AUGUSTA – A political battle is heating up in the State House over whether Maine should conform the state income tax with new federal tax law, a move that would bring a wave of tax cuts valued at about $111 million. The Legislature’s Taxation Committee on Monday began a close examination of Gov. Paul LePage’s tax […]
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State proposes giving schools responsibility for special education for 3- to 5-year-olds
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers will take up a bill Monday that would shift all special education services for 3- to 5-year-olds to local school districts from the Maine Department of Education – which regularly runs over its $30 million annual budget for those services and often fails to adequately provide them. Statewide, there are 2,068 children […]
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Committee deadlocks on bill designed to protect Mainers’ internet privacy
AUGUSTA — A legislative committee deadlocked along party lines Thursday on a bill aimed at protecting privacy on the internet. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Shenna Bellows, D-Manchester, would prohibit internet service providers who receive state subsidies from selling customers’ data without notice or consent. The measure would also prohibit ISPs from charging customers an […]
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Bill to allow guns in cars on school grounds unanimously rejected by Maine House
AUGUSTA — Legislation that would have allowed firearms onto school grounds in Maine, provided they were locked in an occupied vehicle and unloaded, was unanimously rejected by the Maine House on Tuesday. The bill, offered by Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, was introduced prior to a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that claimed 17 lives, […]
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Bill to save Maine child abuse prevention program attracts bipartisan support
AUGUSTA — A bill that would save a $2.2 million child abuse prevention program is making its way through the Legislature, after the deaths of two Maine girls from child abuse in the last four months. The LePage administration had announced in February that it would end the prevention program in September. Rep. Pinny Beebe-Center, […]
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A pro-civility Republican also emerges to challenge Les Gibson
AUGUSTA — The Democrats aren’t the only ones taking a stand against Republican state House contender Leslie Gibson. Gibson, whose harsh words for teens who survived a school shooting in Florida last month drew national ire, now faces two challengers for the 57th District — one of them from within the ranks of the GOP. […]
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Legislature’s investigative arm to probe 2 child deaths and role of Maine DHHS
AUGUSTA – The investigative arm of the Legislature will launch a probe into the recent deaths of two Maine children who were slain in their homes after months of abuse, and how the Department of Health and Human Services and other public agencies failed to protect them. “The system has clearly failed her, we all […]
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Legislative panel passes bill to expand medical marijuana program
Maine’s medical marijuana program would undergo sweeping changes under a bill approved Wedneday by the Legislature’s health and human services committee. The committee bill, which was approved by an 11-2 vote, would increase patient access to medical marijuana by allowing medical providers to certify an adult patient for any medical reason, give registered caregivers the […]
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Maine legislative panel backs $60 million in tax incentives for BIW
AUGUSTA — A legislative committee voted Tuesday to give Bath Iron Works $60 million in tax incentives as long as the company maintains current employment levels and invests at least $200 million in the shipyard. After weeks of discussion and fine-tuning, members of the Taxation Committee voted 8-2 in support of a bill that BIW […]
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Bills to better serve Mainers with disabilities move forward on party-line votes
AUGUSTA — Bills that would beef up both the internal and external oversight of the state’s care of people with intellectual disabilities and autism won party-line approval from the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on Monday. One bill would create an independent panel within the Department of Health and Human Services to review deaths […]