Scott Thistle

Portland Press Herald

Scott Thistle is the State House reporter for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He has covered politics and government in Maine since 2006. Prior to that he served as the State House reporter for the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minnesota. A Maine native, Thistle has worked in journalism since 1990, when he got his start at a weekly newspaper in rural Oxford County, Maine. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and an active volunteer with the National Ski Patrol. He resides with his wife, Amy and his two sons Finn and Kai, in Auburn, Maine.

Latest

Published
August 1, 2021

Mills earns praise, criticism for pandemic response as re-election campaign looms

In an exclusive Blaine House interview, the governor talks about her decisions on COVID-19, vetoes she’s issued and other topics as Maine gears up for 2022 gubernatorial race.
Published
July 30, 2021

State ethics panel launches probe into company that donated to Democrats

The now disbanded Alpine Initiatives LLC donated $150,000 to the Maine Democratic Party in October 2018, just 4 days after the company was registered in Maine.
Published
July 20, 2021

State government savings reach historic level under Mills administration

Facing criticism from Republicans that she would drain the state’s ‘rainy day fund’ and bankrupt state government, Gov. Janet Mills has grown the state’s budget stabilization fund to nearly $500 million.
Published
July 19, 2021

Mills signs bill authorizing spending of $1 billion in federal rescue plan funds

But the measure falls short of the two-thirds majority needed to become law immediately, so it won’t take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns.
Published
July 18, 2021

Voters will decide if Mainers have a constitutional right to food

The Legislature approved the proposal by a two-thirds margin, but some critics worry that embedding the language in the Maine Constitution could have unintended consequences.
Published
July 16, 2021

PAC spending on CMP power line referendum hits $15.2 million in 2021

A ballot question in November will ask voters if they want to prohibit the project. Proponents and opponents of the power line have spent more than $42 million since 2019 to influence the vote.
Published
July 15, 2021

Legislature moves forward with Mills’ plan for using COVID-19 relief funds

The Legislature’s budget-writing committee has approved a plan for spending close to $1 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Published
July 9, 2021

Elsa soaks Maine, but fails to put a dent in drought conditions

The state escaped serious damage from the remains of Tropical Storm Elsa, which hammered other parts of the East Coast.
Published
July 1, 2021

Former Gov. LePage files as candidate, sets stage for 2022 run against Mills

The two-term Republican governor has launched a website with a countdown clock that indicates a formal announcement may be made Monday.
Published
June 30, 2021

Gov. Mills vetoes bill to provide gaming rights to Maine tribes

Leaders of the 4 tribes reacted harshly to the veto, which was issued just hours before the measure would have become law without the governor’s signature.