politics
Bill would put a 1-year moratorium on virtual charter schools in Maine
AUGUSTA — A bill moving forward in the Legislature would place a moratorium on virtual charter schools in Maine until next year. The bill before the Democratic-controlled Legislature directs the state to develop a plan to provide all public schools in the state access to online learning, including a possible state-run virtual academy. There are […]
Organizations deliver petitions supporting Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA — The Maine People’s Alliance has delivered more than 7,000 petitions and hundreds of postcards and personal messages urging the state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The petitions collected by MPA and two national organizations were delivered Thursday as lawmakers debate whether to expand Medicaid in the face of a promised […]
Maine Democrats propose bill offering property tax credit
AUGUSTA — Democrats in the Legislature took another step to portray themselves as champions of Maine’s property taxpayers Wednesday with the introduction of a bill by House Speaker Mark Eves that seeks to effectively restore some of the cuts made in recent years under Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration. “Maine residents want to live and […]
King in Beirut during suicide bombings
Two bombers blew up their cars near an Iranian cultural center in Beirut, killing at least four people and wounding more than 100. It was the latest in a string of deadly attacks targeting bastions of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. An al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility, saying the attack was retaliation for Hezbollah’s involvement in […]
Maine pays lawyers $300 to $333 per hour to defend CDC officials in whistle-blower case
AUGUSTA — The private attorneys hired by the state to defend the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention from a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former employee are being paid $300 per hour. Maine Attorney General Janet Mills has authorized the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to spend up to $50,000 […]
Michaud releases economic plan for Maine
Troy R. Bennett/Bangor Daily News Michaud calls his plan “Maine Made.” At 33 pages, it lays out policy goals that include a plan to raise Maine’s minimum wage to $9 per hour and make the sophomore year of college at any school in the University of Maine system tuition-free. The booklet outlines initiatives in six […]
Lawmakers say online MaineCare application is too intrusive
AUGUSTA — Some Maine lawmakers say questions for single parents on the state’s online application for Medicaid are too intrusive and should be eliminated. Single parents applying for MaineCare coverage are being asked personal questions, including where their child was conceived and the reason the other parent is absent. Democratic state Rep. Richard Farnsworth of […]
Maine GOP sets sights on winning Craven’s Lewiston district
AUGUSTA — Lewiston is a Democratic town. That has been the conventional political wisdom — and reality — for decades. It’s also the message that has been received by GOP candidates looking to get elected to the Maine Legislature from Maine’s second-largest city. But Republican Party leaders are planning to wage a high-profile campaign in […]
Maine Senate rejects ‘religious freedom’ bill
AUGUSTA — The state Senate rejected a bill Tuesday aimed at strengthening legal protections for religious freedom, which opponents say is unnecessary and could roll back decades of advances made for civil rights. The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 19-16 in favor of rejecting Republican Sen. David Burns’ bill, which he said would ensure the state has […]