The bill, presented during a news conference Monday afternoon at the State House, is aimed at the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash benefits to low-income families with children. The bill has not yet been printed, which caused Democrats to warn that it could include provisions that LePage and Thibodeau are not […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Pittsfield lawmaker leaves Democratic Party, becomes unenrolled
AUGUSTA — Rep. Stanley Short, D-Pittsfield, announced Monday that he has started the process of leaving the Democratic Party and becoming an unenrolled representative. Short told the Bangor Daily News that he notified House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, and House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe, D-Skowhegan, of his decision on Monday morning. “After serving one […]
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Bill names Houlton stream for American Indian war hero
AUGUSTA — It may not be a big stream, but for John Bear the renaming of B Stream in Houlton has big meaning. Bear, who grew up in Lewiston, is a nonvoting member of the Maine House, representing the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. He said Friday that a resolution passed by the Maine Legislature […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage blames MPA for budget forum disruption
The exchange between Joanne Twomey and Gov. Paul LePage starts about the 2:00 mark. LePage; Twomey should not be charged. First Amendment protects her, I’m happy to have the debate. #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/0WEfZiqBiM — Mario Moretto (@riocarmine) April 3, 2015 “It wasn’t the woman (who was out of control). It was the Maine People’s Alliance in […]
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LePage threatens veto of Democrats’ ‘simple fix’ energy bill
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage said Friday that he doesn’t support a Democratic proposal that would fix what has been called a $38 million typo in a previously enacted energy bill that among other things provides almost twice that amount in funding for Efficiency Maine projects. LePage stopped short of saying he’d veto the “simple […]
Posted inMaine
Legislative panel rejects LePage Department of Conservation overhaul
AUGUSTA — A key legislative committee has rejected a proposal by the administration of Republican Gov. Paul LePage that sought to dissolve the state’s Bureau of Public Lands and fold its functions into two other agencies within the state’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. As part of his two-year, $6.57 billion state budget proposal, […]
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Indiana controversy looms as Maine senator floats ‘religious freedom’ bill
AUGUSTA, Maine — Civil liberties watchdogs, gay rights advocates and some lawmakers were already rattling sabers Thursday at the specter of a “religious freedom” bill similar to the one passed last week in Indiana, which has stoked fears that Maine could open the door to legalized discrimination. Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting, said Thursday that he’s […]
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Maine House, Senate split on teen tanning bed ban
AUGUSTA — The politically-divided House and Senate are at odds over whether Maine should prohibit people under the age of 18 from indoor tanning. The Democratic-led House voted 87-59 to give initial approval to Sen. Geoff Gratwick’s bill on Thursday. The Republican-led Senate voted 18-17 in favor of rejecting the bill Wednesday. It faces further […]
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LePage wants a legislative ‘tax week’, jokes about moving to Florida
BRUNSWICK — Gov. Paul LePage deepened a line he drew in the sand earlier this year when he said Thursday that vetoes of legislators’ constituent service bills will continue until the Legislature acts on his tax reform package. “Absolutely,” LePage said when asked by the Bangor Daily News whether he would use vetoes as leverage […]