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| 📷 Kyle Fitzsimons of Lebanon has been found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges linked to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. He's shown here in footage from a police body camera. |
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6️⃣ Maine's most infamous Jan. 6. rioter faces a long sentence.
◉ The first Mainer who was charged in the Capitol riots of Jan. 6, 2021, Kyle Fitzsimons of Lebanon, will be sentenced in a Washington federal court on Thursday after a judge last year found him guilty of seven felonies and four misdemeanors for being part of the mob that forced its way into the building.
◉ Fitzsimons' sentencing was delayed in June. He assaulted three officers, including one who suffered a career-ending injury when Fitzsimons wrenched his shoulder. The Maine man worked as a butcher and wore a butcher coat in the riot, and the photo of his blood-covered face was often shared.
◉ Seven Mainers have faced charges linked to the riot. The latest was David Ball of Wells, who drew four misdemeanor charges in March.
🖊️ The governor signs a labor bill that businesses wanted her to veto.
◉ One measure that flew under the radar a bit this year was on from Assistant Senate Majority Leader Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, that allows workers to opt out of attending so-called captive audience meetings about political or religious matters, including whether or not to form a union.
◉ The bill, which was backed chiefly by labor unions and their progressive allies, got late changes to win Gov. Janet Mills' approval. She signed it this Tuesday, despite business groups warning her that it could be struck down as unconstitutional, citing a Connecticut law now tied up in federal court.
◉ "Allowing L.D. 1756 to become law, either with your signature or by taking no action, is merely inviting litigation to vindicate the rights of Maine’s employers," representatives of business groups including the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Hospitality Maine wrote in a letter to the governor last month.
◉ "Workers want real freedom to organize and collectively bargain for a better life," Matt Schlobohm, the executive director of the Maine AFL-CIO, said in a statement. "This bill is a win for workers and protects our right to real freedom of association and speech in the workplace." |
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What we're reading
⛔ A Unity college won't house asylum seekers, town officials said.
🐷 This Orland farm dispute tests the limits of food sovereignty laws.
🇺🇦 Sen. Angus King says bringing Ukraine into NATO now would be an error, Maine Public reports.
🔥 An investigation confirms reported problems in the fire marshal's office.
📉 Maine had the nation's largest drop in foreclosures.
👻 The owner of a BMW found in the Androscoggin River won't answer questions from police. Here's your soundtrack. |
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