Maine

Janet Mills may get Democratic pushback on proposed cigarette tax hike

Published

11 months ago

January 13, 2025

Janet Mills may get Democratic pushback on proposed cigarette tax hike

Gov. Janet Mills unveiled a tobacco tax hike Friday in her two-year budget plan that serves as the final one of her tenure, and she opens with work to do to win over fellow Democrats who may not all rally behind that major change.

Mills and her office said the $1 per pack increase to Maine’s $2 cigarette tax, alongside a commensurate increase to the excise tax on other tobacco products, will generate about $80 million over two years. Those changes plus cuts to food assistance, health and child care programs, will help close a projected $450 million spending gap.

The governor noted Maine last raised its cigarette excise tax from $1 to $2 in 2005, while every other New England state raised theirs since 2013. She highlighted public health angles, such as how more than a third of annual cancer deaths in Maine are attributable to smoking. Maine’s smoking rate of 15 percent is above the national average of 12.9 percent.

Getting enough support from her party’s lawmakers who saw their majorities narrow in the November elections could prove difficult, particularly given several rural Democrats have banded with Republicans to block past attempts at flavored tobacco bans.

Democrats have only a narrow 75-73 advantage in the House and a 20-15 edge in the Senate. Some of their members from rural districts may oppose it for reasons of personal freedom, while progressives have often disliked these tax hikes because they hit poor residents the hardest.

“I’m not really a fan of disproportionate taxes,” freshman Rep. Cassie Julia, D-Waterville, said Friday. “But I’m also a money person and a numbers person.”

Julia noted the governor focused on public health benefits in pitching the cigarette tax hike, such as how Medicaid-related smoking expenditures cost Maine taxpayers $281 million annually. Julia said savings in smoking-related health care costs “can go far in other places.”

Another freshman Democrat, Rep. Marshall Archer of Saco, said earlier Friday he wanted to understand “the why” behind the cigarette tax increase before deciding whether to support it, mentioning concern for “marginalized populations.”

“If it’s a tool to help reduce the budget [gap], I’m not a big fan of that,” Archer said.

Democratic leaders put out neutral statements Friday afternoon that said they looked forward to digging into the budget details and hearing the public on the plan. They did not mention the proposed cigarette and tobacco-related tax hikes, but House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, said he heard not all Democrats are fans of the plan.

Republicans signaled opposition to any tax increases, noting the governor is also proposing tax increases on marijuana and streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify. Sen. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, said he is a former smoker but opposes a higher “sin tax.”

“I think it should be spread out amongst all Mainers, not just those who choose to smoke,” Timberlake said.

Mills emphasized Friday her budget rejects “broad-based tax changes,” such as income and sales tax hikes, while also not drawing from a “rainy day fund” that was essentially maxed out last year at roughly $968 million.

New Hampshire taxes a pack of 20 cigarettes at $1.78, which could lead to Mainers flocking across the border if the higher tax takes effect, said Curtis Picard, CEO of the Retail Association of Maine. That could lead to less revenue than projected for Maine.

“Consumers are pretty aware of what things cost these days,” Picard said.

The leader of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a national nonprofit that supports a flavored tobacco ban in Maine, lauded Mills’ plan Friday by saying it will save lives and money. Still, plenty of lobbying and spending from tobacco interests have swayed past Maine proposals.

“The evidence is clear that increasing the price of cigarettes and other tobacco products is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, especially among kids,” Yolonda C. Richardson, the campaign’s CEO, said.

Interest groups on opposite sides of the political spectrum were also not rallying behind the tax changes. The conservative Maine Policy Institute called it another example of Mills breaking her 2022 campaign promise to not raise taxes.

The liberal Maine Center for Economic Policy criticized the cuts or lack of additional investments in various health care and child care programs that Mills said would help close the funding gap. James Myall, the center’s economic policy analyst, said they “have some reservations about it.”

