AUGUSTA (AP) —Republican Gov. Paul LePage said Wednesday that he’ll apologize for calling a GOP senator the “most repugnant human being” once the governor himself gets an apology – or when “hell freezes over.” LePage told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he has responded to a committee’s demand that he apologize to Sen. Tom […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Money from outside groups pours into Espling-Claxton race
Maine Senate Money from outside groups that can spend unlimited amounts on a campaign is pouring into state legislative races much earlier than usual — and at an exponentially higher rate. Spending by party committees and political action committees, known as independent expenditures, reached $365,979 for all legislative races by Sept. 7, according to 60-day […]
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Democrats say GOP newsletters misstate education funding
AUGUSTA — In otherwise-mundane newsletters to constituents, at least four Republican state senators used the same wording to make a claim about education spending that Democrats say is not true. Each of the four wrote in his or her taxpayer-funded mailing, “We made the largest one-time investment in education in the state’s history, putting the […]
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Lawmaker Larry Lockman behind provocative anti-immigration flyer
A political mailer stoking anti-immigration fears in the House District 55 race is the work of a political action committee run by conservative Republican Rep. Larry Lockman. The glossy, oversized flyer accuses incumbent Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, of voting “to allow the killings to continue in Portland,” referring to two homicides in which immigrants were […]
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Paul LePage halts nominations a day after panel rejects Maine Turnpike Authority nominee
AUGUSTA (AP) Paul LePage A spokesman is blaming “petty partisan politicians” for Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s decision to halt his nominations for individuals to state boards and commissions. LePage’s adviser Michael Beardsley told a legislative panel Thursday that committees will not hold hearings scheduled on the governor’s nominations. LePage spokesman Peter Steele said it’s wrong […]
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Legislature hands LePage a win on child protection bill
AUGUSTA — The Legislature handed Republican Gov. Paul LePage a victory Thursday when it approved a bill that would shift the focus in Maine’s child protection system away from family reunification and toward the best interest of the child. The measure was one in a package of bills the governor submitted with the goal of […]
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LePage’s proposed child protection system reforms get mixed reaction at hearing
AUGUSTA — A public hearing held Monday on a handful of child protection reform bills revealed strong support for additional investments but also laid bare wider systemic problems that have worsened, in part, because of a continued erosion of social services. Dozens testified before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on five bills unveiled […]
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Paul LePage submits bills to revamp child-protection system
Maine Gov. Paul LePage has sent five bills to the Legislature that would dramatically overhaul a child protection system that has been under investigation for months following two high-profile deaths. The most wide-ranging bill has not yet been printed, but an overview provided by the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday revealed that it seeks […]
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Westbrook Democrat resigns after misconduct allegations
Dillon Bates, a two-term Democratic state representative from Westbrook who has been accused of inappropriate relationships with female students, has resigned effective immediately. Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon, who had previously sought the two-term lawmaker’s resignation, shared an email from the 30-year-old former teacher and coach on Monday. “Speaker Gideon, I will be resigning my […]
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Republican lawmaker calls for ethics probe against Westbrook Democrat
With Democratic lawmaker Dillon Bates defying his party leader’s request to resign, a Republican lawmaker said Wednesday that she’s formally asking for the House Ethics Committee to be “convened immediately” to investigate allegations that the two-term lawmaker, a former teacher and coach, acted inappropriately with students. “These are very serious allegations against Rep. Bates, and […]