AUGUSTA — For Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, participation in a federal voter-fraud commission proved “a strange, surreal and remarkable journey.” With President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the plug on his Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, Dunlap’s formal role is over. But, he warned, the issue is not going away. Dunlap said […]
politics
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Court orders Paul LePage to release $3 million to workforce development board
AUGUSTA — A federal judge ordered the LePage administration on Wednesday to release several million dollars in workforce development funds to a Brunswick nonprofit that alleged the administration illegally withheld the federal money. U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock ruled that the law’s language is “mandatory and clear” that a governor must release money to […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Auburn physician hoping to snag state Senate seat
AUBURN — A longtime physician hopes to win a state Senate seat this year in an open district that Republican Eric Brakey has represented for the past four years. Edmund “Ned” Claxton, 68, said his familiarity with health care and the struggles of his patients give him a unique perspective that would benefit Mainers. Claxton, […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Move to restrict signature gathering at polls assailed at hearing
AUGUSTA — At polling places across Maine, those gathering signatures for ballot initiatives have often set up a table on the way out to offer voters the opportunity to put their names on required petitions. For supporters, it’s a sign of a thriving democracy. For some, though, it’s a growing hassle. “We’ve come to hate […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump says Steve Bannon 'lost his mind' after leaving White House
President Donald Trump denounced his former top strategist, Steve Bannon, on Wednesday, saying that he “lost his mind” after leaving the White House last summer. “When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind,” Trump said of Bannon in a statement the White House issued. “Now that he is on […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Legislature cancels hearings and work sessions as nor'easter approaches
AUGUSTA — Winter weather is already delaying the Legislature’s work just two days into the 2018 session. Legislative leaders announced Wednesday — the first day of this year’s shortened session — that Thursday’s committee hearings will be canceled and rescheduled because of the winter storm. The Health and Human Services Committee, the Environment and Natural […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump threatens to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinian Authority
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acknowledging his push to broker peace in the Middle East has stalled, President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to threaten to cut off U.S. aid money to the Palestinian Authority, asking why the U.S. should make “any of these massive future payments” when the Palestinians are “no longer willing to talk peace.” […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Trump's taunts on North Korea criticized by political foes and policy pros in Maine
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works! — […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Open-burn permits secured for free online may violate law
AUGUSTA — The tens of thousands of Mainers relying on free online open-burn permits are breaking the law, Maine Forest Service Director Doug Denico said Tuesday. Denico said the private systems some rely on to avoid a $7 charge for a permit issued by the state fail to meet statutory requirements. As a result, he […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Trump administration calls Poliquin's Iran bill 'unconstitutional'
Days before demonstrations broke out in cities across Iran, the U.S. Department of Justice told congressional leaders that a measure sponsored by a Republican congressman from Maine to unveil the secret holdings of Iranian leaders is unconstitutional. U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s measure, approved last month by the House, would require the secretary of the treasury […]