Articles – 2022

Electoral protections advance but tribal sovereignty provision left out of massive federal bill; The omnibus spending bill must pass the Senate and House to become law before the new Congress convenes on Jan. 4; Portland Press Herald; WORLD & NATION, 21 December 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A6

Bill to protect electoral vote counts could pass next week, but time is short; Congressional leaders say reforms to the 1887 Electoral Count Act will be attached to a giant federal spending bill headed for a vote before Congress adjourns; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 15 December 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Harvard study finds sovereignty constraints on Maine tribes caused them enormous economic damage; The Harvard Kennedy School study found Maine tribes’ economies grew by only 9 percent since 1989, far below the U.S. tribal average of 61 percent; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 9 December 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

As Maine’s influence in Congress wanes, Sen. Collins holds on to clout; Rep. Chellie Pingree will lose ground next year in a Republican-controlled House, but the Republican senator’s seniority makes her the vice chair of Appropriations, where Democrats will rely on her endorsements; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE, 27 November 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

In Europe’s capital, relief that midterms kept democracy’s enemies in check; European Union members have a lot at stake in the U.S. relationship, which has been on shaky footing since the rise of Donald Trump; Maine Sunday Telegram; INSIGHT, 27 November 2022, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, p. D1

As Maine’s influence in Congress wanes, Sen. Collins holds on to clout; Rep. Chellie Pingree will lose ground next year in a Republican-controlled House, but the Republican senator’s seniority makes her the vice chair of Appropriations, where Democrats will rely on her endorsements; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE, 27 November 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Collins says Republican Party needs to take ‘hard look’ at itself; Maine’s senior senator says the national party needs to be more inclusive and must win over moderates and young people; Maine Sunday Telegram; NATION/WORLD, 27 November 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A6

Collins, King upbeat that electoral count reforms will pass during Congress’s lame duck session; The Senate bill, which aims to prevent a repeat of the tactic insurrectionists used on Jan. 6, 2021, gained six more sponsors this week; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 18 November 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Midterms reveal Republican decline across large swaths of Maine; Democrats gained strength across the lower third of the state, holding onto the Blaine House, the Legislature and both U.S. House seats. Republicans confront a party in crisis; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE, 13 November 2022, AUGUSTA, MAINE, p. A1

Early voting in Maine going smoothly, unlike in some states; Absentee ballot requests have already exceeded levels from last gubernatorial and midterm election in 2018, with Democrats slightly outpacing their previous proportion of requests; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 5 November 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Outsider Sam Hunkler embraces an alternative way to run for office; Can a retired doctor from Down East get elected Maine governor without money, staff, political experience or a platform? The independent candidate intends to find out; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE, 23 October 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

After trying to overturn his election loss in 2018, Poliquin won’t say if he’ll respect the results this year; The former 2nd District congressman is seeking is old office after falsely claiming he was denied victory in the 2018 election by a ‘black box computer algorithm.’; Maine Sunday Telegram; MAINE/NEW ENGLAND, 9 October 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

LePage has a long history of undermining faith in elections; The Republican nominee for governor said at Tuesday’s debate that he believes Biden was elected legitimately, but he has made many evidence-free claims that various Maine elections were stolen or rigged; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 6 October 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

First Maine gubernatorial debate kept fact checkers busy; Former Gov. Paul LePage made several false claims while Gov. Janet Mills used spin, and independent Sam Hunkler asserted he didn’t know the answers and made few factual claims at all; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 6 October 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Defense contractor pleads guilty to making illegal contributions to Sen. Collins’ 2020 campaign; Martin Kao, CEO of Navatek, organized more than $200,000 in illegal contributions after Susan Collins helped the firm land an $8 million Navy contract in Maine; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 29 September 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

LePage team rebuts report that he enjoyed Florida property tax breaks while living in Maine; An adviser to the former Maine governor says the properties in question were both owned only by his wife, Ann LePage; Maine Sunday Telegram; MAINE/NEW ENGLAND, 25 September 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B2

