AUGUSTA — Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Seth Harris told Gov. Paul LePage during a telephone call late Wednesday that an audit of the Maine Department of Labor’s handling of unemployment claims came in response to complaints of inconsistencies, not due to comments the governor allegedly made last month during a Blaine House lunch. Meanwhile, the […]
Paul LePage
Posted inMaine
State representative files request to reopen unemployment claim
LEWISTON — Last week, on the same day the Sun Journal reported allegations of political pressure being exerted on hearings officers at the Maine Bureau of Unemployment, the first claim to reopen a 2012 case was filed with the state. State Rep. Henry John Bear, who represents the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, filed a […]
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Posted inMaine
Federal agents examine Maine unemployment files
AUGUSTA — Federal agents visited the Maine Department of Labor on Tuesday and Wednesday to meet with officials at the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation. Legislative officials said Wednesday the auditors were examining unemployment files in response to reports that administrative hearing officers were pressured by Gov. Paul LePage to skew appeals cases in favor of […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Federal auditors examine files at Maine labor department; LePage wants probe of unemployment compensation system
AUGUSTA — Federal agents visited the Maine Department of Labor Tuesday and again today to meet with officials at the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation. Legislative officials said Wednesday that agents were auditors examining unemployment files in response to reports that officers at the Office of Administrative Hearing were pressured by Gov. Paul LePage to skew […]
Posted inMaine
Emails reveal friction, political pressure on unemployment hearing examiners
AUGUSTA — The chief hearing officer at the Maine Department of Labor’s Division of Administrative Hearings said in an email she was “totally shocked” after attending a luncheon hosted by Gov. LePage at the Blaine House last month where he reportedly scolded hearing officers for doing their jobs poorly in the wake of complaints by […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
LePage comments focus of BDN blog
Gov. Paul LePage vows to be more like an embattled Wisconsin governor while blaming union bosses for woes in the Maine education system. These assertions and more surfaced Thursday after a Maine political writer claimed to have received a tape of LePage’s speech to the Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce the night before. According to a […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Selectmen displeased with governor’s response on budget
POLAND — Gov. Paul LePage’s response to the Board of Selectmen’s letter on the effects his proposed state budget would have on the town didn’t set well with selectmen. At Tuesday’s meeting, Selectman Stan Tetenman suggested it appeared the Governor’s Office had responded to the board with a form letter. He said it failed to […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage encourages gun makers to move to Maine
AUGUSTA (AP) — is telling gun makers they should move to Maine. In an opinion column published Saturday in the Wall Street Journal, LePage wrote that Maine is “fiercely protective” of its gun rights and would welcome gun makers and ammunition manufacturers. LePage said anti-gun legislation has been passed in the home states of firearms […]
Posted inMaine
Labor memo at center of controversy
Gov. Paul LePage called a luncheon meeting last month of state employees who hear appeals of unemployment claims because he and the commissioner at the Department of Labor had been getting complaints from the public that the process was unfair, a spokesman for the governor said Friday. In early March, Jennifer Duddy, chairwoman of the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Democrats assail LePage plan to grade Maine schools
AUGUSTA — Democrats voiced fierce opposition Thursday to an initiative by the LePage administration to give schools across Maine A-through-F letter grades based on their performance. However, the initiative does not require legislative approval and will be unveiled prior to the end of the school year. LePage announced the idea during his State of the […]