AUGUSTA — A Republican effort to make it legal to carry a concealed handgun without a permit was shot down in the Maine Senate on Friday. The Senate voted 19-14, largely along party lines, to indefinitely postpone the proposed amendment to a bill that would create a statewide database for concealed handgun permits and make […]
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Maine Medicaid expansion bill passes in Senate, goes to LePage
AUGUSTA — All eyes are on Republican Gov. Paul LePage after the state Senate on Friday granted final passage to a bill that would expand the state’s Medicaid program to roughly 70,000 low-income Mainers under the auspices of the federal Affordable Care Act. The Senate voted without a roll call or debate to enact the […]
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Committee approves measures meant to bolster Maine’s open meetings law
AUGUSTA — Phoning it in may no longer be an option for elected and appointed officials, especially when it comes to voting, if a bill before the Maine Legislature is approved. Thursday the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee approved a measure designed to ban most public officials from participating in meetings or voting on issues by phone […]
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Legislature blocks 2 bills targeting wind energy regulation
Maine Senate nixes bills to change wind power laws AUGUSTA — The Legislature has rejected two bills to change the state’s wind energy laws aimed at ensuring projects benefit the state economically and don’t hinder the beauty of the state’s natural resources. The Democratic-led Senate voted 21-14 on Thursday in favor of rejecting Republican Gov. […]
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Maine Senate deals fatal blow to 6 gaming bills
AUGUSTA, Maine — A group of statewide gaming bills that have been bouncing between procedural life and death in the Legislature died for good Thursday at the hands of the Senate. The six bills, which include three proposals to allow the state’s Native American tribes to expand gaming, have been the subject of disagreement between […]
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Maine House OKs concealed handgun permit overhaul
AUGUSTA — A bill to to improve Maine’s concealed weapon permitting process by ensuring adequate background checks and creating a confidential database of permit holders was given initial approval by the House on Thursday. The bill, LD 222, sponsored by retired state trooper Rep. Timothy Marks, D-Pittston, had been hammered out in committee for more than […]
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Senate unplugs LePage bill to remove Maine’s cap on hydropower
More energy coverage: House passes bill with rebates for solar panels, heat pumps AUGUSTA — By a broad bipartisan margin, the state Senate on Wednesday again unplugged a proposal in which Republican Gov. Paul LePage sought to remove a 100-megawatt cap on hydropower, which is required in the state’s renewable energy portfolio. LePage has argued that […]
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Senate passes bill to cancel welfare consultant’s contract
AUGUSTA — Maine’s Senate has approved a measure to cancel Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration’s contract with a consultant examining its Medicaid program. The Senate backed the bill with a 21-14 vote Wednesday. The bill eliminating the contract with the Alexander Group, led by the former welfare chief of Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, was endorsed […]
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House passes bill with rebates for solar panels, heat pumps
More energy coverage: Senate unplugs LePage bill to remove Maine’s cap on hydropower Key to the support was an amendment to the bill by state Rep. Lance Harvell, R-Farmington, that creates another rebate program for heat pumps when they are installed by low-income families. The measure allows up to a $2,000 rebate from the state. Harvell’s […]