Gov. Paul LePage’s weekly radio interview on WVOM has become a bombastic, must-listen lately, and Tuesday’s appearance was no different. The Republican governor repeated a version of remarks on drug dealers the Morning Sentinel said he delivered at a recent speech in Waterville, saying legislative proposals to increase sentences for traffickers didn’t go far enough. He said “the death penalty should be appropriate […]
politics
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Grand jury indicts producers of Planned Parenthood videos
AUSTIN, Texas — A grand jury has indicted two anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos alleging Planned Parenthood illegally sold fetal tissue to researchers for a profit, and said the abortion provider committed no wrong. The grand jury in Houston, which investigated Planned Parenthood after the Center for Medical Progress released its undercover footage last […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Circulators for Maine casino signatures demand payment
LEWISTON — Circulators hired to gather signatures to bring another casino to Maine have finished their work, but accusations of how those signatures were obtained and whether circulators were adequately paid for the work have just begun. According to two circulators hired to gather signatures in Androscoggin County, petitions were circulated without the required witness […]
Posted inMaine
Lawmakers eye additional bills to fight drug crisis in Maine
AUGUSTA — A bill meant to toughen sentences for those convicted of trafficking illegal drugs or importing them into Maine was met with mixed reactions from the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Monday. The bill, LD 1541, offered by Sen. Scott Cyrway, R-Benton, would increase the classifications of trafficking crimes as well […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Gov. Paul LePage to hold town hall meeting on TV
Gov. Paul LePage’s office has announced his next town hall meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 26, will be televised. The town hall will be televised at 8-9 p.m. on WVII Channel 7 from the station’s Bangor studio. A live video stream can be seen at www.foxbangor.com. There will be a live audience. Questions for LePage can be submitted […]
Posted inAdvertiser Democrat, Lewiston-Auburn
Former state lawmaker Lois Snowe-Mello of Poland has died
POLAND — Former Maine lawmaker Lois Snowe-Mello died Sunday night in hospice, according to Sen. Eric Brakey of Auburn. She was 67. “Rest in peace to my good friend, my mentor and my unofficial grandmother, Lois Snowe Mello, who passed away tonight in hospice care,” Brakey posted on Facebook on Sunday night. Brakey occupies the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Paul LePage administration, Janet Mills spar over hiring of lawyers
AUGUSTA — The longstanding feud between Democratic Attorney General Janet Mills and Republican Gov. Paul LePage has escalated with Mills warning the administration to stop using executive branch attorneys to handle legal matters that should be her office’s responsibility and with LePage’s legal counsel telling Mills that she and her staff can’t be trusted. The […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine to consider self-defense immunity for National Guard
PORTLAND (AP) — Maine’s veterans department wants state lawmakers to pass a bill that provides civil and criminal immunity to Maine National Guard members who act in self-defense while on duty. The state Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management proposed a bill that states a guard member’s use of deadly force for self-defense or […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Sources: Ex-N.Y. mayor Michael Bloomberg eyeing presidential run
NEW YORK — Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is taking early steps toward launching an independent campaign for president, seeing a potential path to the White House amid the rise of Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders. The billionaire media executive, who served three terms as mayor of New York, is said to be […]
Posted inMaine
Riverview staffing shortages get attention in legislative hearing
AUGUSTA — Staffing shortages at Riverview Psychiatric Center will prompt a report from the retired Maine Supreme Judicial Court chief justice who oversees the state’s compliance with a court order. The state-run, 92-bed hospital on Augusta’s east side has struggled for years. The most recent problems culminated in Riverview’s 2013 decertification by the federal Centers […]