Asked if she thinks the tax increases have enough support to pass, Mills said Friday she was “not going to handicap it at this moment.”

“Nobody’s taken a vote on anything,” she added.

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Maine

Maine Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Pick 3 on Dec. 12, 2025

Published

4 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

The Maine Lottery offers several games for those aiming to win big.

You can pick from national lottery games, like the Powerball and Mega Millions, or a variety of local and regional games, like the Pick 3, Pick 4 and Gimme 5.

While your odds of winning a big jackpot in the Powerball or Mega Millions are generally pretty slim (here’s how they compare to being struck by lightning or dealt a royal flush), other games offer better odds to win cash, albeit with lower prize amounts.

Here’s a look at Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 12 drawing

10-50-55-58-59, Mega Ball: 05

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 12 drawing

Day: 7-8-7

Evening: 2-2-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 12 drawing

Day: 4-2-5-7

Evening: 7-7-0-7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 12 drawing

06-20-23-30-36, Lucky Ball: 11

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Gimme 5 numbers from Dec. 12 drawing

09-11-12-30-37

Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Maine Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. (Day) and 6:50 p.m. (Evening) ET daily.
Lucky For Life: 10:38 p.m. ET daily.
Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Gimme 5: 6:59 p.m. ET on Monday through Friday.
Cash Pop: 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. ET daily.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Maine

Citizen’s initiative wants to roll back recreational cannabis use in Maine

Published

16 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Citizen’s initiative wants to roll back recreational cannabis use in Maine

A new citizen’s initiative is looking to roll back recreational cannabis use in Maine. Maine has allowed for prescribing and limited possession of medical marijuana since 1999, and a successful 2009 referendum established licensed and regulated medical dispensaries. Then, in 2016, Maine voters approved recreational use, retail sale and taxation of cannabis, which the state […]

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Maine

Maine Commission releases first recommendations to combat growing deed fraud threat

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Maine Commission releases first recommendations to combat growing deed fraud threat

PORTLAND (WGME) — Maine has spent the past two years grappling with a rise in deed fraud schemes.

The CBS13 I-Team first began investigating after an elderly man didn’t receive his tax bill and learned someone had transferred his property without his knowledge.

Since then, multiple landowners have come forward saying something similar almost happened to them. Our reporting has uncovered for-sale signs posted on land, fake driver’s licenses and signed agreements to transfer deeds; all tied to scam attempts.

Maine has spent the past two years grappling with a rise in deed fraud schemes. (The Nathanson family)

The growing pattern prompted a state commission to issue new recommendations aimed at stopping the fraud.

Landowners say scam nearly cost them their property

Two summers ago, Cheryl and Ralph Nathanson learned their land on Little Sebago Lake had been put up for sale online.

“We could have lost our property,” Cheryl Nathanson said.

The Nathansons, who live in Connecticut, were stunned when they discovered a fraudulent listing for their Maine plot.

“We notified the police and they said they can take a report on it but that there’s nothing they could really do,” Ralph Nathanson said.

Police told them it was a classic case of deed fraud: scammers posing as property owners, listing land they don’t own and disappearing with the cash.

The couple was advised to sign up for property alerts through the Cumberland County Registry of Deeds, but quickly learned those alerts offered little protection.

“You can register for the deed fraud but it only informs you, by email, after the deed has been transferred. So it’s basically worthless,” Ralph Nathanson said.

A realtor lists their property…. Again

The following summer, the Nathansons discovered a real estate sign had been placed on their land.

“I was notified by a neighbor that there was a for-sale sign, a realtor for-sale sign, on our land,” Ralph Nathanson said.

A realtor from Old Orchard Beach had unknowingly entered into an agreement with someone impersonating the couple.

“Some of the information was correct, some of it wasn’t. You can get anything off of Google,” Cheryl Nathanson said.

Ralph Nathanson remembers confronting the agent.

“You are selling my property and I’m not selling the property,” Ralph Nathanson said. “The phone went silent.”