Quick passage of electoral count reforms in doubt after House diverges from Senate plan; Maine’s Susan Collins led negotiations on the bipartisan Senate version of the bill, which aims prevent a potential repeat of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection attempt; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 23 September 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Electoral count reforms championed by Sen. Collins on track to pass in Senate; There are 10 Republican sponsors for reforming the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which former President Donald Trump attempted to exploit to overturn the result of the 2020 election; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 16 September 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Prospects fade for federal bill to expand rights of Maine tribes; The House passed Rep. Jared Golden’s bill to automatically include Maine’s tribes in any new federal Indian laws, but it appears to have stalled in the Senate; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 16 September 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

LePage, other leading Maine Republicans, silent on revelations Trump had trove of secret documents; Paul LePage, Bruce Poliquin and the state party decline to address recent developments, including possible obstruction, while Sen. Susan Collins condemns violent threats against FBI and federal prosecutors; Portland Press Herald; NATIONAL, 23 August 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A5

Maine’s congressional delegation divided on Biden’s student loan debt relief; Pingree praises the move, Golden and Collins oppose it as benefiting college-educated Americans, and King suggests he’d prefer a different approach; Portland Press Herald; NATIONAL, 25 August 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A6 

Cumberland estate of Dr. Oz’s wife becomes Senate campaign fodder in Pennsylvania; The Trump-endorsed celebrity doctor’s opponent has run ads attacking him for being unable to remember how many homes his family owns; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 23 August 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

The new United States of New England; If America breaks up and if history is any guide, people of our region will seek to lead their own federation; Boston Globe; IDEAS; 21 August 2002, p. K1

Golden, Pingree join House Democrats in passing Inflation Reduction Act; Golden joined the rest of his party’s members in passing the legislation after being the only House Democrat to vote against the larger Build Back Better package that passed in the House but failed in the Senate last year; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 13 August 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Some Maine Republicans join party’s attacks on FBI search of Trump property; Paul LePage and Bruce Poliquin denounce the FBI search, taking a stance that experts say undermines the rule of law and health of democracy; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 11 August 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Insulin price cap championed by Collins stripped from spending bill by fellow Republicans; Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King both have sought to cap the drug’s price, which has shot up tenfold in the U.S. – but not other countries – in 20 years; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 10 August 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Could a notorious serial killer have murdered Sarah Cherry? Dennis Dechaine was convicted in the horrific 1988 slaying of the 12-year old Bowdoin girl but has been granted a chance to test evidence with modern DNA techniques. Some believe the profile of the late Richard Evonitz might emerge; Maine Sunday Telegram,; FRONT PAGE, 7 August 2022, BOWDOIN, MAINE, p. A1

Collins-Manchin bill to protect electoral count endorsed at key hearing; The bill would reform the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which former President Donald Trump attempted to exploit in trying to overturn the result of the 2020 election; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 4 August 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Collins, Manchin unveil bipartisan bill to protect electoral count from exploitation; The reforms to the 1887 Electoral Count Act, spurred by former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the election, are co-sponsored by 14 senators, including nine Republicans, just shy of the 10 needed to overcome a filibuster; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 21 July 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Gov. Mills joins Dolly Parton’s effort to deliver free books to preschoolers; The country singer spoke about her initiative to a bipartisan group of governors meeting in Portland this week; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 15 July 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

In a summer of national division, U.S. governors meet in Portland and find some common ground; The National Governors Association is hosting its semi-annual meeting in Maine for the first time in 39 years; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 15 July 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Rep. Golden’s bill to expand rights of Maine tribes passes U.S. House; Gov. Janet Mills opposes the measure by her fellow Democrat to automatically include Maine’s tribes in any new federal Indian laws; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 15 July 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Amid growing national tensions, U.S. governors meet in Portland this week; The National Governors Association is hosting its semiannual meeting in Maine for the first time in nearly 40 years; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 11 July 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

An anthem reflecting the wonder and warts of the nation that sings it; Review of Michael Clague’s “Oh Say Can You Hear?; Washington Post, BOOK WORLD, 3 July 2022, p. B8

Supreme Court ruling limits EPA’s power to combat climate change – but not Maine’s; The 6-3 decision Thursday will have few direct effects on Maine’s ambitious climate change efforts; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 1 July 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Sen. Collins, facing backlash, calls Supreme Court decision ‘a sudden and radical jolt’; The Maine Republican claimed during their confirmations that Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh would protect precedent and Roe even though experts warned they would not; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 25 June 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

America’s Black Founders; David Hackett Fischer demonstrates the centrality of people of African descent in shaping this country’s regional cultures; Review of David Hackett Fischer’s “African Founders”; Washington Monthly, BOOKS, July/August 2022.

