AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate voted along party lines Tuesday to sustain Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that would have encouraged schools and state government agencies to purchase locally produced food. With a 20-13 vote, majority Democrats in favor of the bill fell two votes short of the 22 needed to pass […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
George Mitchell: U.S. approaching golden age despite ‘very negative emotion’ about politics
Listen to George Mitchell’s speech before the Legislature (courtesy of Maine Public Broadcasting Network) AUGUSTA, Maine — Former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell said Tuesday that despite how daunting some of the country’s problems are, the United States is on the precipice of one of the most prosperous eras in American history. Mitchell, who was […]
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Maine unemployment rate drops to 6.2 percent
AUGUSTA — Maine’s unemployment rate dropped again in December to its lowest rate in five years. The Maine Department of Labor said Tuesday that Maine’s unemployment rate for December was 6.2 percent, down 1 percent from the same period a year ago. It’s also lower than the November jobless rate of 6.4 percent. Maine continues […]
Posted inMaine
Maine Democrats ask LePage for messages around CDC document-shredding case
AUGUSTA — The Maine Democratic Party on Monday announced it has filed a public records request with Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s office asking for information about a change in funding for Healthy Maine Partnerships in 2012. The funding change orchestrated by the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention has come under fire after a […]
Posted inMaine
State committee digs deeper into document-shredding case
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Government Oversight Committee decided to dig deeper Friday into a case that involves the mishandling and possibly illegal destruction of public documents by officials at the Maine Center for Disease Control, an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services. Voting 9-2, the panel agreed to invite CDC employees […]
Posted inMaine
Former director says FBI investigating Maine CDC
Sharon Leahy-Lind said Friday in an interview with the Sun Journal that she has “fully cooperated with the FBI” while investigators there look into issues at the CDC. A spokesman for the CDC said he was unaware of an FBI investigation. A spokesman for the FBI said he could neither confirm nor deny an agency […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Computer problem resolved; unemployment payments on the way
AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Labor says it’s resolved the computer system problem that caused a delay in issuing unemployment benefits to 2,200 people in the state. The problem halted processing of unemployment checks, direct deposits, and other notifications Tuesday and Wednesday. Claimants who filed over the weekend or during the day Monday should […]
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DHHS chief Mayhew says budget gap only totals $78 million
AUGUSTA — The projected budget shortfall for the state’s Health and Human Services Department will be significantly less than originally projected, the department’s commissioner said Friday. DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew told lawmakers on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee that the updated forecast incorporates six months of data from the current fiscal year, leading to a $30 […]
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Legislative committee rejects Maine ‘religious freedom’ bill
AUGUSTA — A bill intended to protect religious freedom, but which opponents said would have opened the door to the use of religion to justify illegal discrimination and Maine Human Rights Act violations, suffered a serious blow Thursday when the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee voted 8-4 against passage. Thursday’s vote came after considerable debate, which drew […]
Posted inFranklin, The Franklin Journal
Livermore cited for work place violations; corrective actions taken
LIVERMORE — The Maine Bureau of Labor Standards cited the town for 23 workplace safety violations at the Highway Garage, Fire Station, Town Office and Transfer Station. Many of them pertain to paperwork or training, Administrative Assistant Kurt Schaub said. The violations carry a $1,600 fine. However, the town can get the fine lowered or […]