AUGUSTA
A State House reporter for a Bath-based news website was ousted from the House floor during debate on Medicaid expansion Tuesday night.
Andi Parkinson was asked to remove herself from the floor of the House at the request of Rep. Ken Fredette, R-Newport.
She was the only reporter asked to leave the proceeding, according to Gina Hamilton, editor of the New Maine Times.
According to Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, and Majority Leader Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, Fredette asked that Parkinson be removed because she had worked for Dirigo Blue, a progressive news organization, in the past.
Berry complied with Fredette’s request and asked Parkinson to remove her equipment to the gallery or to leave. Parkinson chose to leave, as the proceedings were nearly over.
Berry apologized when Hamilton contacted him later that night.
Hamilton is a weekly OpEd contributor to The Times Record.
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