Maine colleges are joining a national trend or scrubbing words like 'diversity' and 'inclusion' from department websites in favor of more neutral terms like 'community' and 'belonging.'

In addition to requiring a photo ID while casting a ballot, the initiative would make it harder to vote absentee and add requirements for municipal elections workers.

The measures include bolstering the state’s enforcement actions, expanding mapping efforts and updating the pay scale for Maine’s chief dam inspector.

The group, led by West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, charges that the Auburn Republican's censure impedes the Legislature's ability to function and represent Mainers.

If approved, the office would be an independent watchdog agency and work with state departments overseeing health and human services, education, law enforcement police and corrections.

Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, is asking the high court to restore her voting and speaking rights while her lawsuit against the House speaker plays out.

The Republican questioned top Trump administrations officials Thursday about tighter security at the northern border and called for a stronger federal response to illegal marijuana growing operations in Maine.

But industry advocates testify against 4 bills that would target illicit cannabis operations allegedly associated with Chinese organized crime that have obtained licenses to grow and sell in Maine's medical market amid a recent law enforcement crackdown.

Indivisible, a progressive 501(c)(4) organization based in Washington, D.C., has more than a dozen local chapters in Maine.

The hearings Thursday come as the Trump administration has sued Maine over its policy allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls sports, adding to the intensity of debate at the State House.

Lawmakers heard emotional testimony about a bill that would provide $3.4 million to keep the Maine Resiliency Center open, especially since the status of a federal grant is uncertain.

House Democrats tried to bypass the usual committee review process to fast-track floor votes on the bipartisan measure — a move that drew Republican criticism and jeopardized the bill.

Democrats in the Legislature gathered to speak out against proposed federal cuts to Medicaid, while Republicans blamed state Democrats, saying the state program is unsustainable.

A bill prohibiting minors from getting married without parental consent became law Tuesday without the signature of Gov. Janet Mills.

The complaint seeks to stop the state health department from implementing a new rule that slashes millions of dollars in reimbursement for the state's largest homeless shelter.

Privacy concerns kept many Mainers from getting the enhanced identification, raising the possibility of travel disruptions and airport delays if the mandate is strictly enforced.

King, a Portland Democrat, joins what is likely to be a crowded field of candidates seeking to replace Gov. Janet Mills, who is prevented from seeking reelection because of term limits.

Maine is the only state in the country that doesn't mandate testing for mold, yeast, chemicals or heavy metal in its medical marijuana. The state's medical growers are fighting to keep it that way.

The latest lawsuit against the Trump administration by Maine and 18 other states asks the courts to reverse staffing and program cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Nearly 190,000 borrowers in Maine hold a collective $6.5 billion in student loan debt that the federal government is now taking steps to collect by garnishing tax returns and Social Security benefits, among other possible moves.

Similar climate superfunds in Vermont and New York, which impose fees on fossil fuel extractors and crude oiler refiners for greenhouse emissions, are being challenged in court by the Trump administration and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The summit, a response to President Donald Trump's aggressive stance on U.S.-Canada relations, would be held in Boston at a date to be determined.

The Republican, who served 2 terms as governor and later mounted an unsuccessful bid for a third, will seek the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Jared Golden.

The Department of the Interior also moved to speed up permitting for a range of energy sources, primarily fossil fuels.

The National Endowment for the Arts notified institutions in Maine and across the country late Friday night that their grants were being terminated.

The loss of $400 million in grants to programs across the country puts at risk the service of more than 120 participants in Maine. Now they're asking, 'Why are we under attack?'

At a public hearing Friday, critics highlighted a range of proposed changes likely to go before voters in November, including restrictions on absentee voting.

She is among several Republican senators who criticized the president's proposal for military spending Friday, as well as proposed cuts to non-military programs.

The Department of Agriculture agreed it will not interfere with Maine school funding based on alleged Title IX violations without following the proper procedure, according to a settlement announced Friday.

Hundreds of people in Portland and other cities across the state joined protests that also marked May Day, which commemorates the historic triumphs and trials of the labor movement internationally.

Revenues are expected to increase slightly in the current year, followed by a slight decrease over the next two years.

Maine is among a minority of states that do not charge electric vehicle registration fees, though that could change with a proposal currently before lawmakers.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in his victory speech that Canada's relationship with America 'is over,' exacerbating concerns among Maine officials and businesses about the impacts a widening international divide will have on the state's economy.

The Senate Appropriations Committee, which the Maine senator chairs, hears from top scientists affected by the cuts, including a researcher from Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory.

Citing Smith's 1950 'Declaration of Conscience' address, King said the issue is not President Donald Trump's agenda, but his apparent attempts to centralize power, including by 'ignoring the Constitution' and the rule of law.

The bill, submitted in response to a high-profile case in 2022, would raise fines from $1,500 per violation to $25,000 — and more if the violator is shown to have benefited or committed prior violations.

A bill before lawmakers would require state and local governments to provide notice and hold hearings before removing a homeless person's belongings from public property.

The Auburn Republican said she has filed an emergency application with the nation's highest court after 2 lower courts denied a temporary restoration of her voting and speaking privileges as her lawsuit against the House speaker plays out.

Maine's Republican senator is in a tough political spot, and her latest favorability numbers show it.

This is the first publicly known instance of an international student in Maine losing their visa, although the ACLU filed a lawsuit last week to restore the status of international students in New England who have been targeted.

The governor spoke with a Press Herald reporter this week and said she has 'no plans' to run for higher office, at least right now, despite building herself a national reputation for standing up to President Donald Trump.

The state's education leaders said signing the letter would 'bind the Maine DOE to language of executive orders or other federal guidance without the force of law.'

Meanwhile, most Mainers surveyed said they expect prices to rise because of tariffs and two-thirds believe a recession is likely in the next year.

The lawsuit says the tariff policy has been subject to President Donald Trump’s ‘whims rather than the sound exercise of lawful authority.’

A bill before a legislative committee would test the use of cameras and sensors to identify and automatically ticket speeders in highway construction zones.

The proposal, intended to keep more children out of Maine's only youth prison and instead address their needs elsewhere, was presented to the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee last week.

The Legislature's labor committee on Wednesday aired more than a dozen bills that would amend, delay or outright repeal the 2023 law.

The emergency bill makes it easier for judges to appoint lawyers for people who can't afford one themselves, and it authorizes the state to hire 5 new public defenders.

The state's higher education leaders say Republican-backed bills to raise endowment taxes would produce negligible benefits while forcing schools to slash financial aid and operating budgets.

Jordan Wood has experience as a congressional staff member and has worked as an advocate for campaign finance reform.