Steve Mistler
Chief Political Correspondent and State House Bureau ChiefJournalist Steve Mistler is Maine Public’s chief politics and government correspondent. He is based at the State House.
Steve has been a journalist for nearly two decades, specializing in the coverage of politics and state government. His work has been recognized by the Maine Press Association, Gerald Loeb and regional Murrow awards for investigative projects and accountability journalism. He was named the MPA’s Journalist of the Year in 2011 for his coverage of municipal and state government. He later received a Public Service in Radio from the Society of Professional Journalists and a writing award from the Public Radio News Directors for his retrospective of former Gov. Paul LePage.
He joined Maine Public in 2016 after a career in newspaper reporting. He and his family live in Maine.
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Physicians, psychiatrists urge Maine lawmakers to pass 'red flag law' as gun rights groups oppose itMental health advocates say Maine's current 'yellow flag' law doesn't cover everyone who might be dangerous, while gun rights advocates say it affords due process and should have been used to prevent the Lewiston shootings.
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If it becomes law, the measure pledges Maine's four Electoral College votes to winner of the national popular vote, even if the state voters choose another candidate.
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The proposal is a response to ongoing frustration with the Office of Child and Family Services, which is currently a division of DHHS, the largest bureaucracy in state government.
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If activated the multi-state compact would pledge each state's votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote, regardless of one of the state's popular vote. Republicans argue that it disenfranchises Maine voters.
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Maine could join the nearly dozen states putting the amendment to voters, but Democrats don't have the votes to do it on their own and so far Republicans are opposing it.
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Republicans have described the proposal as a late-session ambush designed to catch gun rights groups and the public off guard.
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The governor's proposal expands background checks to advertised gun sales while two other bills would impose a 72-hour waiting period on gun purchases and ban "bump stocks." Republicans opposed all three measures.
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Democrats in the Senate gave initial approval to a bill that would join Maine with California in requiring a certain number of hospital patients are assigned to a single nurse.
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The information session was originally scheduled as a public meeting, but Democratic lawmakers instead met with the ATF official behind closed doors. Republicans protested the private briefing.
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The report acknowledged that Maine's yellow flag law can be cumbersome, but "dedication and persistence" on behalf of law enforcement and the Army could have changed the course of events last October.