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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PublishedJanuary 3, 2024
Republican lawmaker files resolution to impeach Bellows for disqualifying Trump
While impeachment of the secretary of state is highly unlikely, some Republican lawmakers said her decision to keep former president Donald Trump off Maine’s primary ballot has energized Republican voters.
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PublishedJanuary 3, 2024
Hundreds rally at Maine State House for stricter gun laws
Some also called for protecting Second Amendment rights as Maine lawmakers returned for a new session that is expected to focus on gun safety in the wake of the mass shooting in Lewiston in October.
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PublishedJanuary 2, 2024
Lawmakers propose bills to expand tribal gaming
Lawmakers will hold public hearings Wednesday afternoon on proposals to grant tribes exclusive access to all Internet gambling and to open the door for a tribal casino.
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PublishedJanuary 2, 2024
Fire marshal’s office committed ‘flagrant violation’ of union contract, labor board finds
The Maine Labor Relations Board concluded that an unnamed lieutenant in the Fire Marshal’s Office made changes to mileage reimbursements and the way employees swap shifts without going through the collective bargaining process.
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PublishedJanuary 1, 2024
State police determine that Bar Harbor death was not suspicious
Police provide few details but say there is no danger to the public.
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PublishedJanuary 1, 2024
Maine welcomes 1st babies of 2024
A Bangor hospital appears to have delivered the state’s first baby of the new year.
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PublishedDecember 24, 2023
Maine foster families say pressures are overwhelming
Problems in the state’s child welfare system are spilling over into the foster care network, leading to a decline in licensed homes and adding more strain to other front-line workers trying to keep Maine children safe.
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PublishedDecember 20, 2023
Lopsided spending lines up with lopsided results in Maine referendums
Committees funded almost entirely by the state’s 2 largest electricity providers spent more than $136 per vote to defeat a nonprofit power company proposal, while proponents spent less than $10 per vote on their losing campaign.
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PublishedDecember 12, 2023
Maine nonprofit says child caseworkers need more support, parents need to be held accountable
The group, called Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, wants the state to stop prioritizing family reunification when parents are not following plans to keep their children safe from neglect or abuse.
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PublishedDecember 12, 2023
Gov. Mills has yet to meet with child caseworkers sounding alarms about protection system
Caseworker voices have become a focal point in lawmakers’ review of the state’s child protection agency. The governor said in January that she wanted to hear from them, but hasn’t ‘had the opportunity’ to meet with them, a spokesperson said.
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