Despite the ordeal, the couple believes they were lucky to have seen the sign, knowing how bad these schemes can get.

State commission concludes work on deed fraud

“Currently, you all might be landowners and your land might be at risk, and you might not know right now that somebody has sold your land,” Jane Towle with the Real Estate Commission said, during the final meeting of the Deed Fraud Commission.

This fall, a state commission of stakeholders convened to examine ways to prevent deed fraud in Maine.

The Nathansons urged the commission to go beyond awareness campaigns.

CBS13 I-Team Reporter Stephanie Grindley: “You think the state should act beyond just awareness?”

Cheryl Nathanson: “100%.”

Ralph Nathanson: “Absolutely. I think the state of Maine has a responsibility to protect landowners.

But not everyone in the meeting agreed on the scope of the problem.

Attorney General calls deed fraud a low-priority scam

In the final meeting, Attorney General Aaron Frey remained staunch in his skepticism, saying complaints of deed fraud are still relatively rare.

“What we’re seeing for people getting hurt and losing money, this would probably not be the thing I want to highlight over other scams that are happening right now that are actually costing people their retirement savings,” Frey said.

Sen. Henry Ingwersen of York, who spearheaded the commission, sat down with the I-Team following the final meeting.

Grindley: “During the meeting, I did hear the Attorney General essentially call this a non-issue. His office isn’t getting complaints. He doesn’t see a bunch of consumers loosing money to this. Has that changed your stance?”

Ingwersen: “We’ve had three that have really been highlighted just in southern Maine. We haven’t heard a lot from around the rest of the state, but there has been some, so I think that even though it’s rare, we really need to address it.”

“I was pleased that we did come up with a couple of recommendations that we’re going to put in the report,” Ingwersen said.

Key Recommendation: Verify the seller’s identity

The first area of agreement among most, not all, stakeholders would legally require listing agents to verify a seller’s identity.

“The way it is now, it’s best practice. And a lot of professionals are doing best practice,” Ingwersen said. “The red flags in deed fraud are cash sale, land only, a quick sale at below-market value If we had realtors really paying attention to those red flags but also a policy that would require them to check the identity of the fraudulent seller, or of the seller, thoroughly, I think it would prevent, even if it prevented one instance of deed fraud, I think it would be very helpful.”

The commission did not outline exactly how identification should be verified.

“We didn’t really specify what that identification process was going to be. We’re leaving that up to rule making,” Ingwersen said.

Second Recommendation: Easier path to undo a fraudulent deed

Currently, the only way to reverse a fraudulent deed in Maine is to go to court.

The commission proposes allowing an attorney to file an affidavit with the registry.

“Allow an attorney to file an affidavit with the deed recorder that would allow the deed to be, the fraudulent deed, to be nullified in a way that is a little bit quicker than we currently have,” Ingwersen said.

The recommendations will now head to the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee. Any legislative change likely wouldn’t take effect until 2027, if the proposals make it into a bill and then survive a vote.

“I think we made some good progress, but I don’t think this is going to go away. I think this will continue,” Ingwersen said.

Landowners fear fraud will try until it succeeds

“We were thinking, do we take a loan out on it just to secure it?” Ralph Nathanson said.

As the legislative process begins, the Nathansons say Maine cannot wait. They fear it’s only a matter of time before a sale of their land goes through.

“To lose land like this or to find out that their land is now gone, I just can’t imagine that,” Ralph Nathanson said.

Ideas Left on the Table: Title Freeze and National Guidance

Several proposals failed to gain traction, including a “title freeze.” a concept similar to a credit freeze that would allow a landowner to lock their deed from unauthorized transfers. Maine could have been the first state to pilot it, but members said they lacked enough information.

Instead, they pointed to national group studying deed fraud. The Uniform Law Commission is drafting model legislation that states, including Maine, could adopt to better protect landowners.

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