The Legislature enacted 116 bills on the special appropriations table. Here’s what that means.
In less than 48 hours, lawmakers had to decide how to appropriate up to $7 million in state funding for nearly 300 bills.
New law aims to expand rural pharmacy access
Closures over the past decade have left many rural communities without a local pharmacy, a Maine Monitor analysis found.
A bill before the Legislature would automatically seal certain criminal records
Supporters say it’s about time. Opponents want to see more research, and say the bill contradicts findings of a recent committee that recommended further study.
Counties and municipalities have spent about $7 million of their opioid settlement funds so far
The money has gone to residential treatment program scholarships, mental health liaisons in police departments and a recovery center in Alfred.
Bill to make opioid settlement spending more transparent advances
L.D. 110 would require the 39 counties and municipalities receiving a direct share of the opioid settlements to submit annual, publicly available reports.
Maine research organizations face uncertainty as Trump administration vows to cut “wasteful spending”
Federal agencies have funded more than a billion dollars in biomedical research in Maine over the past 10 years.
Educators propose new school for teens struggling with addiction in Aroostook County
Spurred by a teacher who has seen the issues wrought by substance use among local teens, the proposal hinges on getting funding from the state’s pool of opioid settlement money.