Maine State News From The Associated Press 5-11-22

Maine clarifies marijuana rules to try to aid medical users

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine has clarified some of its marijuana rulemaking procedures in a move supporters say will protect medical users and growers. The bill to clarify new rulemaking parameters for the state Office of Marijuana Policy went into effect late last month as an emergency measure. Supporters of the proposal said Monday it makes changes to the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act to make it easier to understand. The Maine Legislature approved the bill unanimously.

Some Maine school districts, such as largest, restart masks

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Some Maine school districts are returning to mandatory mask usage as COVID-19 infections in the state rise. Bangor school officials returned the district to a universal mask requirement on Monday. And officials in Portland, the largest school district in the state, said Tuesday that mandatory masks will return this week. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine has risen over the past two weeks from 278 cases per day on April 24 to 752 cases per day on May 8.

SUPREME COURT-ABORTION-MAINE

Reproductive rights message left outside Sen Collins’ home

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A message left in chalk outside Sen. Susan Collins’ home urged her to support the Democratic effort to codify the 1973 landmark decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion in the United States. It said “Mainers Want WHPA” in reference to the Women’s Health Protection Act and also said “Clean up your mess.” Collins has come under fire for voting to confirm Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. The two were part of a majority in a leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. A police spokesperson says no crime was committed because the chalk message Saturday wasn’t threatening. A public works crew washed it away.

INVASIVE MOTH

Maine creates fund to deal with rash-causing moth

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine will use a new fund to help cities and towns try to control the spread of invasive moth that causes an itchy rash. The browntail moth is a pest in Maine, where the hairs of its caterpillars cause rashes and respiratory problems for unlucky residents and visitors. The moth has also defoliated tens of thousands of acres of forest. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has signed a bill to create a fund for municipalities and nonprofit groups to use to reduce moth populations. The fund is slated to start with $150,000 in the 2022-23 fiscal year.

HYDROPOWER TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR

$1B hydropower project’s fate rests with Maine supreme court

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s high court is being asked to weigh in on a stalled $1 billion energy corridor aimed at bringing Canadian hydropower to the New England power grid. Developers on Tuesday asked justices to breathe new life into the 145-mile transmission corridor. Developers are trying to overturn a November statewide referendum on constitutional grounds. That referendum led a state agency to pull the permit for the project. The New England Clean Energy Connect is billed as either a bold step in battling climate change or unnecessary destruction of woodlands. The permit could be restored if the court sides with developers.

MAINE BLUEBERRIES

USDA says Maine blueberry growers had a big 2021

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Federal data released this week confirmed that Maine’s wild blueberry growers had a strong season in 2021. Maine is the only state with commercial-scale wild blueberry growers in the U.S. Growers said last year that they felt the crop bounced back from a disappointing 2020, when they harvested less than 48 million pounds. The Portland Press Herald reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture released data on Monday showing that the crop was 105 million pounds. Good weather conditions helped growers, who struggled with drought in 2020.