AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage says his proposed merger of the Agriculture and Conservation departments is designed to make farming and forestry pistons in the state’s economic engine. However, conservation groups worry that the governor’s plan focuses too much on the extraction of natural resources and too little on protection. LePage on Wednesday unveiled LD […]
Paul LePage
Posted inOur View
A priority to end violence in our homes
The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence and Gov. Paul LePage hosted the second annual Domestic Violence Awareness Day at the State House Monday, bringing much-needed attention to the insidious and often secret crime of domestic violence. LePage has pledged, and often repeated, that domestic violence awareness is a top priority for his administration. It […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Medicaid costs above average
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — In his relentless demands for steep Medicaid cuts, Gov. Paul LePage has said Maine spends far more per capita than other states on Medicaid and is high above the national average. Whether you support or oppose LePage’s cost-cutting proposals, he’s right. Maine had the nation’s fifth-highest Medicaid coverage rate in fiscal […]
Posted inMaine
DHHS budget proposal stalls in Maine Senate
AUGUSTA — After floor speeches that went well into the night, the Maine Legislature on Thursday stopped short of ratifying a $157 million budget to meet the immediate shortfall at the Department of Health and Human Services. The House of Representatives approved the budget, 109-27. However, the Senate’s 22-13 vote fell two votes short of […]
Posted inMaine
Acting director of State Planning Office asked to resign after OUI
AUGUSTA — The LePage administration confirmed Tuesday it forced out Richard Swanson Jr., acting director of the State Planning Office, following his arrest in Waterville on Monday on a charge of drunken driving. Former Auburn resident Peter Rogers, now of Yarmouth, will become acting director. Swanson’s resignation was originally reported by the Waterville Sentinel. Gov. […]
Posted inOp-Eds
“Open for business” door swings both ways
While the Appropriations Committee was struggling mightily to do the near-impossible – avoid devastating cuts to the state’s Medicaid program proposed by Gov. Paul LePage – a report on jobs came out that was equally devastating. Based on U.S. Census reports, the Maine Center for Economic Policy says that Maine was one of only six […]
Posted inMaine
Maine lawmakers poised to diminish agency power to interpret rules
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers will soon decide whether judges should give less weight to decisions made by state agencies. Current Maine law requires justices to give strong deference to departmental rulings on matters such as development permits or enforcement of insurance laws. But that could change if lawmakers approve LD 1546, a bill quietly moving forward […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Educators react to governor’s plan
Gov. Paul LePage’s plans for education reform were met with mixed reactions Thursday among educators. A few of his plans floated right by with scarcely any controversy, while others provoked fear and loathing. Predictably, the governor’s call to use public education money to fund private and religious schools prompted the biggest concerns. Some fear that […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Health providers gird for DHHS cuts under compromise deal
Lawmakers may have reached a bipartisan deal to close a budget gap at the Department of Health and Human Services, but health care providers are still bracing for deep cuts. Members of the Legislature’s budget committee pushed back against Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal to drop coverage and tighten eligibility for some MaineCare beneficiaries, but left […]
Posted inMaine
School choice, public funding for religious institutions headline LePage education plan
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Wednesday unveiled sweeping reforms to the state’s education system, including public funding for religious schools and a school choice initiative. The proposal also includes teacher and administrator evaluations and an expansion of career and technical education. LePage made the announcement at the Somerset Career & Technical Center in Skowhegan. […]