Maine
Maine governor signs off on new gun laws, mental health supports in wake of Lewiston shootings
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills on Friday signed into law a suite of gun safety legislation approved by lawmakers after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, expanding background checks for private sales of weapons, bolstering the state’s “yellow flag” law, criminalizing the transfer of guns to prohibited people and expanding mental health crisis care.
The governor told lawmakers during her State of the State address that doing nothing was not an option after an Army reservist with an assault rifle killed 18 people and injured 13 others in Lewiston on Oct. 25.
GOVERNOR KILLS MAINE PROPOSAL TO END ‘THREE STRIKES’ LAW FOR PETTY THEFT
The bills drew opposition from Republicans who accused Democrats, who control both legislative chambers, of using the tragedy to advance proposals, some of which had been previously defeated. Mills said Friday the proposals would improve public safety while respecting the state’s long traditions of gun ownership and outdoor heritage.
“This law represents important, meaningful progress, without trampling on anybody’s rights, and it will better protect public safety by implementing reasonable reforms and by significantly expanding mental health resources,” Mills said.
Gov. Janet Mills attends an event, March 11, 2022, in Augusta, Maine. Mills on Friday, April 26, 2024, signed off on a suite of gun safety legislation approved by lawmakers after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, expanding background checks for private sales of weapons, bolstering the state’s “yellow flag” law, criminalizing the transfer of guns to prohibited people and expanding mental health crisis care. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The new law signed by the governor doesn’t require universal background checks but it does require background checks for people who advertise a gun for sale on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or elsewhere. Sellers would be required to conduct a background check utilizing commercially licensed businesses like L.L. Bean or Cabela’s.
The legislation includes changes to the state’s yellow flag law that allows police to assess an individual, take the person into protective custody for a mental health evaluation and hold a hearing before a judge to remove guns from someone in a psychiatric crisis.
The new law allows police to go directly to a judge for a warrant, streamlining the process. It eliminates a hurdle when a deputy was stymied by the Lewiston gunman’s refusal to answer the door for a required face-to-face meeting that’s necessary under current law. Law enforcement members have said in testimony about the shootings that the state’s existing yellow flag law was cumbersome and hard to apply.
Republicans in the state remain opposed to the bill, specifically because of the expanded background check proposal, said the Maine House of Representatives Republican leader, Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, on Friday.
“House Republicans have voiced ongoing support for strengthening Maine’s so-called yellow flag law and mental health services, but oppose the governor’s bill,” Faulkingham said. “The unenforceable background check provision will only create confusion among law-abiding Mainers.”
Supporters of expanded gun control laws, who have advocated for the passage of the new standards for months, described the approval of the rules as a victory. Twenty-two states now have a background check law, said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.
Advocates also said they’re hopeful other new gun measures approved by lawmakers in Maine will soon become law.
“Today is a victory for the gun violence prevention movement and a demonstration of what Mainers can accomplish to keep our communities safe when we work together,” said Vicki Farsaci, a volunteer with the Maine chapter of Moms Demand Action.
The bill signed by the governor also strengthens legal standards for prosecution and penalties to deter other people from selling weapons to prohibited buyers, making it a felony crime. The governor’s office said in a statement that the new approach “will mean that transfers of firearms to family members or trusted friends, as is common in Maine, will remain unchanged, but it will incentivize checks against the (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) for private, unadvertised sales to unknown individuals through the threat of increased risk of prosecution and prison time.”
Mills’ approvals of the gun proposals came a day after a special commission she convened interviewed fellow reservists of Card who raised warnings about Card’s increasingly erratic behavior. Card was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the aftermath of the mass shooting after an extensive search.
One of the fellow reservists interviewed on Thursday, Sean Hodgson, told superiors in September: “I believe he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting.”
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Mills also proposed the creation of a new violence and injury prevention program requiring the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to serve as a clearinghouse for data from law enforcement, hospitals, schools and other sources to inform public policy decisions.
Her proposal for a network of crisis centers, meanwhile, would build upon the first such facility already in operation in Portland and a second one that’s being created in central Maine.
Maine
Maine Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Pick 3 on Dec. 12, 2025
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.
Maine
Citizen’s initiative wants to roll back recreational cannabis use in Maine
Maine
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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