WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama summoned congressional leaders to the White House on Wednesday as a partial government shutdown entered a second day with little sign of a breakthrough to get hundreds of thousands of people back to work. Some on Capitol Hill ominously suggested the impasse might last for weeks, but a few Republicans […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
‘We, the men, have to help to eliminate abuse’
AUGUSTA — To win the battle against domestic violence, Gov. Paul LePage says men need to stop seeing the problem as a women’s issue and take action to stop abuse. “We can have all the strict laws in the world, but we have to make (domestic violence) socially unacceptable,” LePage said during a ceremony Wednesday […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage sends $10,000 to Maine murder victims memorial
AUGUSTA — Maine Gov. Paul LePage is directing $10,000 from a state contingency fund to help complete a memorial for murder victims. The Republican governor announced the donation during a ceremony at the State House on Wednesday. LePage is also declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The groundbreaking for the Maine Murder Victims’ Memorial […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage Administration proposes almost $34 million in budget cuts
AUGUSTA — Maine schools and municipalities, as well as a range of other programs across state government including a childhood immunization program, will bear the brunt of more than $33 million in new cuts recommended on Monday by the LePage administration. Three months of work to propose the cuts to the state budget this year […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Pro-marijuana group plans ads to run on Portland area buses
PORTLAND — Plans to run ads on Portland area buses and bus shelters promoting a referendum question that would legalize recreational use of marijuana is drawing fire from groups that fight substance abuse. The ads are funded by the Marijuana Policy Project, a nonprofit that aims to legalize marijuana. In November, Portland voters will be […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
King stands by his belief that ACA opposition will lead to early deaths
AUGUSTA — Sen. Angus King said Tuesday that despite having told a reporter that opponents of the Affordable Care Act who urged college students not to buy health insurance were “guilty of murder,” he is ready to work with all political parties to improve the health care law. “That’s a scandal — those people are […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage says a short-term shutdown won’t affect state government
AUGUSTA — Maine Gov. Paul LePage says that a short-term federal government shutdown will not directly impact state government or public assistance programs. The Republican governor said in a statement on Tuesday that while some state government positions and programs are federally funded, they’ll continue as normal this week. He says the shutdown won’t affect […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Task force seeks an extra $40 million in Maine’s tax code
AUGUSTA — A task force of lawmakers, business interests, economists and tax experts continued Monday its work toward finding $40 million in savings by December, as required by the biennial budget the Democrat-led Legislature approved over the protests of Republican Gov. Paul LePage. If the Tax Expenditure Review Task Force cannot identify those savings, the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine wrestles with federal shutdown
With Congress unable to reach a spending deal before its midnight deadline, many U.S. government operations screeched to a halt Tuesday, leaving Mainers who rely on federal aid for housing, food and heating oil in a state of uncertainty. The Democrat-led U.S. Senate refused to pass a federal budget or continuing resolution that would alter […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
ACA: Health exchange opens with some delays in Maine
Maine’s new online health insurance marketplace launched Tuesday and groups assisting the state’s uninsured with the sign-up process urged patience as high interest led to delays for some consumers. The marketplace, or exchange, a key component of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, will require nearly everyone in the country to have health insurance […]