Idexx closing subsidiary, ending business in Russia; The $3.2 billion veterinary medicine powerhouse kept operations going in Russia for four months after the invasion of Ukraine; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 21 June 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

King, Collins voice support for raising age to buy semi-automatic rifles, a measure Golden opposed; The House passed a bill to raise the age from 18 to 21 yesterday, but it’s unknown if or when the Senate might take it up; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 10 June 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

State hires new contractor to complete long-delayed software upgrade; Accenture will be tasked with getting the human resources software system running after the state’s previous failures to do so consumed 5 years and tens of millions of dollars; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 7 June 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Kennebec River dam owner dismisses state fish passage plan as counterproductive; Brookfield Renewable and the state disagree on a suitable solution to let endangered Atlantic salmon and other river-run fish pass the Shawmut Dam in Fairfield to reach spawning grounds in the Sandy River; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 3 June 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Sen. Collins exploring bipartisan compromise on gun safety measures; Collins says she is optimistic a compromise can be found after the initial meeting of 4 Republican and 4 Democratic senators; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 27 May 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

After Kyiv visit, Sen. Collins expresses support for Ukraine military aid; Maine’s senior senator says a trip led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also was meant to signal support for Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 18 May 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

National conservation group joins call to save Maine’s salmon rivers; American Rivers says dams owned by Brookfield Renewable Energy threaten the survival of salmon and other fish in the Kennebec, Penobscot and Union rivers; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 19 April 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Facing rising costs from aviation partner, LifeFlight sets up in-house air operations; Maine’s air ambulance provider had previously contracted its aviation management to a firm with a reputation for rapidly increasing costs; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 18 April 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Gov. Mills opposes Rep. Golden’s bill to make future federal tribal laws apply to Maine tribes; She opposes any effort by Congress to change the terms of the 1980 land claims settlement, putting herself at loggerheads with much of her party; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 16 April 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Russians in Maine find relations strained with friends and family overseas; Disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has convinced many in Russia to support the regime’s unprovoked war; Maine Sunday Telegram,; FRONT PAGE, 10 April 2022, YARMOUTH, MAINE, p. A1

Can Diverse Democracies Survive?; Without the glue of a shared national narrative, probably not; Review of Yascha Mounk’s “The Great Experiment”; Washington Monthly, BOOKS, April/May 2022.

Congress hears Rep. Golden’s bill to allow Maine tribes to benefit from future federal Indian laws; Several members of the House indigenous affairs subcommittee were perplexed by the limits the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act imposed on the tribes; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 1 April 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Sen. Collins to back Judge Jackson for Supreme Court, calls confirmation process ‘broken’; Susan Collins is so far the only Republican who has committed to voting to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson; Maine Sunday Telegram,; FRONT PAGE, 31 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Maine’s Idexx Labs keeping Moscow office open despite Ukraine invasion; The $3.2 billion Westbrook based-company has veterinary office customers and a water testing distributor in Russia and isn’t answering questions about its business in the country; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 30 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

