Maine
Mainewhile: Administration has Maine in its crosshairs and it’s illegal
Our beloved state is currently embroiled in a loud and fractious feud. I wish we weren’t, but we are.
A disclaimer: If you have questions, or are genuinely engaged in sorting your way through this issue, I welcome your conversation and I promise to engage in it without rancor. If, however, you are inclined to simply yell and hurl invective… well, I simply won’t be reading it. Life is short.
Currently, we are in a showdown between the federal and state government. A significant amount of much-needed funding hangs in the balance.
This whole thing started with an elected representative “outing” an underage student who that representative believes to be transgender.
Midcoast resident Heather D. Martin wants to know what’s on your mind; email her at heather@heatherdmartin.com.
Whether the student is, or is not, doesn’t matter.
The representative claims it is about her right to free speech. It isn’t.
If that child had, for example, committed a grisly murder, robbed a bank or committed some other crime, their name and image would have been withheld by law. But because this minor was busy just living their life in a way that representative deemed unacceptable, she felt justified in posting the minor on social media, exposing them to potential violence, threats and harassment.
Our youth deserve better than that. Our youth deserve to be protected. So do our grown-ups.
Now, if the issue were genuinely about fairness in sports (it isn’t), that would spark my curiosity. The current system is old. Times have changed in lots of ways. I bet that we, as a nation, could scrap the whole thing, sit down and create a new system that is better all around. We are actually pretty good at solutions once we take the heat out of the conversation. We can create a new and better way.
The fact that the conversation is being wound around the issue of transgender people is unfortunate. It seems to inspire a lot of fear, which comes out as “ugly.” We are not showing our best selves.
First, there seems to be a sense that making room for all types of people to exist will somehow cause others to morph into someone else against their will. I’ve never actually seen that happen.
People are who they are. Every transgender person I know has told me they knew who they were at a young age. And I believe them. Just as I believe my straight friends, and gay friends, and friends who have allergies.
Who we are is not a “choice.” Not for any of us. Our choice is about whether we pretend to be someone we’re not, or let others see who we truly are. That comes down to safety. Wouldn’t that be a lovely thing if everyone felt safe to be themself?
I’ve also heard the word “unnatural” bandied about – and that is simply incorrect. Nature is full of examples of changing genders. Clownfish, bearded dragons and sea snails are maybe the most famous, but the spotted hyena is worth a mention as well. Lots of species are able to change their gender completely – even well into their lifespan.
Humans not being able to do so autonomously is not an argument against it, either. After all, our inability to grow new teeth like sharks can is why we created dentists. Like I said, we are good at solutions.
However, none of this is the real issue.
What is really at stake here is the Constitution. Specifically, “ArtI.S8.C1.2.6 Anti-Coercion Requirement and Spending Clause,” which is pretty clear that withholding funds from a state in order to coerce or force specific behavior is illegal.
The threat, explicitly tied to funding, made by the president against our governor – and all of us who live here – is flat-out unconstitutional. States’ rights (oh, the irony) were established to prevent such abuses of power.
Therefore, I offer up (again) my heartfelt thanks to Gov. Janet Mills for standing up and ensuring our Constitutional protections remain in place, that rule of law remains the governing principle, and that we are all afforded our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
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This story will be updated.
The Maine Department of Transportation is moving to slash up to $400 million in projects from its agenda, a shocking and abrupt cutback that is rattling the state’s construction industry at the start of building season.
Roughly $50 million across six pavement projects have already been delayed, according to a memo exclusively obtained by the Bangor Daily News. The agency plans to cut or delay another $150 million in bridge, highway, intersection and multimodal projects later this month. A further $200 million or more in cuts are planned in the next three-year work plan.
Those figures were outlined by Transportation Commissioner Dale Doughty in the May 18 memo to Gov. Janet Mills that has since circulated widely in the transportation sector, which has been getting drip-by-drip details on the wide scope of the cuts over the past three weeks.
It comes at the beginning of the state’s relatively narrow construction season. Companies have hired workers and ordered materials for projects they expected to begin this summer. The severity of the transportation budget problems was not raised to lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session.
Kelly Flagg, executive director of the Associated General Contractors of Maine, called the shortfall “deeply troubling” in a statement.
“We stand ready to work with policymakers, stakeholders, and industry partners to identify both immediate and long-term solutions,” Flagg said. “Maine cannot afford to fall further behind.”
Insiders saw this first.
This story was broken in Maine Politics Insider, the BDN’s daily premium newsletter for the most ardent political news followers. If you are a new BDN subscriber, you can sign up here. Current subscribers can contact our customer service team to upgrade.
The cuts stem from a structural funding gap of at least $130 million in the state’s current work plan, according to Doughty’s memo. Losses are magnified because state money from the gas tax and other revenue sources is matched by federal funds. Lawmakers have long grappled with politically difficult long-term problems with the state’s transportation budget.
