Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
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PublishedJuly 3, 2018
Flurry of shootings and stabbings adds to fears for Bayside residents
Neighborhood residents say the amount of violence in a short period is unusual but still intensifies their safety concerns. Portland police say they are moving to address the problems.
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PublishedJuly 2, 2018
Portland proposes $5,000-a-room fee for new hotels to address affordable housing shortage
Officials say the fee is needed because hotels are very profitable, yet rely on low-wage workers, who often can’t afford to live near work.
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PublishedJune 30, 2018
Portland Planning Board gets ball rolling on Commercial Street hotel, condo project
The panel backs the first stage of Hobson’s Landing, featuring 89 housing units, plus a 157-room hotel.
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PublishedJune 15, 2018
Sen. King says U.S. should stop separating families and instead help efforts like Portland’s
The senator tours shelters in the Bayside neighborhood, and says federal support for such efforts is humane and less costly in the long run than the Trump administration policy.
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PublishedJune 15, 2018
Homeless families fuel record use of Portland’s emergency shelters
An average of 520 people stayed overnight in March and April, with much of the increase attributed to immigrants seeking political asylum.
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PublishedJune 11, 2018
Portland says paid sick time proposal could add as much as $400,000 to city budget
The estimated cost includes enforcing the ordinance in the private sector, as well as the cost of providing paid sick time to all city employees.
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PublishedJune 11, 2018
See Portland for what to expect from ranked-choice voting
Portland has used the voting method twice already to choose a mayor.
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PublishedJune 4, 2018
Portland councilors approve development rules aimed at ‘density without claustrophobia’ on Munjoy Hill
The proposal addressing development concerns will allow the city to delay demolition requests for certain buildings.
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PublishedJune 4, 2018
Portland council to take up proposal to slow Munjoy Hill demolitions
The City Council will vote Monday on a plan that would make it harder to tear down and replace older homes, as the East End neighborhood experiences the pressure of development.
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PublishedJune 4, 2018
After year of groundwork, new office expands efforts to integrate immigrants into Portland economy
A TV show, workshops, industry connections and even a game to educate newcomers about available resources are some of the initiatives being rolled out by the city’s Office of Economic Opportunity
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