Emily Bader

77 posts

Emily Bader is a health care and general assignment reporter for The Maine Monitor where she covers substance use, mental health and access to care.

She is particularly interested in exploring how these issues affect Mainers’ everyday lives, how communities are seeking solutions and in serving as a watchdog on decision-makers.

Prior to joining The Monitor, Emily was a reporter for three years at local Maine papers. She has earned recognition from the New England Newspaper & Press Association, Maine Public Health Association, National Newspaper Association Foundation and Maine Press Association. She is a member of Investigative Editors & Reporters and the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Contact Emily via email with questions, concerns or story ideas: emMEMONily themainemonitor org

Contact Emily via Signal: 207-370-8719

Language(s) Spoken: English

A sign on a wall reads “Every overdose is a policy failure. We need action.”

Local governments across Maine spent $3 million in opioid settlement funds last year. There’s $19 million left in their accounts, and more on the way.

Counties and municipalities were required to report their spending for the first time earlier this year. Money went to addiction treatment in jails, behavioral health workers, recovery centers and more.

ByEmily Bader

March 3, 2026

Charts: See what local governments spent on addiction treatment and recovery projects last year

Here’s how Maine’s counties, cities and towns used their opioid settlement funds in 2025, and who was involved in the decisions.

ByEmily Bader

March 3, 2026

Maine’s red flag law goes live in February. What will that look like?

Two years after the Lewiston mass shootings, Maine voters approved a red flag law. Supporters say it’s a critical tool for preventing violence.

ByEmily Bader

January 18, 2026

The agency that negotiated the opioid settlements has the fewest reporting requirements. Here’s how it’s spending its money.

The attorney general’s office has no formal distribution process and says it can respond “quickly and creatively” to urgent funding requests.

ByEmily Bader

December 21, 2025

A University of Southern Maine sign in front of a building.

Maine center guiding local opioid settlement spending says data will be public early next year

The USM-based center is providing technical support as millions of dollars flow into local governments to combat the opioid crisis.

ByEmily Bader

November 23, 2025

Two years after Lewiston shooting, Maine voters approve red flag law

The ballot question, brought forward through a citizen initiative process, came after efforts to pass stricter gun laws failed in the state legislature.

ByEmily Bader

November 5, 2025

a sign urging voters to vote no on Question 1.

Maine rejects voter ID, absentee voting limits

Opponents of Question 1 called the defeat a victory for “voting rights and for Maine voters.”

ByEmily Bader

November 5, 2025