AUGUSTA — Ask Heidi Hart about a state program that helped lift her and her daughter out of poverty and Hart will tell you the Parents as Scholars Program was essential to changing her life and the lives of hundreds of other Maine families. Hart, now a lawyer, urged lawmakers Tuesday to reject a proposal […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine House passes 2 bills targeting DHHS decisions
AUGUSTA, Maine — Lawmakers in Maine’s lower chamber on Tuesday gave initial approval to two bills that would see the Legislature intercede in the operations of the Department of Health and Human Services, which Democrats accuse Republican Gov. Paul LePage of mismanaging. Both bills target highly controversial operations at the department: The first, LD 1663, would […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage signs bill adding $21 million to rainy day fund
AUGUSTA — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has signed a bill to replenish the state’s rainy day fund and is allowing infrastructure projects that were put on hold to move forward. The Republican governor’s bill puts $21 million back into the fund, which was tapped to pay for revenue sharing. LePage said drawing from the fund […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage names Fitzpatrick as acting head of Corrections
AUGUSTA — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has appointed an associate commissioner in the Department of Corrections to serve as the agency’s acting commissioner. LePage said Monday that Dr. Joseph Fitzpatrick will fill the post left vacant by the departure of Commissioner Joseph Ponte, who accepted a job as commissioner of New York City’s jail system […]
Posted inMaine
LePage lays out Maine welfare reform plan, EBT card limits
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Monday unveiled a set of four bills that would place more restrictions on how welfare benefits can be used in Maine. Among the reforms LePage is proposing are ones that would require the recipient’s photograph on a state-issued Electronic Benefit Card, one requiring a work search before applying […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
House passes bill requiring more disclosure for ‘narrow’ networks
AUGUSTA — The Maine House has endorsed a bill that aims to provide clarity to “narrow” health insurance provider networks that exclude some hospitals and doctors. The Democratic-led House gave initial approval to Democratic Rep. Paul McGowan’s bill with a 92-48 vote on Monday The measure would require carriers to disclose to consumers whether any […]
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LePage bills target use of welfare money
AUGUSTA — As promised earlier this year, Gov. Paul LePage filed four bills Friday aimed at tightening restrictions on the use of electronic benefit cards used by welfare recipients. Democrats said certain elements of the governor’s proposals raise red flags; they urged him to instead focus his administration’s efforts on enforcement of current welfare fraud crimes. […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Legislature passes rainy day plan, budget fix
AUGUSTA — The Legislature has soundly approved an emergency bill spearheaded by Gov. Paul LePage to restore $21 million to the state’s rainy day fund and another emergency measure to fill a $40 million hole in this year’s budget. The bills both passed with zero debate, but the ease with which they cruised through the […]
Posted inMaine
Maine supports 4,500 state employee phones on text-messaging systems
AUGUSTA — As many as 4,500 state workers may have access to smartphone text-messaging technology that could easily be used to skirt Maine’s open records law. How many employees actually use the phones, either state-issued or personal, to conduct state business is unknown and according to some, simply not happening. “Despite all the hysteria and […]
Posted inOur View
Our View: LePage keeps ignoring issues at DHHS
Gov. Paul LePage needs to walk over to Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and handle some personnel problems, and soon. While the governor was announcing a controversial new program Wednesday to allow more commercial tree cutting on public lands, Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, was talking about a mysterious $1 million payment buried deep […]