AUGUSTA — Sen. Patrick Flood, R-Winthrop, on Tuesday took responsibility for a firestorm that has raged since a Monday night vote of the Appropriations Committee that excluded Republicans. He said the committee vote that set off the controversy resulted from a miscommunication on his part. Rep. Kathleen Chase, R-Wells, the GOP’s ranking member on the […]
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LePage meets with GOP lawmakers to discuss Medicaid
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday invited a select group of state lawmakers to an “informational session” held during a luncheon at the Blaine House, the governor’s official residence. Those asked to attend included a number of rural Republican state representatives who have either said they would support a Medicaid expansion or who […]
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Maine Senate OKs dental hygiene therapists bill
AUGUSTA — Maine’s Democratic-led Senate has advanced a bill supporters say will expand access to affordable dental care in the state. In a 19-16 vote, the Senate gave initial approval to the bill establishing a new license for dental hygiene therapists, which would be able to do procedures like filling cavities and pulling teeth. Dental […]
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Maine bill would create local ‘food hubs’ for small farmers
AUGUSTA — More Maine students would eat locally grown food for lunch under a bill designed to support the expansion of “food hubs,” where small-scale farmers can store, cut or clean their products and more easily distribute them to larger markets. Critics question why question the government should fund food hubs, but supporters say the […]
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Maine lawmakers still negotiating on state revenue share for cities
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee said Wednesday they were still trying to reach a compromise on about $40 million in state funding for cities and towns. A cut to local revenue-sharing, the money the state sends to municipalities to help ease the burden of property taxes, was built into the current […]
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Lawmakers consider bill that would allow college students to defer tuition
AUGUSTA — Bills aimed at making college more affordable for Maine students will boost degree completion and yield significant benefits for the state, supporters said Wednesday. Lawmakers are beginning to examine two bills that have backing from higher education officials and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce to have the state study methods for lowering the […]
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Food purchasing bill fails to get enough votes to override LePage veto
AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate voted along party lines Tuesday to sustain Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that would have encouraged schools and state government agencies to purchase locally produced food. With a 20-13 vote, majority Democrats in favor of the bill fell two votes short of the 22 needed to pass […]
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George Mitchell: U.S. approaching golden age despite ‘very negative emotion’ about politics
Listen to George Mitchell’s speech before the Legislature (courtesy of Maine Public Broadcasting Network) AUGUSTA, Maine — Former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell said Tuesday that despite how daunting some of the country’s problems are, the United States is on the precipice of one of the most prosperous eras in American history. Mitchell, who was […]
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Maine House OKs bill to expand licenses for dental hygentists
AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers have endorsed a bill to allow a new category of dental hygienists to work in the state with the aim of expanding access to affordable dental care. In a 101-39 vote Tuesday, the Democratic-controlled Legislature gave initial approval to LD 1230, “An Act To Improve Access to Oral Health Care,” establishing a new […]
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Maine to hold hearing on college affordability bills
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine lawmakers are examining bills next week aimed at tackling the problem of mounting student debt. Under a bill introduced by Assistant Senate Republican Leader Roger Katz, the University of Maine and Community College systems would study a pilot program being developed in Oregon that makes college tuition free for students who […]