The Maine State House was evacuated on March 8 after two legislators, the State House and the Maine Democratic Party received bomb threats in emails. The Portland Press Herald also received a copy of the email threat.
Although the Kennebec Journal reported the “motive wasn’t entirely clear,” the threats came after hearings on a controversial bill (L.D. 227) that would shield the state’s health care providers from other states’ laws banning or limiting gender-affirming care and abortion services, and the legislators who received the threats are chairs of that committee. Moreover, harsh language in the threats was directed against trans health care.
In addition to the state house, the threats also targeted the headquarters of the Maine Democratic Party and the homes of both committee chairs, Rep. Anne Perry of Calais and Sen. Donna Bailey of York.
Maine’s Capitol Police were made aware of the threat about 7:15 a.m. and evacuated about 100 people, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety. The building was temporarily shut down and police dogs from the Maine State Police Bomb Unit searched the building.
Capitol and Augusta police officers and other local agencies coordinated to clear the Maine Democratic Party office on Water Street and the homes of Perry and Bailey.
No explosives were found, and no one was injured during the evacuation, authorities said.
While no one was at the Maine Democratic Party office Friday morning, the building at 320 Water St. was evacuated, and no bomb was found.
Read the complete Kennebec Journal story here at centralmaine.com.
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