AUGUSTA — Mayors from four Maine communities said Tuesday that Gov. Paul LePage’s efforts to force them to cut spending have created a standoffish relationship and that more progress could be made if LePage would collaborate instead of dominate. Furthermore, the mayors of Portland, Westbrook, Saco and Augusta said that LePage’s continuing assertion that taxpayer […]
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Maine may have paid millions to unemployed who didn’t look for work
As many as one in three Mainers on unemployment may not be eligible for benefits – yet the state has been cutting them weekly checks. Four successive audits by the state auditor, including one released earlier this month, have warned that the Department of Labor has failed to ensure claimants are actively looking for work, […]
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Maine lawmakers call for LePage to release bonds
AUGUSTA — A group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers are calling on Gov. Paul LePage to stop holding voter-approved bonds “hostage” to advance his political agenda. Republican Sen. Roger Katz and eight other lawmakers unveiled a bill on Tuesday that seeks to force the governor to release bonds for land conservation projects that he says he’s […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Mayors’ Coalition wants lawmakers to fix PUC funding
AUGUSTA — A group of Maine mayors is urging lawmakers to fix an error in a 2013 law that caused regulators to cut funding for energy efficiency programs. The Mayors’ Coalition met at the Statehouse on Tuesday to discuss their priorities for the remainder of the legislative session. The group is made up of mayors […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
State plastic bag ban fails in Maine House
AUGUSTA— The Maine House has rejected a bill that would prohibit retailers from using disposable plastic bags. The Democratic-controlled House voted 84-62 against the bill on Tuesday. Under the measure, retailers would no longer be able to use single-use plastic bags, starting September 2020. Plastic bags would still be allowed for some items, like prescription […]
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Maine Legislature to take up ethics bill for state government
AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers Wednesday will debate a bill aimed at strengthening the state’s ethics code for executive branch officers and employees, including those who run the biggest departments in state government. The bill is the result of a document-shredding scandal that erupted after a 2012 Sun Journal records request that sought information from the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Democrats take budget presentation to Scarborough
SCARBOROUGH — Maine’s House Speaker and Senate Democratic leader are preparing to visit Scarborough to discuss their tax overhaul plan with residents. House Speaker Mark Eves and Senate Minority Leader Justin Alfond will hold a town hall meeting at Camp Ketcha on Tuesday at 6 p.m. It will be the second event that Democrats have […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
John Martin drops support for his term limit repeal bill
AUGUSTA — The elimination of legislative term limits or extension of terms for lawmakers in Maine seem unlikely at best after committee votes Monday afternoon. Democratic Rep. John Martin of Eagle Lake, who was the poster child for the implementation of term limits in 1993, sponsored a bill, LD 182, to repeal them this year, but […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Oxford Casino manager testifies against more casinos in Maine
AUGUSTA — A study commissioned by the Legislature and released last year has prompted lawmakers to propose several bills that would allow more casinos to join those in Bangor and Oxford, despite opposition from officials representing the two existing facilities. LD 1346, An Act to Establish a Comprehensive Gaming Policy, proposed by Rep. Diane Russell, […]
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Maine panel rejects bill to nix legislative term limits
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A legislative committee has dealt a blow to an effort to repeal term limits for lawmakers. The State and Local Government Committee voted 10-1 on Monday in favor of rejecting Democratic Rep. John Martin’s bill. Martin, who returned this year for his 24th term in the Legislature, told the committee last […]