AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage assembled lawmakers and other dignitaries in the Blaine House on Monday to announce a sizable donation to the Maine Community College System. The $10.85 million donation, from the Harold Alfond Foundation, will allow the community college system to expand the capacity of the Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield by […]
Paul LePage
Posted inMaine, Op-Eds, The Franklin Journal
Political Pulse: School choice, State of the State mark busy week for LePage
Nuggets from the notebook while waiting to see details of the education and energy proposals Gov. Paul LePage will unveil this week … The LePage administration is often tight-lipped about its unreleased policy initiatives. However, there have been some clues about what the governor will talk about on Monday, when he announces a new education […]
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Posted inMaine
Federal judge to hear arguments in mural case
AUGUSTA — A federal judge in March will hear oral arguments from the parties in the lawsuit over Gov. Paul LePage’s decision last year to remove the labor mural from the Department of Labor building. The state has asked Justice John A. Woodcock Jr. to dismiss the lawsuit, which would compel LePage to return the labor […]
Posted inMaine
Constitution: LePage can’t close schools
AUGUSTA — The LePage administration on Friday was forced to reframe comments the governor made at a Lewiston forum when he said he would close public schools if the Legislature didn’t ratify the cuts in his Department of Health and Human Services budget. The governor’s comments came Thursday night at the Green Ladle during his […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, sj-web
Top videos on SunJournal.com for the week of Jan. 15
An impromptu wedding at Central Maine Medical Center, the governor holding an open forum in Lewiston and a student’s special ride to school from the Lewiston Police Department were among the top videos of the week on SunJournal.com. Watch below, with the most popular video for the week at the top:
Posted inMaine
Battle over MaineHousing, McCormick heats up
AUGUSTA — As Republicans and their advocates ratchet up the pressure on MaineHousing Director Dale McCormick, two Democrats have withdrawn their support for a bill that would allow the quasi-governmental agency’s board of directors to fire her. Reps. Paul Gilbert, D-Jay, and John Tuttle, D-Sanford, on Thursday removed their co-sponsorship of a bill that would align […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Is Gov. LePage preparing to propose school choice?
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is among 17 governors who recently signed proclamations declaring next week as National School Choice Week, a sign that Maine’s governor could be ready to announce an initiative that would expand school choice in this state. Adrienne Bennett, the governor’s spokeswoman, said the governor is scheduled to make a […]
Posted inMaine
LePage: DHHS cuts required to keep safety net, schools open
The toughest question, however, came from one of the people the governor believes he’s trying to help. The governor parried inquiries from opponents wearing 61-percent stickers, members of the group Maine’s Majority. In doing so, LePage reiterated his administration’s commitment to a new energy policy and his desire to fold quasi-governmental agencies into state government. […]
Posted inMaine
Anti-wind group backs LePage in fight against renewable energy initiative
AUGUSTA — Friends of Maine’s Mountains, a group that opposes the proliferation of grid-scale wind power, announced Thursday that it’s supporting Gov. Paul LePage’s push against a citizen initiative that would expand the state’s renewable energy portfolio. Maine currently mandates that utility companies derive a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources. However, a coalition called […]
Posted inAdvertiser Democrat, Maine, The Franklin Journal
Lawmaker unveils bill backing natural gas expansion; oil dealers urge caution
AUGUSTA — The LePage administration is backing a bill that would allow natural gas providers access to state-backed bonds for pipeline expansions. The proposal, LD 1644, sponsored by Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, is designed to facilitate natural gas expansion to a state that has been historically dependent on oil to heat homes and businesses. While […]