Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker said he granted the temporary injunction because the plaintiffs suing the state presented a strong argument that the law passed in the wake of the Lewiston mass shooting is unconstitutional.
Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
Posted inMaine, Politics
Angus King calls RFK Jr. ‘a danger.’ Susan Collins votes yes.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won confirmation as Health and Human Services secretary hours after King delivered a floor speech saying he was incredulous about Kennedy’s ‘miraculous conversion’ after spending decades calling vaccines unsafe and falsely linking them to autism.
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Posted inMaine, Politics
USM grad testifies at hyperpartisan congressional hearing on government efficiency
Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette challenges some of President Donald Trump’s early moves to increase the efficiency of the federal government, pointing out that the inspectors general he fired focused on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News, Politics
Sen. Susan Collins will support RFK Jr. as US health secretary
The Maine Republican, considered a key swing vote for many Cabinet picks, did not respond to questions about why she thinks Kennedy is qualified for the role despite his history of criticizing vaccines.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News, Politics
Maine, 21 other states get restraining order to halt medical research funding cuts
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the National Institutes of Health directive, which Sen. Susan Collins also opposes, calling it ‘poorly conceived.’
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, Politics
Susan Collins heads to Mar-a-Lago with Republican senators to meet with Trump
Maine’s senior senator has been more critical of the Trump administration than most of her Republican colleagues, and will play a key role in any budget deals.
Posted inMaine, Politics
Angus King urges Senate to protect the Constitution, reject Trump budget nominee
While Maine’s independent senator joined Democrats in opposing Russell Vought’s nomination, Sen. Susan Collins voted with her fellow Republicans to confirm him.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News, Politics
Sen. Collins meets with other lawmakers critical of Elon Musk’s moves to cut agencies, workforce
Meanwhile, Sen. Angus King and 7 colleagues sent a letter to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles raising national security concerns about Musk and his team accessing classified and sensitive information.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News, Politics
Maine delegation rejects Trump’s plan to take over Gaza as dangerous, unserious
Sen. Susan Collins doubts the plan would work and says it might be a negotiating tactic, Sen. Angus King says it’s dangerous and Rep. Chellie Pingree calls it sickening and reckless.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News, Politics
Amid a deluge of constituent calls, Maine’s delegation challenges Elon Musk’s authority
Rep. Chellie Pingree says the tech billionaire’s access to sensitive personal information and aggressive efforts to cut federal spending have caused a flood of calls to her office from ‘panic-stricken’ Mainers.