AUGUSTA — A diverse coalition of advocates for the environment, the economy and other interests are calling on State House leaders to reconvene the Legislature to finish work on a host of bills, including several spending measures and a highway and bridge bonding proposal that would support more than 3,800 construction jobs. But those pleas […]
Maine Legislature
Posted inFranklin, Lewiston-Auburn
Rep. Riley holding office hours
JAY — Rep. Tina Riley, D-Jay, will hold public office hours Thursday in all three towns in her House district. Riley will start the day at the Livermore Town Office from 10 to 11 a.m. From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., she will be at the Livermore Falls Town Office, and will end the day at the Jay […]
advertisement
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Local & State
Battles continue over budget cuts to school funding
Last fall, it looked like Maine schools were poised to get a pretty significant increase in state aid. Even though the Legislature killed a voter-approved tax surcharge for education, a last-minute state budget deal added an extra $162 million toward schools to ease the sting. Yet when state allocations were announced this spring, many districts […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine voters soon to decide fate of ranked-choice voting
Maine voters will finally get their chance to try out the hotly debated ranked-choice voting system when they head to the polls to select party nominees for governor, Congress and the Legislature on June 12. While they’re in the voting booth, Mainers will also face Question 1 on their ballots, asking them if they want […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine lawmakers inch forward in effort to fund jails, increase reimbursement for direct care workers
AUGUSTA — After a day of mostly behind-the-scenes talks lawmakers on the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee inched only marginally closer to a deal that could return the entire Legislature to a special session so they can finish work on hundreds of bills, including several key funding measures, left unfinished earlier this month. […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine committee resuming work on state budget
AUGUSTA (AP) — The Maine Legislature’s Appropriations Committee is meeting to see if Democrats and Republicans are any closer to a compromise on a supplemental budget. Committee members on Wednesday will consider unfunded bills, bond proposals and other measures left on the table when lawmakers adjourned last month with unfinished business. Some of the matters […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Legislature returns Wednesday to negotiate key bills
Lawmakers in charge of funding state government will return to the State House on Wednesday to tackle dozens of critical bills left in limbo by a legislative meltdown. They include a $100 million borrowing package for roads and bridges that supports many jobs in the construction industry. Other key bills also await action by the […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
State failed to follow procedures and share information in deaths of 2 girls
State child protective workers failed to follow policies and procedures in assessing the placement of a young girl who died as a result of abuse last winter, the Legislature’s watchdog agency concluded in a review released Thursday. In the case of a second girl’s death, there were widely scattered reports of potential abuse or neglect, but […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Legislative typo threatens to undermine Clean Elections campaigns
AUGUSTA — Candidates for Maine governor and legislative seats who are running “clean elections” campaigns could lose access to millions of dollars this summer and fall unless lawmakers come back into special session to correct a bill-drafting error. Lawmakers left dozens of measures in limbo last month when they adjourned the 2018 legislative session amid […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Some Maine taxpayers may have to amend their 2017 returns, LePage warns
Gov. Paul LePage warned Thursday that some taxpayers might need to file amendments to their 2017 tax returns because the Legislature failed to pass a bill to conform the state’s income tax code to the new federal tax code. But a liberal economic policy research group said the changes affect only a small group of […]