QUOTE OF THE DAY: “There are so many little things, freedom, that we all take for granted,” Kristin Beauchamp said about the struggles her son Wyatt has faced from debilitating seizures. With the help of medical professionals and a new diagnosis, he has gone from 200 seizures a day to not having any for nearly a month. “Wyatt had a shadow every second. It was a lot for a kid.”
What we’re watching today
It was a whirlwind day on Wednesday as teachers became available for COVID-19 vaccines in Maine. Life comes at us quickly these days. By the time the Daily Brief was published on Wednesday morning, the state was signaling no immediate shift to allow teachers to be vaccinated regardless of age after a national directive from President Joe Biden. By the late afternoon, Gov. Janet Mills made an exception to the state’s age-based plan to allow teachers, school staff and child care workers to get shots regardless of age.
The order seems to be the driving force behind the change. The Maine Education Association, which initially praised the age-based plan before getting cold feet as details of a scant priority for teachers emerged, was unaware a change was in the works late Tuesday morning.
Amid criticism from those advocating for frontline workers and people with underlying conditions, Maine health officials have defended the age-based plan in part by saying it removes the challenge of verifying a person’s employment or health conditions — elements that could slow the vaccine process down. Now that process will begin for 52,000 new people.
Mills’ change came with an order to retail pharmacies offering vaccines under a federal program — Hannaford, Walmart and Walgreens — to prioritize the newly eligible population. That would leave clinics at health providers largely for those 60 and older, though there will still be overlap.
The burden will now be on those providers to ensure school employees are actually the ones getting shots. Mills has said sites will need to ask residents for proof of eligibility, such as a paystub, a letter from an employer or a work ID. But the quick shift was not immediately accounted for by the large chains.
As of Wednesday night, Hannaford’s registration system required no up-front proof of employment when locking in an appointment and communications to patients made no mention of bringing an ID. Walmart’s system still says only Mainers 60 and older are eligible for shots. The new eligibility will bring new challenges as the state balances access with equity.
The Maine politics top 3
— “Defense lawyer alleges ‘systemic failures’ at Maine State Police forensic lab,” Caitlin Andrews, Bangor Daily News: “The explosive claims are at the heart of a Maine Freedom of Access Act request made last year by the office of Lyman-based lawyer Amy Fairfield. It hinges on the resignation of a crime lab employee in 2012 after he allegedly lied to his superiors, causing the state to alert courts that evidence provided by the worker could require examinations of his credibility.”
There is a court hearing on the public-access lawsuit on Thursday. Fairfield has subpoenaed Lt. Col. Bill Harwood, who led the crime lab for eight years before becoming deputy chief of the Maine State Police last year. She argues that he could provide crucial information about the lab that is relevant to the case; the state says forcing him to testify would be an “undue burden.” A hearing in York County Superior Court is at 1 p.m.
— “Jared Golden 1 of 2 House Democrats to oppose police overhaul bill,” The Associated Press: “[U.S. Rep. Jared Golden] said in a statement that his vote for the package last year reflected a desire to see bipartisan negotiations on the subject, despite ‘significant concerns about how the House bill eliminated qualified immunity protections for law enforcement officers.’ While he signaled openness to the courts of Congress construing immunity in a narrower way, Golden said he does not agree with scrapping it.
It’s the second recent high-profile vote that Golden broke with his party on. The late Wednesday vote against the police reform bill came just days after Golden was also one of two House Democrats to oppose President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, leading to criticism of the swing-district congressman from his left flank. He did, however, vote for House Democrats’ signature campaign finance overhaul last night, prompting fresh attacks from Republicans aiming to oust him in 2022.
— “Natural gas pipeline wasn’t the right fit for midcoast, regional leaders say,” Lauren Abbate, BDN: “The [Summit Natural Gas] project was slated to bring natural gas service to upwards of 6,500 customers in Belfast, Camden, Rockport, Rockland, Thomaston and possibly Northport and Lincolnville over the next five years. However, many town leaders felt that the project was at odds with goals the municipalities had set to prioritize investing renewable sources of energy.”
Today’s Daily Brief was written by Caitlin Andrews and Michael Shepherd. If you’re reading this on the BDN’s website or were forwarded it, you can sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning here.
To reach us, do not reply directly to this newsletter, but contact the political team at mshepherd@bangordailynews.com, candrews@bangordailynews.com or jpiper@bangordailynews.com.
