AUGUSTA — Despite warnings it could escalate partisan squabbles into criminal charges, the House approved a proposal that would make it a felony for some to provide false testimony to legislators. Initially conceived as a broad ban on anyone providing false testimony, the revised bill adopted by a vote of 76-70 would make it a […]
Maine Legislature
Posted inLocal & State
Lawmakers gun down bill that sought to arm more college students
AUGUSTA — House members shot down a proposal Tuesday that would have allowed people with concealed carry permits to carry their firearms on public colleges except in dorms and in entertainment facilities that post signs barring their possession. By a 90-56 vote, House members turned aside a plea by the measure’s sponsor who worried that […]
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Posted inLocal & State
Analysis: Legislature to choose among 5 options for ranked-choice voting
AUGUSTA — Protected by Maine’s high court, a key group of Democrats looks open to eventually joining Republicans in repealing the state’s pioneering ranked-choice voting law before the 2018 election. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court issued a unanimous opinion in May finding the law unconstitutional after it passed with 52 percent support from voters in 2016, saying it violates […]
Posted inLocal & State
Democratic lawmakers try to soften welfare rules proposed by Paul LePage
AUGUSTA — Democrats in the House of Representatives supported bids to make social services easier to acquire for veterans, homeless people and elderly Mainers, but the bills are unlikely to be enacted with most Republicans and Gov. Paul LePage leaning hard against program expansions. In preliminary House votes, LD 689 and LD 1538 were supported 80-66 and 78-68, respectively. LD 689 would […]
Posted inLocal & State
Maine ethics watchdog questions casino referendum funding
AUGUSTA — Maine’s ethics watchdog may soon begin an investigation into the bid for a new casino in York County by a group that has been giving them plenty to think about during the past few months. Staff at the Maine Ethics Commission will recommend at a June 9 meeting that commissioners authorize an investigation […]
Posted inLocal & State
Paul LePage vetoes deposit bill for nips
AUGUSTA — To nobody’s surprise, Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a measure to require a deposit for the tiny liquor bottles known as nips. In his veto message, the governor complained about the cost of the proposal but also offered an alternative way to address the littering problem created by the increasingly popular 50-milliliter bottles. LePage […]
Posted inLetters
Invest in the people of Maine
The state Legislature is in the final weeks of crafting a state budget. I hope legislators will come together for the benefit of all Mainers. I believe Maine’s state senators and representatives are good people who reflect the values of this state. Would they help a neighbor, perhaps a single mother whose car has broken […]
Posted inLocal & State
Lawmakers expect ‘long, tough fight’ over Maine budget
AUGUSTA (AP) — As lawmakers spend the weekend haggling over the budget behind closed doors, Gov. Paul LePage said this week that he’ll veto any budget that increases education funding without big changes to the system. Democrats and Republicans remain at odds on the Republican governor’s $6.8 billion, two-year budget proposal, with both parties this […]
Posted inLocal & State
Lawmakers consider copyrighting public meeting audio
AUGUSTA (AP) — A group of legislators concerned with political groups taking their words out of context has begun exploring whether lawmakers can copyright audio recordings of public hearings. The little-known panel has spent the last year mulling what to do with the archived audio recordings. Some legislators have called for immediately deleting the recordings […]
Posted inLocal & State
Larry Lockman’s immigration bill fails in Maine House
AUGUSTA — An anti-immigrant bill proposed by Rep. Larry Lockman, R-Amherst, that drew a torrent of criticism from Mainers who are sympathetic to newcomers fleeing war and oppression overseas failed to pass muster in the House on Wednesday. The Republican lawmaker pushed a trio of related bills taking aim at cities that offer sanctuary to […]