Published: October 20, 2025
Maine state Referendum and Portland minimum wage increase proposal–
With attention on next year’s midterm elections, it’s easy to overlook Maine’s upcoming referendum. On Nov. 4, Mainers will vote on two citizen initiatives.
Question 1 proposes changes to voting, including absentee ballot restrictions and a requirement to show photo ID before voting. Question 2 would create a red flag law for firearms, also known as an extreme risk protection order.
The full text of question 1 as it will appear on the ballot reads:
Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?
The full text of question 2 reads:
Do you want to allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others?
Along with statewide citizen initiatives, people registered to vote in Portland will vote on a minimum wage increase. Portland’s minimum wage is currently at $15.50, and the proposal would increase it to $16.75 at the beginning of 2026, then to $17.75 in 2027, and finally to $19.00 in 2028. Maine’s statewide minimum wage will also increase to $15.10 on January 1, 2026, as it is set to follow the Consumer Price Index.
College students in Maine can register to vote using their school’s address if they reside on campus. Maine has same-day voter registration, so you can register to vote at polling locations on election day. The early in-person voting and absentee ballot request period has already opened and will end on Oct. 30. Completed absentee ballots must be received by your town’s municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on November 4, election day. In most places in Maine, polls open at 6:00 a.m.
Portland to Open New Warming Shelter in Riverton –
Portland City Council approved a plan to open an emergency warming shelter in Riverside Industrial Parkway, approximately 5 miles from downtown. It will be opened by November 15, and is in a building that also serves as a shelter for asylum seekers. The project was unanimously approved by city council after a $400,000 grant was received from MaineHousing.The shelter will be open between 7:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. when temperatures are 15 degrees or colder or there are 10 inches of snowfall forecasted.
Health and Human Services director Maggie McLoughlin called the shelter “far from perfect,” as it is off the peninsula and far from where social services are located. She has maintained that the city is working within constraints to offer the best solutions they can. A shuttle bus will bring people in need off the peninsula and to the shelter, and social service providers will let people know by word of mouth when the shelter is open.
Cold temperatures can be deadly for unhoused people. Last winter, two men experiencing homelessness were found dead from exposure behind the Riverside Hannaford. They were found by a friend and presumed to have fallen asleep before dying from the cold weather. He was shocked by their sudden deaths and said that he didn’t know how it happened. He added that both had beds at a nearby shelter, one had recently started a new job, and the other was looking for work. Another one of their friends said she was kicked out of the shelter after forgetting to punch in at 9:00 a.m. while mourning their deaths, highlighting the challenges strict shelter rules can create. Constant displacement, inconsistent social services, and the destruction of encampments can further destabilize unhoused residents.
Emergency warming shelters aim to prevent tragedies and keep people safe in the cold, but the threshold required to open the shelter, the hours it is open and the distance from downtown remain barriers. Still, city officials, residents and social service providers say it’s important for Portland to do its part to support unhoused residents during the winter months.
Portland Jetport will not Show Video by Kristin Noem –
Portland International Jetport (PIJ) has refused a request to voluntarily show an official video where United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem blames congressional Democrats for the government shutdown. A PIJ spokesperson said that they are not displaying the video because it is political in nature and does not address any operational guidance. Over 20 airports across the country have refused to play the video, including major airports in New York, Chicago and Atlanta have declined to screen the video, citing that the political nature of the video violates rules.
The video, which was meant to be a public service announcement, shows Noem in her official role with an American flag and the DHS crest behind her. At one point she says, “Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay.”
Critics of the Trump Administration’s TSA video say that it violates the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in politics while in their official capacity. The Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent federal agency, investigates allegations on Hatch Act and other merit system violations. Hatch act violations have occurred during almost all recent presidential administrations, but under the first Trump administration, violations were more extensive, apparently deliberate, and came from high-level employees and cabinet officials. Multiple alleged Hatch Act violations from employees of the current Trump Administration are currently under investigation by the OSC.
School district introduces anti- trans policies –
The RSU 24 school board in Hancock and Washington counties voted 7-1 to rescind policies that allow transgender students to use bathrooms and participate in events that align with their gender identity. Several other K-12 school districts in Maine have made similar moves, including MSAD 70 in Aroostook county, RSU 73 in Andriscigun and Franklin counties and RSU 21 in York county, among others.
After Trump’s election victory and anti-trans executive orders, several anti-trans bills were proposed in Maine. Only one of them – a ban on trans athletes from girls sports in schools – advanced through the House, but failed to pass in the senate. The rest failed to pass through the House, and none of them were made into law.
In 2005, The Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA) was amended to include protections based on sexual orientation – which included gender identity. In 2019, it was amended again to explicitly include protections based on gender identity.
Maine state officials have explicitly stated that they will not target school districts that chose to align with the Trump Administration’s policies regarding transgender athletes, bathroom access, and correct pronoun usage. Schools have also been told that they should still follow state law, despite federal stances. School districts across Maine began debating changes to their policies on trans students’ recognition and rights.
A RSU 24 school board member said they enacted anti-trans policies against recommendations by school lawyers. While the state has said they will not go after schools, anyone who believes they have been discriminated against can file a complaint.
Susan’s Fish and Chips Closes –
Portland restaurant Susan’s Fish-n-Chips will be closing on October 30. The owner Susan Euklund discussed the closing in a Facebook post:
We are saddened to have to close but times have changed the cost of products, the increase in wages and the overall costs make it very difficult. On behalf of everyone at Susan’s, thank you for your loyalty and support over the years. It has been our pleasure to serve you. A special thank you to all the employees who have stuck by me for all these years. It’s been a great run.
Euklund opened the restaurant 35 years ago. There have been several restaurant closures in Portland in recent years, with many citing high costs.
In 2021, Euklund pled guilty to 12 misdemeanor counts of failure to truthfully collect, account for or pay over sales tax with regard to her restaurant. She entered an agreement to pay over $205,000 in restitution.
