AUGUSTA — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed a bill that would have earmarked $2.4 million this year and next for the state’s county jails. The Portland Press Herald reports the Republican governor said in his veto letter Friday that state funding to operate county jails is capped. If counties exceed that limit, the state […]
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Gov. Paul LePage says 127th Legislature is horrendous
Gov. Paul LePage said Tuesday that the 127th Legislature, which finished most of its business early Saturday morning, is “the worst since I’ve been governor.” “It’s just horrendous,” said LePage on his weekly appearance on WVOM radio. At the top of a list of gripes from LePage was enactment of a major rewrite of Maine’s solar energy […]
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Bill for biomass life support approved by Maine Legislature
AUGUSTA — In a last-minute bid to help Maine’s struggling biomass industry, the Legislature on Friday approved $13.4 million in aid aimed at keeping four working plants, including those in Stratton and Livermore Falls, open for another two years. The bill gained broad bipartisan support, even from fiscal conservatives who had vowed they wouldn’t increase […]
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Maine House passes solar bill
AUGUSTA — Supporters of a state solar bill approved by the House say the legislation would create new clean-energy jobs and reduce energy costs for those who don’t use solar power. The Maine House passed the bill Thursday. The vote remains 10 short of the needed support to override Gov. Paul LePage’s expected veto. The […]
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Bill to boost Maine law officers’ pay heads to LePage
AUGUSTA — A bill that boosts the pay of law enforcement officers, including troopers, game wardens, fire marshals and marine patrol officers and their supervisors, by 12 to 18 percent is on its way to the desk of Gov. Paul LePage after a vote in the Maine Senate. The bill, LD 1523, originally provided pay […]
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House passes bond bill for transportation, as Maine lawmakers scurry to finish
AUGUSTA — The Maine Legislature on Friday passed a package of bonding bills that will ask voters to borrow as much as $150 million in the state’s next budget cycle. Included in a series of bills that were approved by lawmakers is $100 million for highways, bridges, ports and intermodal facilities, $45 million to fuel […]
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LePage signs into law recommendations of veterans commission
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday signed into law legislation meant to strengthen and modernize Maine’s Bureau of Veterans’ Services and provide state community college and university tuition to members of the Maine National Guard. The legislation, largely based on the recommendations of a special commission that was set up by the Legislature in […]
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Maine Senate advances pay raise for state police
AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate has passed a bill to provide pay increases to state law enforcement officers. The Senate gave initial approval to the bill Wednesday. The measure would provide 5 percent pay raises to state law enforcement officers such as state troopers, game wardens and fire marshals. Supporters of the pay increase say […]
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School funding bill would help towns that lose major employer
A last-minute bill to change Maine’s school funding formula to help struggling mill towns was amended amid confusion and urban-rural divide by the House of Representatives on Wednesday night. It was proposed by Gov. Paul LePage is a response to recent paper mill closures. Last month, the mill in Madison announced that it will shut […]
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House fails to overturn LePage veto on DHHS bill
Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed an effort by the Legislature to intervene in a move by the Department of Health and Human Services to change eligibility criteria for Medicaid-funded services for adults with intellectual disabilities and autism. The veto was sustained late Wednesday evening with an 83-66 vote in the House, which is short of the […]