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

The Maine House of Representatives has rejected a contentious bill that seeks to require abortion clinics to be licensed by the state. The Democratic-led House voted 84-65 against the bill on Wednesday. It heads to the Republican-controlled Senate. The measure would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to write operational and safety standards for the facilities. Opponents say the measure is unnecessary because physicians that perform abortions are already licensed by the state. They say the bill is designed to close clinics and block access to abortions. But supporters say the goal is to ensure the procedures are done safely. (AP)

Maine lawmakers have again approved a bill to create a special state unit dedicated to investigating unsolved homicides, but the measure still needs to be funded. The bill was given final approval in the Democratic-led House Tuesday with a 144-1 vote. On Wednesday, the Senate placed it on the "special appropriations table," where it will compete for funding in the upcoming state budget. The nearly $500,000 bill would support two state police detectives and a forensic chemist who would work with a prosecutor in the attorney general's office. The measure creating the unit was passed last year but never funded. (AP)

Maine's unemployment fell to its lowest point in nearly eight years with a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.7 percent in April. They also say the number of unemployed people fell 8,300 over the course of the year to 32,100. Officials say Vermont had the lowest unemployment rate in New England at 3.6 percent while Connecticut had the highest at 6.3 percent. (AP)

Police say a teen driver was running from police when he hit a fence and a tree, before crashing into four parked cars and flipping his truck in Farmington. According to WGME, the 17-year-old from Eustis was injured in the crash that left five vehicles totaled Wednesday. It happened on Route 27. No other people were hurt.  Farmington police say the teen was charged with driving to endanger as well as eluding an officer. The road was closed for several hours.  (WGME)

Nonprofit organizations that receive a total of over $115,000 from the city of Gardiner faced questions from a city councilor Wednesday night during a discussion about the city’s proposed budget. According to the KJ, recently elected councilor Maureen Blanchard was asking the questions about the spending. The proposed $5.48 million municipal budget  in April would raise property taxes by 3.4 percent. (centralmaine.com)

A day after withdrawing their representatives from the Maine legislature, three of the state’s four Indian tribes resolved Wednesday to no longer recognize the authority of state officials, legislators and courts to their culture or to interfere with our self-governing rights. The three tribes also called on the federal government to intervene in their increasingly heated disputes with Gov. Paul LePage and Attorney General Janet Mills over the meaning of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980, asking for a congressional inquiry. According to the KJ, the move came one day after the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot representatives to the state legislature renounced their seats in protest over the deterioration in tribal-state relations. (centralmaine.com)

More From 92 Moose