PORTLAND — Long before Donald Trump laid waste to political correctness, there was Maine Gov. Paul LePage. For five years now, the Republican has hurled crude insults, heaped abuse on the media and offended many with his brass-knuckle tactics and off-the-cuff remarks — most recently last week, when he complained that out-of-state drug dealers with […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Gov. Paul LePage reschedules town meeting in Windham
WINDHAM — Gov. Paul LePage has postponed a meeting with residents in the southern Maine town of Windham, due to snow that hit parts of the state hard. The Republican governor was set to hold a town hall meeting at Windham High School on Wednesday. A spokesman for LePage says the meeting will be held […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine anti-drug bill advances, but funding questions loom
AUGUSTA — A $3.7 million bill aimed at Maine’s drug crisis was advanced by the Legislature’s budget-writing committee on Tuesday, but top House Republicans are opposed to one of its funding sources. The proposal, which would fund 10 new drug agents and expand treatment, education and recovery options, was rolled out by legislative leaders in […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Marco Rubio’s strategically gloomy detour
BEDFORD, N.H. — This year’s Republican presidential campaign is where hope and optimism go to die. Don’t pretend that Donald Trump is an exotic outlier. His spirit haunts a party that can’t get enough of gloom and fear. Among the GOP candidates, no one started out more optimistic about the United States than Marco Rubio. […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Democrats must address illegal immigration
As respectable Republicans panic over Donald Trump’s storm of insults against Hispanics, Democrats may be tempted to sit back and watch the other party estrange millions of potential voters. But they do so at their own peril. Democrats already have the luxury of being far less offensive, whatever position they take on immigration. But they […]
Posted inBusiness, Livermore Falls Advertiser
Minimum wage question headed toward 2016 ballot in Maine
AUGUSTA — Leaders of a statewide referendum campaign to incrementally boost Maine’s minimum wage from $7.50 an hour to $12 an hour by 2025 said Wednesday they would deliver more than 80,000 petition signatures to the secretary of state’s office Thursday. The campaign, Mainers for Fair Wages, needed just over 61,000 signatures from Maine voters […]
Posted inLivermore Falls Advertiser, Maine
Emerge Maine, hoping to add female lawmakers, announces candidates
AUGUSTA — An organization that hopes to increase the number of Democratic women serving as lawmakers at the State House in Maine announced 18 candidates for 2016 on Tuesday. Emerge Maine, which conducts training and workshops for female, elected officials and candidates, announced the candidates — including 10 incumbents — during a news conference at […]
Posted inMaine
Maine’s only black lawmaker discusses ‘white girl’ comment with LePage
AUGUSTA — The only African-American lawmaker serving in the Maine Legislature said Tuesday he met with Republican Gov. Paul LePage, in part, to discuss a controversial comment LePage made last week. Rep. Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop, said he met with LePage on a number of topics but the two did discuss LePage’s comments in Bridgton last […]
Posted inMaine
Bill seeks to strengthen Maine’s new revenge porn law
AUGUSTA — A bill that makes it easier for a victim of “revenge porn” to more quickly get a protection from abuse order gained support Monday from range of organizations that help victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse. The bill, LD 1487, is co-sponsored by Rep. Lori Fowle, D-Vassalboro, and Rep. Ken Fredette, R-Newport. […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Common core standards debated in legislative hearing
AUGUSTA — Education organizations in Maine opposed a bill to repeal the state’s involvement in the Common Core State Standards over objections that the standards are confusing and rob communities of local control over their schools. The bill, LD 1492, sponsored by Rep. William Tuell, R-East Machias, would end Maine’s participation in the Common Core […]