PORTLAND — If money were no object, Maine could increase its capacity to produce power from rivers and streams by more than a quarter. But the latest inventory of Maine hydropower found the projects most likely to be built would increase existing capacity by far less, closer to 7.4 percent, or 56 megawatts. The estimates […]
Maine
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Maine Democrats, Republicans see opportunity for cooperation in fixing welfare ‘cliff’
AUGUSTA (AP) — “Welfare” has become one of the most divisive words in Augusta. But lawmakers say that addressing the so-called welfare “cliff” may be one area where they can find common ground this year. Legislators on both sides of the aisle agree that one of the biggest problems with the welfare system is that […]
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2014 safest year on Maine highways since 1944
PORTLAND (AP) — Maine state police said 2014 remains the safest year on Maine highways since World War II despite finalized data that show a slightly higher total of highway fatalities than initially believed. State police spokesman Steve McCausland said 131 people died in highway traffic crashes last year. State police said in late December […]
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Lawmakers eye new regulations for electronic cigarettes
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine lawmakers will consider measures this session to place new regulations on electronic cigarettes. House Democratic Leader Jeff McCabe is proposing to put restrictions on where e-cigarettes can be used. He told the Maine Public Broadcasting Network that the state should be treating e-cigarettes as a tobacco product because they similarly include […]
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Maine DHHS questions Portland’s spending on General Assistance
LEWISTON — A proposal by Republican Gov. Paul LePage to revamp the way the state reimburses cities and towns for General Assistance payments takes clear aim at Maine’s biggest city. Under the proposed change, Portland would lose at least $4.4 million in reimbursements, although Portland officials estimate the figure could be as high as $6 […]
Posted inBusiness, Maine
Medical marijuana sales climbing higher in Maine
Medical marijuana sales at the state’s dispensaries grew more than 30 percent in 2014 to over $16 million, according to Maine Revenue Services — and that figure doesn’t include the thousands of people legally buying direct from growers. Last year, the state recorded $16.2 million in sales and collected $892,885 in sales tax from the […]
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Collins and King offer bill to lower taxes on craft brewers
In an effort to help America’s craft beer makers, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has authored a bill that would reduce federal production taxes paid by companies that brew relatively small batches of beer. The bill, dubbed the Small BREW Act of 2015, is being co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine. It aims to […]
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Oxford Hills seniors Mikayla Morin, Davis Turner sign with University of Maine
PARIS — NCAA Division I athletes aren’t plentiful in Maine, and they are especially rare in the rural, less affluent regions of the state. Such signings certainly aren’t an annual event at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, so the odds of having two recruits within the same senior class are remote, indeed. You might say that […]
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LePage uses State of the State to pitch tax reform
The adage is quickly becoming the overarching message of LePage’s second term. For the governor, the path to prosperity is paved with the hundreds of pages from his budget proposal, which contains a dramatic tax reform plan that would eliminate the estate tax and cut the state’s income tax by more than half a billion […]
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LePage’s address by topic
AUGUSTA — In his State of the State address on Tuesday, Republican Gov. Paul LePage called on a politically divided Maine Legislature to support his $6.3 billion budget that includes an ambitious plan to overhaul the tax code. Here’s what you need to know about LePage’s speech: Taxes LePage used much of his roughly 50-minute […]