AUGUSTA — Weeks of intense backroom negotiations, work sessions and partisan distractions over a funding shortfall at the Department of Health and Human Services have subsided, at least for now. Next comes the hard part for Republican leaders: selling the compromise to Gov. Paul LePage and his loyalists in the conservative caucus. Lawmakers on the […]
Paul LePage
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage blasts lawmakers again on DHHS budget
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage, in his strongest words to date, criticized lawmakers Monday for drastically altering his initial budget proposal to cut $220 million from the Department of Health and Human Services and for putting forward a new plan “full of gimmicks and built on false savings.” “Quite frankly, I believe this represents […]
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LePage says GOP should use majority power to pass Medicaid cuts
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage reiterated Tuesday that he’d prefer Republican lawmakers to use their majority power to adopt his budget, which eliminates government-funded health care for many low-income Mainers. Republican leaders, however, continued to hope LePage would review the developing bipartisan plan before rejecting it out of hand. Leaders in both parties confirmed Tuesday […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Gov. LePage attacks bipartisan budget proposal
AUGUSTA — A bipartisan budget package aimed at erasing a looming $221 million shortfall is “full of gimmicks” and lacks structural changes needed over the long haul to make state Medicaid services affordable to taxpayers, Gov. Paul LePage charged Monday. LePage lobbed heavy criticism at the Appropriations Committee, which has been working for weeks on […]
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Tax cuts will worsen, not fix budget
If Democrats had proposed spending last year that cost $170 million – say, to meet the 55 percent education funding law, or to keep revenue sharing flowing to towns and cities and boost property tax relief – they’d have been greeted with derision, not only from Republicans, but from their own party. It was obvious, […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine presidential preference contests under way
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are considered the undisputed top contenders as Maine Republican Party caucuses to choose presidential favorites get under way in earnest this weekend across the state. The state GOP has asked local committees to caucus between Saturday and Feb. 11, and more than half of the gatherings […]
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Lawmakers give LePage partial DHHS budget deal
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Legislature’s budget-writing committee said Thursday they have submitted a preliminary bipartisan plan to Gov. Paul LePage that would address the immediate budget shortfall at the Department of Health and Human Services. The agreement would plug an identified $120 million shortfall at DHHS by rolling part of LePage’s budget proposal into […]
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LePage executive order seeks to expand digital learning options
AUGUSTA — Auburn Superintendent Katy Grondin said Gov. Paul LePage’s call for Maine schools to use more technology supports what Auburn schools are doing. LePage on Wednesday directed Maine Commissioner Stephen Bowen and his staff to create a study on how to infuse more technology into Maine schools. Results of the plan are due Jan. […]
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Pingree meets with LePage to discuss DHHS budget waivers
AUGUSTA — U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree said Tuesday that she could empathize with the Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage as they attempt to plug a $220 million budget gap at the Department of Health and Human Services. However, Pingree, who met with the governor privately Tuesday morning, continued to assert that a portion of LePage’s […]
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Tension rises over Maine bill tackling unemployment insurance fraud
AUGUSTA — A controversial bill that would increase the penalties for unemployment fraud and the qualifications to receive out-of-work benefits is meeting stiff resistance from worker advocates. The proposal, LD 1725, was presented by the Department of Labor, which argued that an increase in unemployment claims has been accompanied by an increased possibility of fraud. […]