AUGUSTA — State Rep. Matt Moonen, D-Portland, said Monday that a bill he’s authored to change the way the state selects a replacement U.S. senator in the event of a vacancy has nothing to do with gubernatorial politics. Moonen’s bill was the source of speculation that Democrats were concerned U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, might […]
augusta
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Democratic women’s group to honor Shenna Bellows
AUGUSTA — An organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for public office has named Shenna Bellows its woman of the year. Bellows is the former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine who challenged Republican Sen. Susan Collins last year. Emerge Maine will honor Bellows at a reception in […]
advertisement
Posted inMaine, sj-web
New law directs Maine schools to hold lockdown drills
AUGUSTA — Schools will have to hold lockdown drills under a new Maine law. Democratic Sen. Nate Libby’s bill went into law last week without Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s signature. It directs the Maine Department of Education to rewrite it rules to require schools to hold lockdown drills in addition to fire and other emergency […]
Posted inMaine
LePage to host Ohio governor, support U.S. balanced budget amendment
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage will host Ohio Gov. John Kasich at the State House on Thursday to make an announcement regarding the national push for a federal balanced-budget amendment. Kasich and LePage, both Republicans, are among a group of governors supporting an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would require the federal government to […]
Posted inMaine
Legislative panel ponders bills to build Maine task force for veterans
AUGUSTA — A Lewiston lawmaker and Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan wants Maine to take a hard look at how the state helps veterans who return home after their service. State Rep. Jared Golden, D-Lewiston, said Wednesday that the state’s Bureau of Veterans Services does many good things and offers many […]
Posted inMaine
Fund for Healthy Maine survives in unanimous committee vote
AUGUSTA — In a bipartisan and unanimous decision, the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee beat back a proposed $7.2 million raid on the state’s tobacco settlement funds, currently used for community smoking cessation and prevention programs. The committee instead took about $2.4 million from the fund to use on other parts of the $28 million spending […]
Posted inMaine
Bill to return Maine jails to county control faces hurdles
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on Monday said they want more details on a bill that dissolves the state’s Board of Corrections and returns control of county jails to county governments. The bill, LD 186, being offered by state Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, would see the state continue to fund the 15 county jails to the tune […]
Posted inMaine
Police: Missing Augusta woman may be same who fell through ice
AUGUSTA — Police on Monday released the likely identity of a woman who plunged through ice on the Kennebec River over the weekend. Deputy Police Chief Jared Mills said police believe the missing woman is Kelly Voytasko, 54, of Augusta. Mills said Voytasko’s family reported her missing shortly after the incident. “Based on the totality […]
Posted inMaine
Augusta police ask for public’s help in IDing woman who went through ice on Kennebec
AUGUSTA — Police have asked the public to help identify the person who Saturday afternoon went through the ice on the Kennebec River. Augusta police posted information Sunday morning about the incident and effort to recover the body of what officials believe is a female. Dispatchers received at about 1 p.m. Saturday several reports of […]
Posted inBusiness, Maine
Looser alcohol regulations on tap in Legislature
AUGUSTA — Saying that sportsmen want the right to grab both beer and bait at the crack of dawn, a southern Maine lawmaker has proposed rolling back agency liquor store sales to 5 a.m., seven days a week. “They don’t want to have to buy their bait the night before,” state Rep. Jonathan Kinney, R-Limington, […]