Gov. Janet Mills on Friday signed into law an $11.3 billion budget that was passed by Democrats early Friday over the objections of Republicans.

The Senate's confirmation of Lipez to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court fills a yearlong vacancy on the state's highest court.

The department sends billions of dollars a year to schools and oversees $1.6 trillion in federal student loans.

An emergency bill sought to compromise the demands of Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services as the state faces a constitutional violation over a lack of court-appointed attorneys.

The proposal comes as advocates have noted an increase in threats against abortion providers in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Inflation and a runaway hot real estate market have led to a spike in property taxes across Maine — an issue that came into focus last year when lawmakers repealed a new program that froze property taxes for older adults because it was financially unsustainable.

The Senate will have a final vote on Julia Lipez's nomination to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and Darcie McElwee's to the Superior Court.

Meanwhile, the Maine Principals' Association has challenged the Trump administration's findings from a separate federal investigation into the body's rules regarding transgender athletes.

Lawmakers have started questioning what the current economy inside Maine's prisons looks like since the Department of Corrections proposed some new fees for its inmates.

A bill before lawmakers would raise funding for shelters by $5 million, but the Mills administration has said it can't identify revenues to support it.

A bill that will likely include substantial cuts to the program has passed the U.S. House and will be considered by the Senate this year.

They warn that it is already understaffed and that further cuts, including the possible closure of the Presque Isle office, could lead to major disruptions for 355,000 older and disabled Mainers.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rejected calls for impeachment — a rare step usually taken only in cases of grave ethical or criminal misconduct — as an inappropriate response to a ruling the president doesn't like.

The federal DHHS says the state is in violation of Title IX and must accept a proposed resolution, which includes returning federal funding and retraining staff, or risk referral to the Justice Department 'for appropriate action.'

Sen. Angus King joins dozens of Senate colleagues in calling for the funding to be restored.

Sen. Mattie Daughtry and community college leaders say students receiving free tuition often need support in other areas — including housing, food and counseling — to succeed in higher education.

Dr. Rasha Alawieh arrived at Boston Logan International Airport on Thursday and was detained at least 36 hours before being sent back to Lebanon, despite a judge's order that a hearing be held first.

The president singled out Maine's governor in a Feb. 21 meeting at the White House; she replied, 'See you in court.' Some national observers say Maine is feeling the consequences.

Researchers with the University of Maine System are working on a report about the formula for funding school districts, which many administrators say doesn't reflect the current realities of providing an education to all students.

While Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King voted for the spending measure to avoid a shutdown, it eliminates millions of dollars of so-called earmarks for projects in Maine and nationwide.

Democrats have brought forward a 'continuing services' budget to fund MaineCare and other core government functions; it advanced out of committee Friday and will go to the full Legislature.

In the end, enough Democratic senators decided a shutdown would be worse than the Republican plan and backed Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's strategy to allow the bill to advance.

The compromise deal rejected Thursday would have restored full MaineCare funding to hospitals and other medical providers. Lawmakers will now have to negotiate a new bill.

More than a dozen states filed a federal lawsuit alleging cuts to the U.S. Department of Education's workforce, including all of the staff at a regional office in Boston, will harm students from public K-12 schools to higher education.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker denied the attorney general's call to restore the waiting period for gun purchases while waiting for a federal appeals court to take up the case.

Senate President Mattie Daughtry, a Democrat, accused Republicans of 'moving the goalpost' with their call for reforms and said lawmakers are out of time to get a budget passed.

A radiation safety officer position once slated for elimination is not part of the latest round of cuts, the VA confirmed.

The Republican state lawmaker's case will now be considered by a federal judge from Rhode Island.

The 2nd District congressman broke with the rest of his party's members, many of whom said they were worried about the discretion that the bill gives the Trump administration on spending decisions.

A compromise proposal for funding a MaineCare shortfall failed to get the two-thirds support needed to pass it as emergency legislation Tuesday night in the Senate, sending lawmakers back to the drawing board.

The Auburn Republican is arguing that her constitutional rights have been violated after Democrats voted to bar her from voting and speaking on the House floor.

A plan to cut hundreds of contracted workers may include a key 'radiation safety officer' position and other jobs at the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta.

If Congress doesn't pass a stopgap spending bill by midnight Friday, the federal government will shut down nonessential services.

As questions over sports and health care for transgender people roil Maine and the nation, advocates say Maine’s protections remain strong.

State officials say the legislation unfairly singles out the Office of Cannabis Policy and undermines the executive branch, while supporters say it's an important step in restoring trust and transparency for the industry.

LePage, who is registered to vote in Florida, is said to be weighing a run in Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

The state will begin reducing MaineCare reimbursements to small rural hospitals and withhold reimbursements for larger claims on Wednesday if lawmakers do not pass an emergency supplemental budget.

The measure was brought forward by the Maine Gun Safety Coalition after lawmakers failed to pass a red flag law last year in the wake of the Lewiston mass shooting.

Jackson, a Democrat from Allagash who served 3 terms as Senate president, announced Friday he is forming an exploratory committee as he considers a 2026 run for governor.

President Donald Trump on Thursday postponed 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada for a month amid widespread fears of the economic fallout from a broader trade war.

A bill before lawmakers is proposing $6.18 million in new annual funding for family planning services including birth control, cancer screenings and gynecological care.

Transportation accounts for nearly half of the carbon emissions in Maine and expanding electric vehicle use would help the state achieve its target of reducing greenhouse gases by 45% in 5 years.

The decision, dated Feb. 25, came just days after the administration announced its investigation and does not appear to be based on conversations with state officials.

Rep. Lucas Lanigan, R-Sanford, is now representing himself in the criminal case and said he would only take a plea deal if it includes dismissing his charges.

A sharply divided Supreme Court has rejected a Trump administration push to rebuke a federal judge who imposed a quick deadline to release billions of dollars in foreign aid

The Health and Human Services committee voted Wednesday to take Gov. Janet Mills' proposed cuts to a child care supplement program out of the state's 2-year budget.

The more than 90-minute address added up to a defiant sales pitch for the policies that Trump promised during his campaign and leaned into during his first weeks back in office.

Maine's program is the only one of 34 nationwide that has lost its funding so far, and the move comes on the heels of the president's threat to cut Maine's federal funding over a disagreement about transgender athletes.

The state's medical market lacks the same safeguards for contaminant testing as its recreational counterpart.

The protest was meant to coincide with others around the country and came as Trump was scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.