AUGUSTA – Lawmakers on the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee got their first look at a bill that would move Maine back to a statewide presidential primary vote. The bill, LD 1673, sponsored by Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, has received broad bipartisan support in its tentative form, including from Republican Gov. Paul LePage. The […]
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Posted inMaine, New England, sj-web
Less snow + Less plowing = More cash for transportation projects
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Scarce snow this winter required fewer hours of snowplowing and less use of sand and salt leaving northern New England communities with extra money for road maintenance and other transportation projects this summer. The Maine Department of Transportation said it’s looking at a savings of millions of dollars. But the head of […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
White House won’t designate Cashes Ledge as a monument
PORTLAND — White House officials said Friday that President Barack Obama is not considering an underwater mountain in the Gulf of Maine for designation as a national monument, delighting commercial fishermen and frustrating environmentalists. Environmental groups want Obama to permanently protect Cashes Ledge, an underwater mountain and offshore ecosystem in the Gulf of Maine. Cashes […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine unemployment rate hits lowest point in 15 years
AUGUSTA — Unemployment in Maine fell slightly in February to 3.6 percent, reaching its lowest point in 15 years. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate had been 3.8 percent in January and 4.7 percent a year earlier. The number of unemployed people also fell 8,400 over the year to 24,000. The nationwide unemployment rate was […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Legislators want to review new DHHS rules on mental services
The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee plans to review proposed rule changes from the LePage administration that providers say would cut services for thousands of Mainers with mental illnesses. Those rules aren’t typically reviewable by the Legislature, but affected individuals used a provision allowing them to petition the committee for review and got the […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine House OKs public vote on GMO labels
AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives has given initial approval to a proposal that would allow residents to vote on whether packages of foods produced from genetically modified organisms should be labeled. Maine has a GMO labeling law on the books, but it doesn’t kick in unless enough other states pass similar laws by […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Shooting survivor backs gun background checks on Maine ballot
ORONO — A survivor of the Virginia Tech shooting is sharing his story in hopes of garnering support for a firearms background check proposal set to appear on the Maine ballot in November. Colin Goddard spoke at the University of Maine in Orono on Wednesday. Goddard was a senior at Virginia Tech when he was […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine House votes for more county jail funding
AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives has shown initial approval for a bill that would provide almost $5 million in public money to fund the state’s county jails. The Legislature faces a bill that would provide about $2.4 million in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 to Maine’s county and regional jails. The bill passed […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Gov. Paul LePage wants substance abuse programs in county jails
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has proposed a network of new county-run community substance abuse programs, along with creating a dedicated fund to support them. LePage has proposed LD 1674, An Act to Create Community Substance Abuse Programs, which was unveiled to the Legislature on Thursday. The bill calls on sheriffs in Maine’s 16 counties […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Sen. Susan Collins won’t endorse candidate until GOP convention
BANGOR — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who in July endorsed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for president only to see him bow out of the race last month, said Wednesday that she is staying neutral when it comes to remaining candidates until it’s time to vote at the national Republican convention. “I am not going […]