AUGUSTA — A group hoping to reel in the influence of corporate money in politics and overturn a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling brought its message to the State House on Thursday. The group, We the People Maine, part of a national grassroots movement pushing to amend the U.S. Constitution to ensure that corporations are […]
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U.S. labor secretary visits BIW, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
PORTLAND — U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez says an aging workforce at shipyards underscores the importance of training a new generation of workers with the skills needed to “punch their ticket to the middle class.” Perez made the remarks Wednesday as he got a firsthand look at an apprentice program at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and […]
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Maine Senate, House each override 2 LePage vetoes
AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate has voted to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that would provide car decals to young drivers so parents and law enforcement can more easily identify intermediate license holders. The Senate voted 23-11 to support the bill Wednesday. It also overrode LePage’s veto of a bill concerning health […]
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Maine unemployment rate drops to 4.7 percent in April
PORTLAND — Maine’s unemployment fell to its lowest point in nearly eight years with a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.7 percent in April. State labor officials say the April rate is a drop of 0.1 percentage points from March 1.1 points from a year ago. They also say the number of unemployed people fell 8,300 […]
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Maine service members lost since 9/11 honored at State House
AUGUSTA — State Sen. Anne Haskell, D-Portland, never knew her dad. He was killed in 1944, near the end of World War II while serving with the U.S. Army in the Philippine Islands. Haskell joined a group of lawmakers and surviving family members of other Mainers who lost their lives serving their country since Sept. […]
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LePage administration proposes public defender’s office
AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee is considering a proposal to create a public defenders system in Maine. Maine is the only state without a public defender’s office. The bill co-sponsored by committee chairmen Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting, and Rep. Barry Hobbins, D-Saco, that would create a public defender’s office was submitted by Gov. Paul LePage, according […]
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Passamaquoddy, Penobscot tribes withdraw from Legislature
“We have gone to great lengths to demonstrate good faith and cooperation, only to be lied to,” Fred Moore, tribal chief of the Passamaquoddy at Pleasant Point, said during a rally held outside the State House. “We have gotten on our knees for the last time,” Kirk Francis, chief of the Penobscot Nation, said. “From […]
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GOP push for state Department of Energy highlights desire to lower Maine’s energy costs
AUGUSTA — The $38 million fallout from a missing “and” along with a push by Republican lawmakers and Gov. Paul LePage to create a new Cabinet-level Department of Energy is highlighting the ongoing struggle the state’s top policymakers face as they try to combat Maine’s high energy costs. But a disagreement over funding has Democrats […]
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Rotundo says time running out for tax reform
AUGUSTA — With precious little time left before a two-year state spending plan must be passed, the top Democratic budget negotiator said Friday there’s little chance for a comprehensive tax reform package identified by Gov. Paul LePage as his top fiscal priority. “It’s difficult, at this point, to do any meaningful kind of tax reform,” […]
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Health committee OKs bill restricting vaccination exemption
AUGUSTA — A bill designed to ensure parents have reliable, accurate information before deciding not to have their children vaccinated won a green light from lawmakers on the health committee. The bill, LD 471, would require parents to consult with a doctor before claiming an exemption from state vaccine requirements for their children on “philosophical” […]