AUGUSTA (AP) — A Maine Republican legislator wants to make it a hate crime to single out and attack a police officer. Republican Rep. Karleton Ward’s bill would address those who commit crimes against a person because of that person’s status as a law enforcement officer, firefighter or emergency medical care provider. It would also […]
Maine Legislature
Posted inLocal & State
Legislators schedule bills to limit minimum wage increase
AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers are starting to consider bills that would roll back the minimum wage law approved by voters. Last November, 55.5 percent of residents voted to increase Maine’s minimum wage from $7.50 per hour to $12 an hour by 2020. Then, the wage would increase according to inflation. Tipped employees’ wages would reach […]
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Rep. Donna Bailey’s bill would give disabled free access to state parks
AUGUSTA — A legislator is proposing to give permanently disabled people free admission to Maine State Parks. The proposal by Saco Democratic Rep. Donna Bailey would apply to people who have been determined to be permanently disabled by an official body such as the U.S. Social Security Administration or a workers’ compensation board. The access […]
Posted inLocal & State
Sen. Garrett Mason seeks to end 40-year-old financial disclosure rule
AUGUSTA — A proposal by Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason would decrease the information voters have before Election Day about political contributions made to Maine candidates. Mason, a Lisbon Falls Republican, proposed eliminating a requirement that candidates in the final weeks of a race report contributions of more than $1,000 within 24 hours because it […]
Posted inLocal & State
Legislative committee to consider domestic violence bills
AUGUSTA (AP) — Legislators are set to present bills addressing domestic violence in the state. A state panel found that half of Maine’s 46 homicides from 2014 to 2015 stemmed from domestic violence. A number of domestic violence bills are scheduled for public hearing before the Legislature’s criminal justice and public safety committee Friday. Two […]
Posted inLocal & State
GOP House leader Ken Fredette wants to require private well water testing
House Minority Leader Ken Fredette AUGUSTA (AP) — The Republican leader of the Maine House wants to require testing of private wells that provide drinking water. Half of Maine’s population gets it drinking water from private wells, and the state says it assumes very few of them are routinely tested. In contrast, public water supplies […]
Posted inLocal & State
Jared Golden fires back at Paul LePage on ID cards for veterans
AUGUSTA — A Lewiston Democrat called out Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday for criticizing legislative inaction to help provide identification cards to veterans who need them to access federal health care facilities in New Hampshire. “For the last eight days, an emergency bill which would solve this very issue and passed unanimously in the Senate […]
Posted inLocal & State
Lawmakers blast Maine casino bid after lobbyist admits offshore backing
AUGUSTA — A lobbyist hastily hired by an offshore firm run by controversial developer Shawn Scott told a confrontational panel of Maine legislators Wednesday that the firm is behind the 2017 ballot question to add a casino in York County. He also said that if voters pass the question, the firm plans to sell the […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web, Uncategorized
Lawmakers consider $1.50-a-pack hike in cigarette tax
The Legislature’s Taxation Committee is considering a bill that would raise the state cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack. AUGUSTA — Proponents of raising the state tax on cigarettes by $1.50 per pack hope this session to overcome opposition that has stymied the anti-smoking effort for years. Sponsor Rep. Joyce “Jay” McCreight, D-Harpswell, called it […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
The people have spoken
In November, 2016, 383,428 Mainers voted “yes” on Question 2 — a new law requiring the state to pay 55 percent of public education by adding a 3 percent surcharge on taxable incomes above $200,000 (the 3 percent does not apply to the first $200,000). Gov. Paul LePage believes that those 383,428 people did not […]