[View the story “Tiered welfare” on Storify] UPDATED 7:46 AM: AUGUSTA (AP) — Republican Gov. Paul LePage plans to introduce a bill that would implement a tiered welfare system in order to eliminate the so-called “welfare cliff.” The cliff effect is the idea that the welfare system may discourage those who want to work from […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Standardized testing opt-out debated in Maine legislative hearing
AUGUSTA — Students, teachers and Common Core opponents on Monday lashed out against the state’s new standardized tests, and they called on lawmakers to eliminate the tests, the standards or both and start fresh. During a lengthy series of public hearings, the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee heard testimony regarding a series of bills […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine lawmakers debate vaccination bills
AUGUSTA — Public health experts pressed lawmakers Monday to support bills aimed at boosting vaccination rates in Maine, but Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration and other critics said it’s inappropriate to strip parents of the ability to choose whether to inoculate their children. Lawmakers are considering whether to remove the philosophical exemption that allows parents […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
GOP lawmaker argues against LePage’s hold on approved bonds
AUGUSTA — Republican Sen. Roger Katz of Augusta argued Monday that no governor should have the power to overrule the will of Maine voters when it comes to the release of bond funding. Katz has made headlines for opposing Republican Gov. Paul LePage on this issue since he authored LD 1378, which would require the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Senate president proposes study of unfunded mandates
AUGUSTA — A proposal by Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau to identify unfunded demands by state government on towns and cities encountered a favorable reception Monday when it was introduced to the Legislature. LD 1377 would establish the Commission To Study the Reduction of Unfunded and Outdated Municipal Mandates, which would meet at least twice […]
Posted inMaine
Maine bill brings OUI test for marijuana
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Legislature’s Transportation Committee will consider a bill Tuesday that allows police to test drivers for operating under the influence of marijuana or, more precisely, the plant’s active ingredient, THC. The bill calls for a blood-level limit that’s modeled on alcohol blood-level limits now set in Maine law and would allow […]
Posted inMaine
Oversight committee reviews report on workplace culture at Maine DHHS
AUGUSTA — The state’s largest agency may include “unfit” supervisors and the occasional “despicable” boss, but most employees of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services are satisfied with the workplace culture. A recent report issued by the nonpartisan Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability received close scrutiny from the Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage moves to cut all funding for defunct Board of Corrections
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage is proposing to slash funding for the mothballed state Board of Corrections in the coming budget — a move that could all but ensure the group’s permanent dissolution. The board has been defunct since 2014, when member departures and LePage’s unwillingness to appoint new members rendered the body incapable of […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Poliquin says federal government should reform welfare programs
LEWISTON — U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin is backing legislation that would give states more latitude to make their own rules for welfare programs that are fueled by federal taxes. Poliquin, a Republican who represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, touched on a range of subjects during a short interview with the Sun Journal on Thursday prior […]
Posted inMaine
Maine jail consolidation debate leaves legislative panel shackled in deadlock
AUGUSTA — A forced marriage that didn’t work out. That’s the way one state lawmaker Wednesday described the failed 2007 effort to merge the operations of Maine’s county jails with the state’s prison system. “I feel like we’re a marriage counselor,” said state Rep. Tim Theriault, R-China. “Thank goodness they don’t hate each other yet.” […]