AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage’s administration spent nearly $53,000 on private lawyers in its failed attempt to remove thousands of low-income young adults from the state’s Medicaid program after being told by Maine’s attorney general that he couldn’t win the case, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The Republican governor went to the 1st […]
politics
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston Dems to meet Jan. 14
LEWISTON — The Lewiston City Democrat Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Lewiston Armory in the seniors’ room. People are invited to attend and start the new year as a participating Democrat, and to share in the effort of keeping civility and honesty and accountability in the governmental process. […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage nominates Richard Rosen to leads DAFS
AUGUSTA — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has nominated the acting commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to the position permanently. Richard Rosen was named acting commissioner of the department after former Commissioner Sawin Millett retired from the post in May. Before leading the department, Rosen was deputy commissioner of finance for the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage administration defends photo EBT cards
AUGUSTA (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage’s administration is firing back at the federal government over its policy of putting welfare recipients’ photos on the cards used to access food stamps, which federal officials have warned could cause Maine to lose some program funding. In a Dec. 18 letter to the Food and Nutrition Service obtained […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
State Senate Majority Leader Mason to serve on Energy Committee
AUGUSTA — State Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon, said Tuesday he is looking forward to working on the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee when 127th Session starts up in earnest in 2015. “Rising energy costs are one of the top issues Maine families and businesses are dealing with, and we must put in place policy […]
Posted inMaine
Maine cities, towns prepare to defend revenue in next state budget
AUGUSTA — Maine’s cities and towns are bracing for what’s sure to be another battle over how much tax revenue the state should ship their way as part of the state’s revenue sharing program. The funds, meant to be 5 percent of all sales and income taxes collected, have increasingly become a source of funds […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage replaces education commissioner with one of his advisers
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has chosen one of his senior policy advisers, Tom Desjardin, to be the next commissioner of education. Desjardin was sworn in as acting commissioner on Dec. 23, according to an internal email sent that day to all Department of Education employees. His name will be submitted for approval by the […]
Posted inMaine
Players picked, agendas defined as state lawmakers get ready for 2015
Now that state lawmakers have received their committee assignments, the planning starts for a new budget-making cycle and a host of other bills covering everything from tax policy to welfare reform that will play in the political arena for the next two years. Well-rested and well-fed from the holidays, lawmakers should all have bipartisan visions […]
Posted inMaine
Rotundo and Hamper to chair state budget panel in 2015
AUGUSTA — State lawmakers from Western Maine landed some key committee appointments as an early Christmas present from their respective leaders in the state’s Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday. Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D- Lewiston, will again serve as the House chairwoman of the state budget-writing Appropriations Committee, a post she has held for […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Collins, King push for more heating aid
PORTLAND — Senators from Maine and Rhode Island are leading a bipartisan group of lawmakers who want increased federal heating assistance for low-income families. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine and Jack Reed of Rhode Island say they and 40 other senators want President Barack Obama to provide at least $4.7 billion in […]