AUGUSTA — Democratic lawmakers rejected a proposal from Gov. Paul LePage’s administration to make owning hybrid and electric cars more expensive in a committee-level vote Thursday. The 6-5 vote of the transportation committee fell along party lines, with Republican lawmakers opposing the panel’s recommendation to the full Legislature that the bill should not pass. The bill […]
Maine Legislature
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Panel working on marijuana regulations omits mention of social clubs
AUGUSTA — State lawmakers who are working to launch Maine’s adult-use cannabis industry have eliminated all references to social clubs from a proposed overhaul of the Marijuana Legalization Act. Voters approved social clubs as part of the legalization referendum in 2016, but lawmakers have repeatedly voted for delays in an effort to keep Maine from […]
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Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Bottle bill would lower deposit for wine, spirits
Advocates of a proposal that would lower the deposit on wine and liquor bottles by 10 cents say the measure would equalize returnables and simplify the process. State Rep. Ellie Espling, R-New Gloucester, the bill’s sponsor, wrote in a statement that she seeks “to implement a uniform refund value” by reducing the deposit put on […]
Posted inFranklin, Lewiston-Auburn
Gary McGrane aims to succeed Tom Saviello for 17th District Senate seat
JAY — A retired millworker and educator is hoping to claim the state Senate seat that’s been held for years by Republican Tom Saviello, who can’t run for re-election because of term limits. Democrat Gary McGrane announced recently he is running for the seat, the first candidate to declare his intentions in the sprawling district. […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, sj-web
Lewiston-Auburn superintendents oppose bill to allow guns on school property
Top school officials in Lewiston and Auburn say they oppose a proposed law that would allow firearms on school property in Maine. A bill to permit unloaded and locked guns on school grounds is before the Legislature’s education committee. Superintendents Bill Webster of Lewiston and Katherine Grondin of Auburn spoke against the bill at a […]
Posted inLocal & State
Dozens testify on bill to ban the practice of ‘conversion therapy’ on minors in Maine
AUGUSTA – Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban therapy practices for minors that use shame, pain or coercion in an effort to discourage same-sex attraction and alter a person’s sexual orientation. Supporters of the ban say so-called “conversion therapy” does more harm than good and that a person’s true sexual orientation isn’t […]
Posted inLocal & State
Owners of hybrids, all-electric vehicles fume over proposed annual fee
Outraged vehicle owners piled into a public hearing Tuesday to denounce a bill from Gov. Paul LePage’s administration that would slap hefty annual fees on hybrid and all-electric vehicles. The Maine Department of Transportation has proposed annual fees of $150 for hybrid vehicles and $250 for electric cars because many owners pay lower gas taxes than drivers […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Paul LePage will lay out his agenda tonight in his final State of the State speech to the Legislature
AUGUSTA — Fans and critics of Gov. Paul LePage can agree on one thing for certain: The firebrand Republican is unlikely to go quietly as he wraps up his final year as the state’s chief executive. In the last few months alone, LePage has flexed his executive muscles by shutting down wind power development, unilaterally […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Senate rejects Nate Libby's pedestrian-safety bill
AUGUSTA — A bill to make more money available to municipalities for pedestrian-safety projects appeared dead after failing on an 18-17 party-line vote in the Senate Thursday. Sen. Nate Libby, D-Lewiston, sponsored the bill and said he is “increasingly disappointed” that lawmakers turned down the measure. The Maine Department of Transportation had said the new […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Paul LePage urges lawmakers to work on bill to protect elderly from foreclosure
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Tuesday implored lawmakers to work on a bill designed to protect the elderly from tax lien foreclosures, saying that in the last year alone, 12 elderly Mainers have lost their homes to foreclosure. LePage spoke to members of the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation at the State House during […]