A Deering High School student is suing the National Endowment for the Arts because he’s banned from participating in a national poetry contest due to his immigration status. A complaint filed Wednesday on behalf of 17-year-old junior Allan Monga, an asylum-seeker from Zambia, asks that he be allowed to compete in the Poetry Out Loud […]
politics
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Poliquin raising money at faster clip than in 2016
In the race to secure campaign cash, U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin has raised 22 percent more than he had at the same time in 2016, the last time he faced voters. The 2nd District Maine Republican collected more than $430,000 during the first quarter of the year, and has more than $2.2 million in his […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
McCarthy, Scalise are likely contenders for House speaker
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some say it’s a fight between West and South. Or a battle for President Donald Trump’s affections. Or a test of who can woo conservatives. But one thing is clear: If the showdown between California Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise for House speaker is a popularity contest, it will […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Senate passes marijuana market bill, and it’s veto proof
The Maine Senate on Wednesday passed the bill to launch the state’s adult-use marijuana market, putting the legislation on the brink of heading to Gov. Paul LePage’s desk with veto-proof margins from both chambers of the Legislature. The bill passed by a 24-10 margin one day after being approved 112-34 in the House, which killed a […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Will Ryan's departure matter to Poliquin's re-election bid?
Politicians differ on whether the decision of U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan to step down after this year will matter to U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s re-election bid in Maine’s hotly contested 2nd District. Ryan, 48, told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday that he seeks to spend more time with his family. “The truth is, […]
Posted inNation / World, News
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg: regulation of social media firms is ‘inevitable’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told a House oversight panel Wednesday that he believes it is “inevitable” there will be regulation of the social media industry and also disclosed to lawmakers that his own data was included in the personal information sold to malicious third parties. “The internet is growing in importance […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
House Speaker Paul Ryan won't run for re-election
WASHINGTON (AP) — Claiming he’s accomplished a “heckuva lot,” House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday he will not run for re-election and will retire next year, injecting another layer of uncertainty as Republicans face worries over losing their majority in the fall. The Wisconsin Republican cast the decision as a personal one, saying he did […]
Posted inMaine
LePage blasts Skowhegan Savings Bank over firing of Waterville Mayor Isgro
Gov. Paul LePage is expressing support for embattled Waterville Mayor Nick Isgro, saying in a letter sent to the president of Skowhegan Savings Bank that it was a mistake to dismiss him over a controversial tweet in which he criticized a school shooting survivor. “Your decision to discharge Nick Isgro is a mistake you will […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Biddeford lawmaker plans to challenge Rep. Chellie Pingree for 1st District seat
AUGUSTA — State Rep. Marty Grohman said Tuesday he will challenge Rep. Chellie Pingree for her 1st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Grohman, an independent who is finishing off his second term as a state representative for Maine House District 12, left the Democratic Party in September 2017 to become an independent.. […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Eric Brakey goes to court to challenge Max Linn’s candidacy in GOP primary
AUGUSTA — A squabble between two Republicans hoping to be their party’s nominee to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. Angus King will now head to the courts. State Sen. Eric Brakey’s campaign political director, David Boyer, filed a complaint Tuesday, asking a judge in Kennebec County Superior Court to overrule a decision by Secretary of State […]