These are some of the stories central Maine is talking about today.

A Maine Democratic lawmaker wants to strip the governor of his power to appoint a replacement in the event of a U.S. Senate vacancy. Matt Moonen's bill has raised questions about whether Democrats are concerned about the possibility of Republican Sen. Susan Collins leaving her six-year term early to run for governor in 2018. But Moonen told lawmakers that his decision to introduce the bill had nothing to do with Collins. A Collins spokeswoman said Monday that the senator is focused on issues before Congress, not future election cycles. Currently, the governor has the power to appoint a replacement until the next election. Moonen's bill would require that a special primary and general election. (AP)

Police say a woman has been charged with operating under the influence for a fourth time. Drugs and alcohol were factors when 33-year-old Kristy Cookson of Litchfield crashed last week in Wales. Emergency workers had to use a chain saw to get her and her 4-year-old-son out of the vehicle. Cookson was released from a hospital last weekend due to a mix-up. She was taken back into custody on Monday. She has 13 driver's license suspensions. In 2009, she was shot by two Lewiston police officers after she attempted to run one of them over following a chase. (AP)

The Maine DHHS is warning of a shortage of foster and adoptive homes. Commissioner Mary Mayhew is asking for help from the public to address the shortage of families willing to help children. She says the issue is most acute with teenagers, particularly those who've had behavioral problems or scrapes with the law. In Maine, there are nearly 2,000 children in foster care. About 500 of those are seeking adoption while the goal for the rest is to be reunified with their families. More than 1,300 households are licensed as foster homes, but some of them are empty because they don't match with children and geography. (AP)

The governor of Washington state says he is imposing an administration-wide ban on state-funded travel to Indiana. There is a growing list of firms and groups also vowing not to travel to Indiana because of a new law critics say will sanction discrimination against gays and lesbians. Republican backers of the law say its aim is to prevent the state from imposing on religious beliefs. Indiana Democrats are calling for the law's repeal. (AP)

Members of Friends of Bicentennial Nature Park want to let those who don’t live in Augusta use the swimming and picnic spot, but for a higher fee. According to the KJ, some officials are concerned that the change would upset an agreement with nearby landowners and cost more money than it’s worth. The group raises money to help offset the city’s expenses running the city-owned park and they want to allow those from outside the city into the lightly used park as a way to boost revenue and be neighborly.  There is a concern that with this idea and increase in fees to be collected, having someone at the park collecting the additional fees could cost more than those fees bring in. (centralmaine.com)

Waterville has some big and costly decisions to make about trash collection. The city’s contract with Penobscot Energy, which burns the rubbish, is nearing expiration, and a vote is set in a few months on whether to keep the new pay-as-you-throw program. Waterville and communities will have a decision to make and could band together and build a solid waste disposal plant instead. According to the KJ, Waterville pays $60 a ton to dispose of trash at the facility, and the price under a new contract could increase to an estimated $110 to $120.  But Waterville is projected to cut in half its trash tonnage sent to the plan, cutting the cost because of the pay-as-you-throw trash collection program. But that program is at risk right now because of the June 9 referendum on its repeal. (centralmaine.com)

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