On Thursday, LePage again turned up the heat by going public about his displeasure with the state Senate’s Republican majority leadership. During an hourlong radio chat Thursday morning, LePage blasted Senate Republicans, again accusing them of siding with House Democrats in stymieing his efforts to lower and eventually eliminate Maine’s income tax. “The conflict is this,” […]
Eves
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GOP plan offers $380 million in income tax relief; Democrats question how it will be paid for
AUGUSTA — Republican leaders in the Maine Legislature on Friday made official their proposal for the state’s next two-year budget that includes an income-tax cut they say will save Mainers $380 million. Parts of the proposal, first leaked Thursday, shows a plan that diverges significantly from what Republican Gov. Paul LePage had asked for in his […]
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LePage joins call for constitutional amendment to balance federal budget
AUGUSTA — Flanked by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Gov. Paul LePage said Thursday he would push Maine lawmakers to pass a resolution urging Congress to create an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would require the federal government to maintain a balanced budget. LePage and Kasich, both Republicans, said the issue of balancing the federal […]
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Top Maine lawmakers hear from cities and towns on proposed budget squeeze
AUGUSTA — In the first of what will likely be many long discussions, top State House leaders met Thursday with representatives from Maine’s nearly 500 cities and towns. Members of the Maine Municipal Association’s Executive Committee, made up of town and city officials from across the state, told lawmakers they want to be a part […]
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LePage budget plan reforms Maine tax policy
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Friday made good on his promise to “go after” Maine income taxes in his next two-year budget. LePage’s 2016-17 spending plan for state government includes sweeping reforms to Maine’s tax policy, dramatically changing the sources of state revenue from the income tax to a broader and higher sales tax. The […]
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Speaker of Maine House and Gov. LePage disagree on state’s employment picture
AUGUSTA — Mark Eves, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, said Friday the state is still lagging behind the rest of New England when it comes to job creation. Eves, D-North Berwick, was reacting to the last round of employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that shows employment levels for the […]
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Maine Democrats fill legislative leadership posts
AUGUSTA — Despite seeing their majority shrink by 10 seats after last week’s election, Maine House Democrats on Wednesday re-elected the two returning members of the past session’s leadership team to key posts for the next two years. Rep. Mark Eves of North Berwick won two more years as House speaker, and former assistant majority […]
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Political leaders tip hats to Maine vets, point out progress and goals
AUGUSTA — The state’s top political leaders — including Maine’s Republican governor and Democratic speaker of the house — took time Tuesday to honor the state’s more than 140,000 military veterans. House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, pointed to recent law changes that are aimed at making veterans’ lives better in Maine. Gov. Paul LePage […]
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State House leaders offer outlook for pending Maine legislative session
AUGUSTA — As they prepare for the upcoming lawmaking session, Republican leaders in the Legislature said Monday they hope to home in on key policy initiatives, including more welfare reform, lowering energy costs and reducing tax burdens. Democrats, now in the minority in the Senate, said they will take a measured approach as they work […]