AUGUSTA — In an oddity of Maine government, one of the first acts for newly elected lawmakers Wednesday will be to elect the state’s constitutional officers, including the attorney general, the secretary of state and the treasurer. The incoming Senate Republican majority made it clear Tuesday that they wanted changes: they nominated candidates for the […]
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Ethics Commission wants more money to shed light on campaign spending, lobbying
AUGUSTA — The state agency tasked with monitoring and enforcing the state’s campaign finance and lobbying laws is looking for additional funding to increase transparency about the money spent in Maine politics. The request, included in a list of changes to Maine statute proposed by Maine Ethics Commission Executive Director Jonathan Wayne, would divert the […]
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Maine People’s Alliance to push for state minimum wage increase
AUGUSTA — A left-leaning group that advocates for the impoverished and poor in Maine will push state lawmakers for a minimum-wage hike again in 2015, organizers said Wednesday. The Maine People’s Alliance announced Wednesday it would host a news conference to discuss a new report, “Equity in the Balance,” which details the wages of Maine […]
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Maine runs out of funds for asylum-seekers
LEWISTON — About 50 immigrant families seeking asylum in Maine will lose state-funded food stamp and Temporary Assistance to Needy Family benefits in December, according to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. About $260,000 in temporary funding for the benefits, which help 128 individuals statewide, including children, has been depleted, DHHS spokesman John […]
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Maine’s lack of population growth source of economic concern
AUGUSTA — State lawmakers heard again Monday that Maine’s dwindling and aging population will continue to be one of the biggest factors in the state’s long-struggling economy. Key policymakers, including Gov. Paul LePage, are focused on a series of issues they believe would make the state a more welcoming place for job creators, including reducing […]
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Augusta police seek vandals targeting cars, cemetery headstones
AUGUSTA — Augusta police are seeking the public’s help in finding those responsible for a vandalism spree that included knocking over cemetery headstones and smashing car windows. Lt. Christopher Massey says more than a half-dozen vehicles were damaged during a spree that started on Tuesday night and ended Wednesday morning with a fire at an […]
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Maine Democrats fill legislative leadership posts
AUGUSTA — Despite seeing their majority shrink by 10 seats after last week’s election, Maine House Democrats on Wednesday re-elected the two returning members of the past session’s leadership team to key posts for the next two years. Rep. Mark Eves of North Berwick won two more years as House speaker, and former assistant majority […]
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Political leaders tip hats to Maine vets, point out progress and goals
AUGUSTA — The state’s top political leaders — including Maine’s Republican governor and Democratic speaker of the house — took time Tuesday to honor the state’s more than 140,000 military veterans. House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, pointed to recent law changes that are aimed at making veterans’ lives better in Maine. Gov. Paul LePage […]
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Cod fisheries to close
AUGUSTA — With the Atlantic cod population at an all-time low, federal regulators Monday announced the closure of commercial and recreational cod fishing in parts of the Gulf of Maine. The temporary restrictions also include a 200-pound limit on how much a fishing vessel can catch during a single trip, following several years of no […]
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In wake of losses, Maine Democratic Party chair says he won’t seek re-election
AUGUSTA — Two days after his party suffered defeat at the hands of Republicans, Maine Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant announced Thursday he would step down. Grant, a 37-year-old lawyer and former Maine Senate staffer from Portland, took over the party in 2011, just months after Democrats suffered a similar thumping as Republicans rode a […]