AUGUSTA — A pair of Republican state senators rolled out a bill Tuesday that would expand the state’s Medicaid program, MaineCare, a proposal that so far has been largely opposed by Republican Gov. Paul LePage and rank-and-file members of the party. State Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, and Senate Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, […]
legislature
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
LePage asks Legislature for jail money
Related: State to re-examine property tax cap for jail funding AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage wants Maine’s jails to get the money they need. In a one-page letter to legislative leaders and members of the Appropriations Committee, the governor expressed his wish that money be set aside to keep all 15 county jails operating. “The financial […]
advertisement
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
State to re-examine property tax cap for jail funding
Related: LePage asks Legislature for jail money AUGUSTA — A six-year-old cap on property taxpayers’ share of county jail costs may be cracking as lawmakers search for more money. Members of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee put counties on notice Monday that the cap, which froze county spending on jails at 2008 levels and passed on […]
Posted inMaine
Maine legislative panel agrees to expand access to heroin overdose drug
AUGUSTA — A bill that Republican Gov. Paul LePage believes encourages a false sense of security for drug addicts but one that advocates say will save lives was approved by the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on a 7-4, party-line vote Monday. LD 1686, legalizes broader possession and administration of naloxone hydrochloride by a […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
State forecasts revenue surplus but not enough to solve budget woes
AUGUSTA — Hopes expressed by lawmakers earlier this month that higher-than-projected state revenues associated with the improving economy would help solve budget woes shriveled Friday when new data showed that little has changed from previous predictions. A panel of experts on the state’s revenue forecasting committee, which met Friday morning, found that although revenues are […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Bill would put a 1-year moratorium on virtual charter schools in Maine
AUGUSTA — A bill moving forward in the Legislature would place a moratorium on virtual charter schools in Maine until next year. The bill before the Democratic-controlled Legislature directs the state to develop a plan to provide all public schools in the state access to online learning, including a possible state-run virtual academy. There are […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Democrats propose bill offering property tax credit
AUGUSTA — Democrats in the Legislature took another step to portray themselves as champions of Maine’s property taxpayers Wednesday with the introduction of a bill by House Speaker Mark Eves that seeks to effectively restore some of the cuts made in recent years under Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration. “Maine residents want to live and […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Lawmakers say online MaineCare application is too intrusive
AUGUSTA — Some Maine lawmakers say questions for single parents on the state’s online application for Medicaid are too intrusive and should be eliminated. Single parents applying for MaineCare coverage are being asked personal questions, including where their child was conceived and the reason the other parent is absent. Democratic state Rep. Richard Farnsworth of […]
Posted inMaine
Maine GOP sets sights on winning Craven’s Lewiston district
AUGUSTA — Lewiston is a Democratic town. That has been the conventional political wisdom — and reality — for decades. It’s also the message that has been received by GOP candidates looking to get elected to the Maine Legislature from Maine’s second-largest city. But Republican Party leaders are planning to wage a high-profile campaign in […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Senate rejects ‘religious freedom’ bill
AUGUSTA — The state Senate rejected a bill Tuesday aimed at strengthening legal protections for religious freedom, which opponents say is unnecessary and could roll back decades of advances made for civil rights. The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 19-16 in favor of rejecting Republican Sen. David Burns’ bill, which he said would ensure the state has […]