A Mills spokesperson said Wednesday morning that the administration was working on a response to questions from the BDN. The department says it needs roughly $240 million more in state capital funding annually to maintain the existing system, and that anything less than $200 million will erode it over time.
Doughty’s memo the only near-term solution is a series of bonds beginning as soon as possible. Lawmakers would have to return to Augusta to authorize that if one is going to appear on the November ballot.
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Michael Capeci is the former chairman of the Bangor GOP.
Let’s be honest about Maine’s current state.
For many families, the cost of living has become unsustainable. Housing is out of reach for many young people. Energy bills keep rising. Many small businesses are struggling under taxes and regulations that make it harder to grow. Rural hospitals are under strain and despite years of increased state spending, the results are not showing up in people’s daily lives.
Concurrently, Maine continues to lose young workers to other states. That is not a statistic, it is a warning sign.
To me, the question in this Republican primary for governor is not about slogans. It is whether we continue with a political approach that has failed to reverse these trends, or whether we nominate someone with new ideas. I think that someone is Owen McCarthy.
Owen is not a political insider. He is an entrepreneur from Patten, a small town where opportunity is not assumed, it is built. He grew up in a working-class family, became the first in his family to graduate from college graduating from the University of Maine, and founded MedRhythms, a healthcare technology company focused on neurological treatment.
He didn’t just talk about opportunity. He built it. That distinction matters, because Maine’s problem is not a lack of debate it is a lack of results. We have seen the trajectory: higher costs, slower growth, and a steady outmigration of young workers. I believe Owen McCarthy represents a break from that pattern.
His Maine 2040 plan focuses on creating 50,000 new jobs in sectors where Maine has real advantages — maritime and defense, advanced forest products, and life sciences. These are export-driven industries tied directly to Maine’s workforce, geography, and institutions. What sets Owen apart is not only what he proposes, but how he approaches governing.
He prioritizes modernizing permitting so projects do not stall. He supports using technology to reduce costs and increase efficiency. He focuses on making it easier to build, hire, and expand in Maine.
That same practical mindset extends to healthcare. Expanding telehealth, strengthening EMS systems, improving provider flexibility, and shifting toward earlier intervention are not abstract reforms. They are system upgrades designed to improve access while controlling costs.
Maine voters consistently respond to competence. They reward candidates who understand problems and present plans to solve them. I believe they are tired of rhetoric that does not translate into results, and skeptical of politics that prioritizes messaging over execution.
Owen’s approach is grounded in solving the issues that shape daily life — affordability, healthcare access, job creation, and government efficiency. That is not just policy positioning. It is a governing model that speaks directly to voters.
Some will point to his lack of political experience. But I believe Maine’s core problems are not the result of insufficient political experience; they are the result of policies that have failed to deliver measurable improvement. Experience inside a broken system, by itself, is not a solution.
If Republicans want to win, this primary must be taken seriously. From my perspective, it is not about choosing a nominee for governor who can energize the base. It is about selecting someone who can compete in a broader electorate that is frustrated and looking for change.
That requires a candidate who can speak beyond the base, not by abandoning principles, but by demonstrating competence and a credible plan to address Maine’s challenges. I believe Owen McCarthy offers that combination. He represents a shift away from managed decline and toward economic execution.
This is not just another primary. It is a decision about whether Republicans position themselves to win Maine or whether they remain trapped in a cycle of repeating the same strategies and expecting different outcomes.
If Republicans want to compete for Maine’s future, they cannot afford to nominate a candidate who only motivates part of the electorate. They need someone who expands it.
I believe Owen McCarthy is that candidate.
And if the goal is to win Maine, then the choice should be unmistakable
The only notable change in the top-seven of the Varsity Maine baseball poll is that Gorham now has eight first-place votes, two more than last week. The order of the seven teams is identical. In fact, the only change in the top-seven over the past three polls is the swap at the top after Gorham’s win over South Portland on May 19.
Furthermore, Gorham, South Portland, Oxford Hills, Cheverus, Bangor, Mt. Ararat and Fryeburg have been ranked in the top seven for four straight weeks, and six of those squads have been among the top seven in every poll this spring.
Meanwhile, Scarborough is ranked for the first time since May 5, and Ellsworth and Thornton swapped spots.
The Varsity Maine baseball poll is based on games played before June 2, 2026. The top 10 teams are voted on by the Varsity Maine staff, with first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points.
1. Gorham (8) 89
2. South Portland 79
3. Oxford Hills (1) 75
4. Cheverus 55
5. Bangor 42
6. Mt. Ararat 41
7. Fryeburg Academy 30
8. Ellsworth 27
9. Thornton Academy 25
10. Scarborough 12
Also receiving votes: Washington Academy 8, Monmouth Academy 4, Cony 4, Leavitt 2, Falmouth 2.
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