| 🗞 The Daily Brief is made possible by Bangor Daily News subscribers. Support the work of our politics team and enjoy unlimited access to everything the BDN has to offer by subscribing here. |
|
| 📷 Rep. Mana Abdi, D-Lewiston, reviews papers at her first session of the Maine Legislature on Dec. 7, 2022, in Augusta. (AP photo by Robert F. Bukaty) |
|
⭕ Both sides had notable absences for last night's high-stakes abortion vote.
◉ In a 73-69 vote, Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives were able to overcome a group of holdouts and pass Mills' abortion-rights bill. We were watching absences closely as part of that vote, and the nine lawmakers who were not there made a large difference on both sides of the aisle.
◉ Three Democrats who were present and voting earlier Tuesday but have been wavering on the abortion issue ended up not casting a vote on the bill. They were Reps. Mana Abdi of Lewiston, Ben Collings of Portland and Anne Perry of Calais. Abdi and Perry were among the few Democrats not to sponsor the bill, while Collings nearly derailed the bill with an amendment last week.
◉ If Republicans were able to wrangle all of their members, they could have blocked the bill or at least forced those Democrats into a tough vote. But they could not, leaving five votes on the table when Reps. Amanda Collamore of Pittsfield, Gary Drinkwater of Milford, Irene Gifford of Lincoln, Wayne Parry of Arundel and Shelley Rudnicki of Fairfield didn't show up. All of them were also gone for votes earlier in the day, however.
◉ Rep. Walter Riseman, I-Harrison, who typically votes with Democrats but sided with Republicans on the bill last week, also did not vote on abortion after casting votes earlier in the day.
📶 Maine made out well in a recent round of broadband funding.
◉ A round of broadband funding to states under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law was finalized this week. Maine's $272 million haul ranked 17th among states in per-capita funding as part of a funding formula that favored rural parts of America.
◉ The top five states were Alaska, West Virginia, Wyoming, Montana and Mississippi, according to a BDN review based on 2020 populations. Vermont saw the most per-capita funding in New England, and Maine was second. |
|
📱Want daily texts from me tipping you to political stories before they break?
Get Pocket Politics. It is free for 14 days and $3.99 per month if you like it. |
|
What we're reading
🙅 The Maine Senate blocked two progressive priorities: expanded gun background checks and MaineCare for more undocumented immigrants.
🏠 After a Supreme Court decision, lawmakers moved to limit Maine's practice of allowing cities and towns to profit from home seizures.
👩⚖️ A new Maine law aims to keep child abuse victims from taking the stand.
👋 Inside the effort to recruit refugees and asylum seekers to northern Maine.
🤑 The priciest Maine home listed this year was built on an island in 1918. Here's your soundtrack. |
|
| 💰 Want to advertise in the Daily Brief? Write our sales team. |
|
|
|
