AUGUSTA — The prospect of requiring voters in Maine to show photo identification before receiving a ballot suffered what could be a fatal blow Tuesday when Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against it. LD 197, which failed in a 82-66 vote Monday, is similar to several attempts in the Maine Legislature in recent […]
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Wind power proponents tout study showing positive impacts for Maine
AUGUSTA — Proponents of Maine’s wind-power industry Tuesday touted a new study showing positive impacts on health and the environment from the industry’s growth in the state. Meanwhile, a bill before the Legislature aims to “dismantle” the state’s wind energy sector, according to those who testified against the bill, also on Tuesday. “This study confirms […]
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Maine lawmaker wants to protect nonvaccinated people from discrimination
AUGUSTA — State Rep. David Sawicki, R-Auburn, is asking Maine lawmakers to approve a bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against any person who decides to forgo certain vaccinations. Sawicki is the sponsor of LD 950, “An act to prohibit discrimination against a person who is not vaccinated.” On Monday, Sawicki said his […]
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Committee approves task force to study hayride safety in Maine
AUGUSTA — A bill meant to regulate farm amusement rides, like the haunted hayride that ended in the death of an Oakland teenager last October, has been turned into a task force that will study the issue of farm amusement ride safety in Maine. On Monday, the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted […]
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Poliquin introduces bill to aid collection of child support
AUGUSTA (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin has introduced a bill that aims to help agencies collect child support payments. Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota joined Poliquin in introducing the proposal this week. It’s the first bill that Poliquin, who represents Maine’s 2nd District, has introduced since entering Congress. The measure seeks to […]
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Bill allowing concealed handguns without permits gunned down by party-line vote
AUGUSTA — A bill that would allow Mainers over the age of 18 to carry concealed handguns without permits was rejected Friday by a legislative committee. The bill, LD 652, gained the support of three Republicans on the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, but all seven Democrats rejected the measure. Three other […]
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Statewide ban on public ‘vaping’ OK’d by legislative committee
AUGUSTA — An effort to place the same restrictions on electronic cigarettes that exist for tobacco cigarettes in Maine cleared the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on a 6-5, party-line vote Friday. With Democrats supporting LD 1108 and Republicans opposing it, the bill’s prospects in the full Legislature appear questionable. Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices […]
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Ethics bill passes Maine House with broad support
AUGUSTA — A bill that aims to ensure all state employees follow the same set of ethical standards was approved with little debate and broad bipartisan support in the Maine House of Representatives on a 134-13 vote Thursday. The bill, LD 6, is the result of a document-shredding scandal at the Maine Center for Disease Control […]
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Collins supports federal bill to help homeless youth
An Auburn woman joined iconic 1980s pop singer Cyndi Lauper, among others, Wednesday to testify before a congressional committee in Washington, D.C., on the issue of youth homelessness in the United States. Brittany Dixon spoke to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee about her experience with homelessness in Maine, urging lawmakers to support […]
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Maine Legislature to take up ethics bill for state government
AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers Wednesday will debate a bill aimed at strengthening the state’s ethics code for executive branch officers and employees, including those who run the biggest departments in state government. The bill is the result of a document-shredding scandal that erupted after a 2012 Sun Journal records request that sought information from the […]