People with intellectual disabilities and their families told lawmakers Wednesday that a measure backed by Gov. Paul LePage would hamper their ability to weigh in on significant funding changes to state services. Under the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services would no longer be required to hold a public hearing in the Legislature […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine to help food stamp recipients find volunteer opportunities
AUGUSTA — Maine is trying to help food recipients meet the volunteer requirement Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration began enforcing last year. The Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday that it’s partnering with LearningWorks to connect food stamp recipients with volunteer opportunities. It’s also encouraging Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients to participate. […]
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LePage to lead trade mission to Japan, China in October
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage will lead a trade mission to Japan and China this fall. LePage will travel to Tokyo and Shanghai with a group of Maine businesses and educational institutions in October to attract investments to Maine and highlight the state’s exports. LePage said in a statement that the group will educate […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
GOP leaders support LePage effort to kill income tax by 2020
AUGUSTA — The stage is set for a partisan showdown over a plan by Gov. Paul LePage to amend the Maine Constitution to eliminate the income tax by 2020. On Tuesday, LePage revealed that he had filed preliminary paperwork for a bill and had asked top Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate to […]
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Froma Harrop: No agreement on what is ‘middle ground’
Some time ago, I heard a power company executive arguing that humans have played no role in global warming. Actually, he went further, “demonstrating” that global warming isn’t even happening. (This is often done by cherry-picking dates to start with an unusually warm year.) He ended by spreading his arms and beseeching us in his […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
LePage says raising state’s minimum wage will hurt elderly
PORTLAND — Gov. Paul LePage told a Portland audience Tuesday morning his reason for submitting a bill to prohibit municipal minimum wage increases in places like Portland and Bangor, which are considering such a proposal, is because higher mandated minimum wages anywhere in Maine would harm older residents. “The reason for that is that raising […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine unemployment rate hits lowest mark in 7 years
PORTLAND — The unemployment rate in Maine fell to its lowest point in more than seven years in March. The preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 5 percent in February to 4.8 percent in March. It was 5.8 percent a year ago. The state Department of Labor says Maine’s number of unemployed declined 7,800 […]
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Maine House rejects hands-free only cell phone bill
AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives on Tuesday defeated a bill that would have made it illegal to drive while using a hand-held mobile phone. The 55-88 vote against LD 185, a measure penned by state Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, followed broad support for the bill in the state Senate earlier this month. Lawmakers in the […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Bill would prevent employers from checking job seekers’ credit histories
AUGUSTA — Many Maine employers would be prohibited from considering an applicant’s credit history when making hiring decisions, under a bill that lawmakers will begin examining this week. Rep. Scott Hamann, whose proposal will be examined by a legislative committee Wednesday, says credit checks often creates a “catch-22” because it prevents people who’ve struggled financially […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Portland considers vaping ban in public areas
PORTLAND — Are electronic cigarettes a public health menace, or a valuable tool to help smokers quit the habit? The opposing viewpoints can be expressed Monday, April 27, when the City Council considers an order to add “electronic nicotine delivery systems,” commonly known as e-cigs and “vapes,” to the list of tobacco products banned in […]