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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PublishedJune 26, 2023
Maine House narrowly passes bill to require background checks for private gun sales
The House voted 69-68 for the bill, which is similar to a proposal defeated in a statewide referendum in 2016.
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PublishedJune 22, 2023
Maine House joins Senate to advance paid family leave bill
The bill faces additional votes in the Legislature and must overcome the hurdle of securing $25 million in start-up funding before being sent to Gov. Janet Mills.
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PublishedJune 21, 2023
State lawmakers overwhelmingly support tribal bill opposed by Gov. Mills
The 100-47 House vote and 26-8 Senate vote show strong support among state lawmakers, including among some Republicans, who will be needed to overcome a possible veto from the governor.
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PublishedJune 20, 2023
Lawmakers begin voting on nearly a dozen abortion bills
The bills tackled Tuesday evening didn’t include Gov. Janet Mills’ proposed expansion, which would allow abortions after fetal viability if deemed necessary from a medical professional.
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PublishedJune 19, 2023
Bills passed by Maine lawmakers are piling up on ‘the table’ – and many will die there
Many bills passed by the Legislature but not included in the governor’s budget are sent to what’s known as the ‘special appropriations table,’ where they compete for limited funding and often die a quiet death.
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PublishedJune 15, 2023
Lawmakers reach deal on highway budget to avoid partial shutdown
Unanimous votes in the Senate and House would create a new revenue stream for highway projects to make it less reliant on fuel taxes and borrowing, a move that decreases the potential for a partial shutdown of state government.
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PublishedJune 14, 2023
Republicans embrace absentee voting as key to Maine special election win
‘The results in Maine are proof positive that focusing on pre-Election Day voting will be critical to delivering Republican victories in 2024,’ the Republican National Committee said.
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PublishedJune 13, 2023
Maine House rejects 72-hour waiting period for firearm sales
The 73-69 vote shows the difficulty of passing gun legislation in Maine, which has a strong hunting heritage and tradition of gun ownership.
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PublishedJune 13, 2023
State flag referendum survives challenge in the House
The bill’s sponsor says the secretary of state plans to work with a bipartisan group to choose a version of the popular 1901 flag for voters to consider this fall.
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PublishedJune 13, 2023
Legislature backs $15 minimum wage, but Mills opposes it
The proposal to raise the minimum wage won approval from the House and Senate, but likely won’t get the governor’s signature.
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