After weeks of stalling, Gov. Paul LePage has finally authorized the sale of $117 million of voter-approved bonds meant to pay for a variety of projects, including $80 million for highway projects currently underway. LePage previously had stalled the sale of bonds in a dispute with the Legislature over state borrowing and a package of […]
Paul LePage
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Paul LePage says he’d go to jail before he expands Medicaid
WESTBROOK — The political debate over Medicaid expansion in Maine continued Thursday with Attorney General Janet Mills and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee slamming Gov. Paul LePage for continuing to block expansion despite voter approval. LePage, meanwhile, vowed this week that he’d risk jail time before putting Maine in “red ink” amid his ongoing battle with lawmakers over […]
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Paul LePage says congressional hopeful Jared Golden 'has a lot to learn'
LEWISTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine’s 2nd District is going to win a third term easily in November’s general election, Gov. Paul LePage said Monday. LePage said Poliquin is “one of the hardest workers in Washington,” and deserves to come out on top in the Nov. 6 general election. The governor said […]
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Maine House sustains LePage veto of Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA – The Maine House Monday failed to override a Gov. Paul LePage veto of a bill that funds a voter-approved expansion of the state’s Medicaid system. Conservative House Republicans stood with LePage, voting against the override on an 85-58 tally that fell short of the two-thirds necessary. The vote came with no debate on […]
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Maine lawmakers extend disputed tax break
Maine lawmakers have enacted a bill to extend the life of a controversial economic development program that has created hundreds of tax havens for businesses in Maine. The Pine Tree Development Zones program was set to expire at the end of this year, but its expiration date has been extended by three years to Dec. 31, 2021, and […]
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Paul LePage vetoes bill that would ease access to medical marijuana
Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a medical cannabis bill Friday that would allow doctors to certify patient use for any medical reason. In a veto letter fired off late Friday afternoon, LePage, a staunch marijuana opponent, ticked off 11 reasons why he was vetoing the sweeping reform bill, ranging from complaints about the establishment of a medical […]
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LePage proposes increasing taxes on hospitals to cover Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine’s Republican governor is publicly laying out a proposed tax hike on hospitals to pay for voter-approved Medicaid expansion. Gov. Paul LePage’s office says Medicaid expansion will offset a tax hike by decreasing charity care and bad debt. Maine’s hospital tax rate is 2.23 percent, and Rabinowitz said Maine could go up […]
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LePage adds 13 more vetoes, including CMP audit and opioid treatment
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a bill Tuesday that could require utility shareholders to bear the costs of audits similar to the ongoing review into massive, unexplained price spikes reported by some Central Maine Power customers. The CMP audit bill was among 13 vetoed by LePage on Tuesday, one day after he vetoed 23 […]
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Paul LePage vetoes 23 bills, including funds for Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage vetoed nearly two dozen bills Monday, including one that was spurred by Maine’s failure to investigate the deaths of more than 130 developmentally disabled Medicaid patients. LePage is continuing his historic use of the veto pen as he attempts to block legislation dealing with everything from Medicaid expansion to needle […]
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Paul LePage vetoes funding for lead abatement program
AUGUSTA — As part of his effort to undermine a minimum wage hike approved by Maine voters in 2016, Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a spending bill Monday that includes $4 million for a lead abatement program aimed at alleviating a serious public health issue in Lewiston and Auburn. Lewiston and Auburn are considered among the […]