Joe Lawlor

Press Herald

Joe Lawlor writes about health and human services for the Press Herald. A 24-year newspaper veteran, Lawlor has worked in Ohio, Michigan and Virginia before relocating to Maine in 2013 to join the Press Herald. He is still considered “from away” but since then, he has learned what a “dooryard” is, eaten “whoopie pies” drank Moxie and boiled some “lobstahs.” The stories he enjoys most are when he learns something and meeting inspiring people. He lives in South Portland - aka “SoPo” - with his wife, Melanie, and two school-age children.

Latest

Published
April 2, 2018

Lawmakers back bill to negate governor’s age restriction on access to overdose antidote

More than a dozen people testify in favor of the bill to allow people of any age to buy naloxone without a prescription.
Published
April 1, 2018

Soaring premiums send thousands in Maine over a health care cliff

Insurance costs have grown by as much as 110 percent for those who earn too much to receive Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Published
March 26, 2018

Maine Medical Center seeks key city approval for phase 1 of big expansion

The $512 million construction project, to be considered by the Planning Board tonight, would cause a section of Congress Street to be closed from early May to late June.
Published
March 24, 2018

With ‘crescendo,’ home-schooled student wins Maine State Spelling Bee

Colin Aponte, a 13-year-old from Blue Hill, beats out 13 other competitors to go on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington in May.
Published
March 22, 2018

Sen. Collins now says tax reform vote wasn’t contingent on support for her bills to boost Affordable Care Act

Maine’s Republican senator says she secured other important concessions in return for her vote, and the health law measures weren’t the only issue involved in her decision.
Published
March 21, 2018

Health care fixes that secured Sen. Collins’ vote on tax bill are in jeopardy

She tries to rally support as her bill to bolster deteriorating ACA marketplaces stalls despite Republican promises it would pass if she backed tax reform.
Published
March 19, 2018

Bill to save Maine child abuse prevention program attracting bipartisan support

Lawmakers agree to introduce the bill late in the legislative session because of concerns about child abuse prevention following the deaths of two Maine girls.
Published
March 18, 2018

State system to safeguard kids buckles under stress

With heavier caseloads, a worsening opioid crisis and more minors being removed from homes, Child Protective Services is losing ground.
Published
March 15, 2018

LePage says he’ll address ‘major holes’ in Maine’s system for protecting at-risk children

The governor also questions why a state agency prioritizes family reunification in its cases and suggests that may change, despite extensive research showing that the policy is best for kids.
Published
March 7, 2018

Maine emergency department visits for opioid overdoses jumped 34 percent in 2017

The increase, reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, contrasts with declining visits in several other New England states.