2021 was the Gulf of Maine’s warmest year on record, scientists report; Average sea surface temperatures were 4.2 degrees above the long-term averages from before 2012, when ocean ‘heat waves’ became commonplace, continuing changes in the gulf ecosystem; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 28 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Wex continues business ties with Russian oil giant Lukoil, target of boycotts in mid-Atlantic states; Sanctions experts are divided on whether the South Portland-based firm’s actions undermine the effort to punish Vladimir Putin; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 26 March 2022, SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Moldovan leaders ask Pingree and House delegation for help with refugees, defense; One of Europe’s poorest countries, parts of Moldova are within earshot of Russian shelling of Ukrainian port of Odessa; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 24 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Pingree, Collins, King describe wrenching scenes at Poland-Ukraine border; Rep. Pingree is in the midst of a weeklong congressional fact-finding trip to Eastern Europe, while Maine’s 2 senators returned Sunday from a weekend trip of their own; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 21 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Supreme Court nomination once again puts Susan Collins in spotlight; While not in a position to determine the outcome, the Maine senator is the most likely Republican vote for Ketanji Brown Jackson, who would be the first Black woman to serve on the court; Maine Sunday Telegram,; FRONT PAGE, 13 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Funding package passed by Congress includes money for long list of Maine initiatives; The omnibus package includes hundreds of millions of dedicated funds for projects in Maine requested by members of the state’s congressional delegation; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 13 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Sens. King and Collins join bipartisan vote to stabilize the U.S. Postal Service; The $107 billion bill already passed the House and is expected to be signed into law by President Biden; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 10 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Sen. King warns of Russian cyberattacks against U.S.; Maine’s independent senator says Putin is headed for a grinding, ultimately unwinnable occupation of Ukraine and is likely to lash out with cyberattacks; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 4 March 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Bills to advance, constrain tribal land rights presented to state lawmakers; Tribes support bill to create process for tribal access to state-owned sacred areas, reject bill constraining where they can acquire new trust lands; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE, 18 February 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B2

Governor supports limited expansion of tribal rights, while casino interests cry foul; Tribal representatives support the governor’s plan but emphasize that they do not see it as a substitute for a more sweeping tribal sovereignty package Gov. Mills opposes; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 18 February 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Bill to restore tribal sovereignty gets overwhelming public support, but Gov. Mills wants targeted approach;
There was near-unanimous support for L.D. 1626 among those giving testimony, while details of the governor’s alternative plan emerged behind the scenes; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 16 February 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Lawmakers reconsider decades-old restrictions on Maine tribes’ sovereignty, long a flashpoint; Hearings on bills to overturn restrictive provisions of the historic 1980 land claims settlement acts with Maine’s tribes to be held Tuesday; Maine Sunday Telegram,; FRONT PAGE, 13 February 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Rep. Golden introduces bill to allow Maine tribes to benefit from future federal Indian laws; The 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act excludes the state’s tribes from most federal laws benefiting Indian nations in the United States; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 11 February 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1 

Gov. Mills calls White House, gets more COVID-19 treatments for Maine despite undercount of cases; Maine has been getting a smaller allocation of a monoclonal antibody treatment because of a large backlog of positive tests that have yet to be screened and added to the daily total of confirmed new cases; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 25 January 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Backlog of positive tests reduces Maine’s ration of lifesaving COVID-19 drug; With tens of thousands of test results waiting to be processed, the state’s case rate is artificially low, and that is reducing Maine’s federal allocation of monoclonal antibody treatment; Maine Sunday Telegram,; FRONT PAGE, 23 January 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Collins helps block voting rights bill as King says U.S. democracy could collapse without it; Maine’s senators took starkly opposed positions in a fiery late-night debate and vote Wednesday; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 21 January 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

With voting rights bill doomed, King and Collins work to safeguard electoral counting process; Legal experts say ambiguities in the 1887 Electoral Count Act need correcting to avoid future attempts to overturn presidential elections; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 20 January 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Gulf of Maine waters warmed to highest fall temperatures on record; The Gulf of Maine Research Institute reports that average sea surface temperatures in the gulf were more than 4 degrees above the long-term average; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 13 January 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Drugs to treat high-risk patients in critically short supply as omicron surge hits Maine; A national shortage leaves Maine’s doctors with a tiny fraction of the monoclonal antibody treatments their patients could use; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 11 January 2022, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

One year on, the Jan. 6 attack looms large in the lives of Mainers who were there; The march on the Capitol unfolded with Mainers on opposite sides of the police barricades until one side toppled them, shaking the foundations of American democracy; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE, 6 January 2022, WASHINGTON, p. A1