AUGUSTA — Debate over the $6.7 billion Maine budget dominated discussions at the State House last week, but lawmakers were also busy slogging through dozens of bills as they try to wrap up their work for the year. Even those measures approved by the Democrat-controlled House and Republican-led Senate face an uncertain future. Republican Gov. […]
legislature
Posted inMaine
Maine lawmakers move ahead despite Paul LePage’s historic veto actions
AUGUSTA — Probably the only thing liberal about Republican Gov. Paul LePage has been his use of the veto pen, but state lawmakers continue to rebuff him, voting time and again to overturn vetoes in recent weeks. In 47 minutes on Friday, the Republican-controlled state Senate took 128 votes, each one overturning, by broad margins, […]
advertisement
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Legislature kills proposed Maine minimum wage increase
AUGUSTA — A bill that would have raised the state’s $7.50 per hour minimum wage has been defeated in the Maine Legislature. The bill died Friday because the Democratic-controlled House and Republican-led Senate couldn’t agree on it. The House supported a version that would’ve raised the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2018. The Senate backed […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Senate overturns Paul LePage’s budget line vetoes in 47 minutes
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s effort to strike out $60 million in state spending failed Friday when the Senate — controlled by members of his own party — easily overrode each of his 64 line-item vetoes. The Senate rejected LePage’s attempt to cut funding in the $6.7 billion proposed budget for education, special drug […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
House makes short work of Paul LePage’s line-item vetoes
AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives on Thursday night easily overturned $60 million worth of line-item budget vetoes from Gov. Paul LePage, who had pledged to gum up the works in the Legislature as lawmakers attempt to finish their work for the year. LePage delivered a copy of the nearly 700-page, $6.7 billion budget […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
GOP-controlled Maine Senate OKs welfare benefits for asylum seekers
AUGUSTA — Prolonged efforts by Gov. Paul LePage to eliminate General Assistance benefits for asylum seekers and other immigrants took a major hit Thursday night when the Senate voted in favor of a bill to provide the benefits for up to 24 months. The Senate also passed a separate bill to crack down on the […]
Posted inMaine
Maine’s city lawmakers stand together in support of immigrant aid
AUGUSTA — A group of lawmakers from Maine’s largest cities opposed a new, two-year state budget that makes it easier to deny financial help to asylum-seeking immigrants. During a series of floor speeches late Tuesday night, lawmakers from Lewiston, Bangor and Portland decried the rejection of changes in the state budget that would have allowed […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine House OKs tribal casino in Maine
AUGUSTA — The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives has given initial approval to a bill that would allow Maine’s American Indian tribes to bring a casino to northern Maine. The House endorsed the bill by a vote of 114-26 on Thursday with no debate. It faces further votes. The bill, which was crafted by the Legislature’s […]
Posted inMaine
Paul LePage’s vetoes take toll on finances, lawmakers’ nerves
AUGUSTA — An unprecedented spree of vetoes by Republican Gov. Paul LePage is taking a toll on the Legislature in more ways than one. LePage on Thursday issued 64 line-item vetoes in a $6.7 billion, two-year spending package, objecting to what he considers wasteful spending. He also said he intended to waste lawmakers’ time. A […]
Posted inMaine
LePage uses toy pig, Christmas tree to protest secret budget deal [Video]
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage called on the people of Maine to hold state lawmakers accountable for crafting secret budget deals in closed-door meetings and beyond the view of the public. LePage on Wednesday stood before a small artificial Christmas tree decorated with the photos of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who LePage said […]