PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Sen. Susan Collins may change her vote on the GOP tax overhaul if her amendments are not included in the final version that emerges from conference committee, the Republican said. Collins’ comments, made on the same day nine religious leaders protesting the tax plan were arrested at her office in Portland, […]
politics
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, sj-web
Paul LePage says Lewiston and Auburn should have voted to merge
LEWISTON — Voters in the Twin Cities made a mistake last month when they rejected a proposed merger of Lewiston and Auburn, Gov. Paul LePage said Thursday. The governor called it “a very parochial decision” that will leave the two cities weaker than they could be together. He said that Lewiston and Auburn could be […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn, sj-web
Results seen in first year under new lead poisoning law
LEWISTON — A state law that placed more stringent guidelines on addressing childhood lead poisoning has shown considerable results since it was implemented in 2016, housing advocates said Thursday. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the first year of the law’s implementation, from September 2016 to September 2017, 386 additional […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Paul LePage dismisses 'fake news' that Trump wants him in U.S. Senate
LEWISTON — As he wound up a two-hour campaign swing through downtown, Gov. Paul LePage said what he’d like to do when he leaves the state’s top job is to teach economics and politics at a university. “I’m so glad I’m going to be done” in a year, the two-term, lame-duck governor said. After ruling […]
Posted inNation / World
Al Franken says he will resign U.S. Senate seat
WASHINGTON (AP) — Coverage of Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and the allegations of sexual misconduct against him (all times local): Updated 11:45 a.m.: Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is resigning amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations. Once a rising star in the Democratic Party, Franken made the announcement in a speech Thursday on the Senate floor. The two-term […]
Posted inBusiness
Amazon backs out of pharmaceutical wholesaling in Maine
Maine has canceled Amazon’s applications to become a pharmaceuticals wholesaler, according to state officials. The retail giant’s applications were canceled because they did not contain all the required information, and no action had been taken by the applicant to complete them, according to Anne Head, the head of the state Department of Professional & Financial […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Rick Mason sworn in as state rep during emotional ceremony
AUGUSTA — Surrounded by family and friends, Rep. Rick Mason was sworn in as the newest member of the Maine House of Representatives on Wednesday by Gov. Paul LePage. Mason was elected in a special election last month to represent the people of Lisbon, finishing the term started by his late wife, the Hon. Gina […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Eyed for elimination, estate tax remains controversial on campaign trail
Though the so-called “death tax” is on life support these days, some of the candidates vying for a U.S. House seat in Maine’s 2nd District aren’t ready to give up on it. Fifteen years ago, the federal government taxed more than 600 estates left behind by wealthy Mainers. During the past five years, the number […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin split on concealed carry bill
For U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Maine Democrat, a measure approved by the House on Wednesday to allow people to carry concealed weapons in states that restrict them is “absolutely sickening” given the “never-ending current” of mass shootings in America. But her Republican counterpart, 2nd District Republican Bruce Poliquin, called it instead “a common-sense fix […]
Posted inNation / World
Angus King says Al Franken should resign
PORTLAND — Maine’s Democrat-aligned independent U.S. senator says it’s time for Sen. Al Franken to resign in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations. Sen. Angus King is one of two unaffiliated members of the U.S. Senate, and he caucuses with the Democrats. King tweeted on Wednesday that Sen. Franken, of Minnesota, should step down in light of […]