AUGUSTA — On mostly party-line votes, a package of bills offered by Republican Gov. Paul LePage meant to reel in misuse of electronic benefit cards was rejected Wednesday by a legislative committee. The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee watered down two of the proposals, changing them to legislative resolves directing the Maine Department of […]
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Posted inOxford Hills
Oxford Hills officials call foul on proposal to remove turnpike signs
Traffic signs that direct travelers to Maine destinations may be removed or altered if the Legislature approves a bill proposing major changes in the selection criteria used to determine which attractions merit signs on the turnpike. Among the 25 signs slated for removal by the Maine Turnpike Authority are those for the Norway-South Paris-Oxford Hills […]
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Posted inMaine
Senate unplugs LePage bill to remove Maine’s cap on hydropower
More energy coverage: House passes bill with rebates for solar panels, heat pumps AUGUSTA — By a broad bipartisan margin, the state Senate on Wednesday again unplugged a proposal in which Republican Gov. Paul LePage sought to remove a 100-megawatt cap on hydropower, which is required in the state’s renewable energy portfolio. LePage has argued that […]
Posted inMaine
House passes bill with rebates for solar panels, heat pumps
More energy coverage: Senate unplugs LePage bill to remove Maine’s cap on hydropower Key to the support was an amendment to the bill by state Rep. Lance Harvell, R-Farmington, that creates another rebate program for heat pumps when they are installed by low-income families. The measure allows up to a $2,000 rebate from the state. Harvell’s […]
Posted inFranklin, The Franklin Journal
Madrid Township man to serve three years in prison in sex abuse case
AUGUSTA — Justice Nancy Mills on Monday ordered a Madrid Township man to serve three years of a five-year sentence for sexually abusing a teenage boy. John A. Fahnley, 59, was sentenced in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta. The conviction carried a penalty of up to five years in prison. He will serve two […]
Posted inMaine
LePage lays out Maine welfare reform plan, EBT card limits
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Monday unveiled a set of four bills that would place more restrictions on how welfare benefits can be used in Maine. Among the reforms LePage is proposing are ones that would require the recipient’s photograph on a state-issued Electronic Benefit Card, one requiring a work search before applying […]
Posted inMaine
LePage bills target use of welfare money
AUGUSTA — As promised earlier this year, Gov. Paul LePage filed four bills Friday aimed at tightening restrictions on the use of electronic benefit cards used by welfare recipients. Democrats said certain elements of the governor’s proposals raise red flags; they urged him to instead focus his administration’s efforts on enforcement of current welfare fraud crimes. […]
Posted inConnections, The Franklin Journal
KLT working to attain Howard Hill property
WINTHROP — The Kennebec Land Trust announced it has entered into an option agreement to purchase Howard Hill, 164 wooded acres that serve as the scenic forested backdrop for Maine’s State Capitol. This ambitious project is part of KLT’s 25th anniversary “Conservation Across Generations” campaign. In announcing the agreement Theresa Kerchner, KLT’s executive director, noted, […]
Posted inMaine
Maine supports 4,500 state employee phones on text-messaging systems
AUGUSTA — As many as 4,500 state workers may have access to smartphone text-messaging technology that could easily be used to skirt Maine’s open records law. How many employees actually use the phones, either state-issued or personal, to conduct state business is unknown and according to some, simply not happening. “Despite all the hysteria and […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Tribes call foul over Senate vote spree against statewide gaming measures
AUGUSTA — The Senate slammed the door on six bills Thursday night that involved the expansion of casinos and gaming, including three that would have have allowed more gaming opportunities for Maine’s Native American tribes. The other rejected bills would have expanded the use of slot machines for fraternal organizations and harness racing opportunities. R. […]