AUGUSTA (AP) — A coalition of Maine organizations focusing on women’s issues is backing a bill to expand Medicaid under the federal health care overhaul among other measures this Legislative session. The Coalition for Maine Women said that Medicaid expansion under the Accordable Care Act will provide low-income women access to things like preventative health […]
politics
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Auburn Democrats to meet
AUBURN — The monthly meeting of the Auburn Democratic City Committee will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, at the Auburn City Building. Maxwell Mogensen, author of “Legendary Locals of Androscoggin County,” will discuss some of the characters in his book. Signed copies will be available for purchase. Also present will […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Group eyes Lewiston for next stop in pot legalization
AUGUSTA — The Marijuana Policy Project will launch new efforts this fall to legalize recreational marijuana use in Lewiston, South Portland and York, a move that leaders in two of those cities said caught them to some degree off guard. While South Portland police Chief Edward Googins said he has suspected since election night in […]
Posted inMaine
Bill pushes Maine to do more with solar energy; LePage takes shot at wind
AUGUSTA — Maine is lagging behind the rest of New England when it comes to generating electricity with solar power, and the state’s position has little to do with the climate. Lawmakers heard Tuesday that Maine gets 30 percent more sunlight each year than Germany, a European leader in solar energy. That’s why a bill […]
Posted inMaine
Drafts show Maine Medicaid study reworked, softened
AUGUSTA — A state-funded study on the impact of a Medicaid expansion was modified substantially from its first to final draft, according to a Bangor Daily News and Sun Journal review of multiple revision documents. Late on Friday, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services released three earlier versions of the Rhode Island-based Alexander […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage declares a day of service on MLK Day
AUGUSTA — Maine Gov. Paul LePage is encouraging residents to take part in community service opportunities in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Republican governor proclaimed Monday as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. LePage said in a statement that King was “committed to advancing equality, social justice and opportunity for all.” […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Study says laws help people ban smoking from cars and homes
When Bangor became one of the first cities in the country to ban smoking in cars carrying children, supporters touted the benefits to public health, while opponents argued the ordinance “moralized” against smokers. The 2007 ordinance set the stage for a statewide smoke-free vehicle law, which new research indicates then paved the way for more […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Richardson to run as independent in Maine’s 2nd district
AUGUSTA (AP) — Blaine Richardson says he will run as an independent in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District race. The Belfast conservative is expected to announce Monday on Bangor radio station, WVOM, that he’s leaving the Republican Party. The Kennebec Journal reported that Richardson received more than a third of the votes in the Republican primary […]
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, sj-web
King, other lawmakers raise safety concerns about Olympics
WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress expressed serious concerns Sunday about the safety of Americans at next month’s Olympics in Russia and said Moscow needs to cooperate more on security. Suicide bombings last month in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, about 400 miles from where the Sochi Games will be held, have contributed to […]
Posted inMaine
Where Maine EBT cards are used out of state
Ninety-nine percent of the $164.2 million of EBT card transactions on a list of personal welfare spending data released by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services was spent in Maine. Of the remaining 1 percent — $2.8 million — half was spent in New Hampshire. The rest was spent or cashed in the […]