supporting Ukraine sparks angry exchange in Maine House
The nearly hourlong debate highlights growing divisions about how much longer the U.S. should continue funding Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia's invasion. → Read More
Fake school threats lead to calls for harsher penalties
Ten schools in Maine were swatted on Nov. 15, leading to scores of students barricading themselves in their classrooms, armed police officers roaming school hallways looking for nonexistent shooters, and parents wondering if they would see their children again. → Read More
Republicans hope 20-year-old spending cap helps cut Mills’ budget
If left unamended, a safety valve tied to Maine's commitment to fund 55% of public education could chop almost half of Gov. Janet Mills' $900 million proposal. → Read More
Republicans hope 20-year-old spending cap helps cut Mills’ budget
If left unamended, a safety valve tied to Maine's commitment to fund 55% of public education could chop almost half of Gov. Janet Mills' $900 million proposal. → Read More
Talbot Ross among Black leaders honored at White House ceremony
Maine House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, was one of five Black house speakers honored at the event. → Read More
Increased pay has bolstered ranks of attorneys representing indigent clients
But the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services says that the pay increase needs to be extended beyond this summer and that more needs to be done to stabilize the program and meet the state’s constitutional obligations. → Read More
Top job, low pay: No governor makes less than Maine’s
There's a new bipartisan push to raise the $70,000 salary for the state's chief executive. But plenty of previous attempts have failed. → Read More
Bill seeks to crack down on vehicles covered in snow, ice
The bill would give drivers 48 hours to clear snow and ice from their vehicles, but it faces opposition from commercial truckers. → Read More
Brewer lawmaker revives effort to ban child marriages in Maine
The legislation by Rep. Kevin O'Connell is part of a broader push to eliminate child marriage in the United States, and elsewhere, to prevent the exploitation of minors, especially girls. → Read More
Waldoboro lawmaker to be arraigned Thursday on forgery charges
Democratic Rep. Clinton Collamore, Sr. is charged with 20 counts of aggravated forgery, 11 counts of unsworn falsification and one count of violating the Maine Clean Election Act. → Read More
State did not mishandle case of child who died from overdose, report says
Three-year-old Hailey Goding overdosed on her mother's drugs after state caseworkers had investigated a previous report of drug exposure. → Read More
Lawmakers launch probe of Maine Veterans’ Homes finances
The director of the state's nonpartisan watchdog agency said he received a whistleblower complaint from someone in a position to know about financial problems, but no details were disclosed. → Read More
Lawmakers finalize changes to current state budget
The package endorsed by the Legislature's budget committee does not boost funding the state's indigent legal services program because state officials found existing funds to increase pay for participating attorneys. → Read More
Maine officials believed relief checks were tax exempt – but never asked the IRS
Lawmakers who negotiated the payments say they believed the pandemic-era aid would be tax-free, but a Maine Revenue Service official says no such assurance was made. → Read More
Committee endorses bill to enhance information sharing about potential criminal activity by police officers
The bill would require a prospective employer to report any suspected or confirmed criminal activity uncovered during a police officer's background investigation or polygraph exam to the applicant's current employer. → Read More
Maine lawmakers renew push for faster work permits for asylum seekers
Efforts dating to 2015 have failed to gain traction in Congress, stalling in the polarized debates over immigration reform and border security. → Read More
Maine House speaker strips committee assignment of indicted Democrat
Rep. Clinton E. Collamore Sr. has faced calls to resign since being indicted in December on multiple counts of aggravated forgery, unsworn falsification and violations of the Clean Election Act. → Read More