Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been covering Portland City Hall for the Press Herald since 2012. His beat touches on a wide range of topics, including immigration, homelessness, education, tourism, real estate development and the economy in Maine’s largest city. He has been a Portland-based journalist since 2005. A life-long Mainer who loves the outdoors, Randy is also a bassist who brews his own beer at his North Yarmouth home, where he lives with his wife and two children.
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PublishedDecember 16, 2022
Lawmakers agree to public hearing on $450 emergency checks, boosting heating aid
Legislative leaders formed a committee to receive public testimony on a $473 million emergency heating and energy plan, whose centerpiece would be immediate payments to most Mainers.
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PublishedDecember 13, 2022
Two state senators propose smaller heating aid plan
A bipartisan proposal to help Mainers afford heat and electricity this winter would drastically scale back Gov. Janet Mills’ $474 million emergency package that Senate Republicans blocked last week.
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PublishedDecember 11, 2022
From big reelection win to partisan pushback, what lies ahead in Mills’ second term?
While Gov. Janet Mills didn’t get the votes she needed for an emergency heating assistance package last week, she goes into a second term with a Democratic majority in the Legislature and projected budget surpluses.
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PublishedDecember 8, 2022
Bill to provide heating aid and relief checks unlikely to pass before January
Citing the expedited process, Republicans in the Maine Senate blocked the emergency bill Wednesday, but it will come up again, likely when the Legislature reconvenes after the holidays.
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PublishedDecember 7, 2022
Plan to provide heating assistance and relief checks fails in Maine Senate
Republicans in the Maine Senate rejected the bill, which fell short of getting a two-thirds majority needed to pass as emergency legislation and take effect immediately.
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PublishedDecember 6, 2022
Gov. Mills proposes $450 relief checks as part of heating assistance package
Gov. Janet Mills and legislative leaders have been trying to find agreement on a relief package that can get bipartisan approval on Wednesday, allowing the aid to be sent to struggling Mainers this winter.
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PublishedDecember 5, 2022
Negotiations continue over heating and energy aid for Mainers
While details were not released, another round of relief checks and additional rental assistance are being contemplated, along with direct heating and energy assistance.
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PublishedDecember 4, 2022
Big issues await legislators in new session, starting with heating Mainers’ homes
When it begins work this week, the 131st Legislature will dig into its first big test: a bipartisan deal on energy relief.
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PublishedDecember 1, 2022
Legislative leaders vow to tackle housing crisis
Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate say the state’s housing crisis, coupled with the loss of federal funding for rental assistance, must be a priority for the incoming Legislature.
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PublishedNovember 30, 2022
State panel levies $10,680 in fines against group that backed Democratic candidates
The Maine Ethics Commission voted to fine the political action committee after determining it failed to disclose top funders.
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