LEWISTON — Just a year out of college when he arrived at the State House in 1964 as a newly elected lawmaker from far northern Maine, John Martin entered a world quite different from the one newcomers find there today. The chamber still had spittoons and ashtrays on every member’s desk, he said, and from […]
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Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Legislative panel OKs delay to regulate marijuana sales
AUGUSTA — Enactment votes on a bill that would delay portions of Maine’s new recreational marijuana law could come early next week after a unanimous committee vote in favor of the bill Thursday. The Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted 12-0 in favor of LD 88, with amendments, after hours of testimony and deliberations devoted […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Gov. Paul LePage to give State of the State speech to Legislature
AUGUSTA — Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage is scheduled to deliver a State of the State address after a one-year hiatus from the longstanding tradition. Aides to Republican Senate President Michael Thibodeau and Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon said legislative leaders worked with the governor’s office to schedule the address for Feb. 7. LePage’s office […]
Posted inMaine
Legislature eyes earlier time zone for Maine
AUGUSTA — Though it may sound peculiar, some Maine lawmakers are aiming to make the winter sun set later in the Pine Tree State. A measure under consideration by the Committee on State and Local Government would begin the process of shifting Maine into a new time zone that would put it an hour ahead […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Legislative leaders agree to delay parts of marijuana legalization
The leaders of the Maine House and Senate have agreed to a limited moratorium on legalizing marijuana, putting off many of the provisions of the new law until Feb. 1, 2018. Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon of Freeport and Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau of Winterport have been negotiating the terms of the moratorium for […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Legislators prepare to rework Gov. Paul LePage’s budget
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage’s $6.8 billion budget proposal was still being digested in the State House on Monday, but all signs were pointing toward the obvious: The Maine Legislature won’t let it pass the way it came. The LePage administration devoted much of Monday to briefing legislators on the budget, which was released late […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Lewiston lawmakers schedule office hours for public
LEWISTON — The city’s legislative delegation plans to hold office hours on Jan. 21 to discuss issues related to state government. The 90-minute session will provide residents with a chance to ask questions and to hear updates on issues ranging from business to the budget. The office hours are slated to take place from 11 […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Gov. Paul LePage’s budget would cut income tax rate and state jobs
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage’s $6.8 billion, two-year state budget proposal, released Friday night, would reduce Maine’s state employee workforce by approximately 500 and shift Maine to a flat income tax by 2020. The budget proposal for the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years was released on Friday with little fanfare. The LePage administration posted it […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Gov. Paul LePage set to unveil 2-year budget to Maine legislators
AUGUSTA (AP) — Republican Gov. Paul LePage is set to unveil a budget that he says will reduce spending and cut taxes for the state’s highest earners. LePage has expressed deep concern about Maine voters’ approval of a new 3 percent surtax on the state’s highest earners to fund schools. In recent radio interviews, he […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Stephen Wood, GOP rep from Greene, may leave Republican party
AUGUSTA (AP) — The Republican minority in the Maine House of Representatives is getting smaller because a lawmaker says he is leaving the party. Rep. Kevin Battle of South Portland says he is going to become an independent. He was recently elected to his second term. The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/2hVRlAt ) reported that Rep. […]