AUGUSTA — Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Thursday that four program directors have been relieved of their duties by the LePage administration. DHHS employees were notified of the staff changes late Wednesday in an email from Commissioner Mary Mayhew. The four directors are considered political appointments who serve at the […]
Maine Legislature
Posted inLocal & State
Parties refocus on consensus redistricting; some GOP lawmakers hedge on ‘radical’ map
AUGUSTA — Lead negotiators on the Legislature’s reapportionment commission on Wednesday vowed to work on a consensus plan to redraw the boundaries for Maine’s congressional districts, just one day after a partisan blowup appeared to foreshadow court intervention in the mapping process. Sen. Debra Plowman, R-Hampden, and Sen. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond, who both serve on […]
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LePage orders new state regulations to go through him
AUGUSTA — When it comes to approving new state regulations, Gov. Paul LePage wants the buck to stop at him. That has some people — environmentalists in particular — concerned. LePage this week signed an executive order that empowers the governor to delay and alter rule-making procedures at all state agencies if he deems them […]
Posted inLocal & State
GOP withdraws compromise from congressional redistricting hearing
AUGUSTA — With time running out for the Legislature’s reapportionment commission to reach a consensus plan to redraw the boundaries for Maine’s congressional districts, Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday took a step closer toward partisan entrenchment. Just moments before a public hearing that drew testimony from more than 45 residents, the commission’s GOP representatives withdrew […]
Posted inLocal & State, Op-Eds, The Franklin Journal
Political Pulse: The political calculus of special elections
Nuggets from the notebook while exploring the political maneuvering for the soon-to-be vacant District 20 Senate seat … Last week, state Sen. David Trahan, R-Waldoboro, announced he will resign his Senate seat to take over as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. Trahan’s plans to join SAM were reported last month. At […]
Posted inLocal & State
House Speaker weighing options for lawmaker charged with threatening man with a gun
AUGUSTA — The state House of Representatives may have to decide if it will expel a Garland lawmaker charged in May with threatening a man with a handgun. House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, said Friday that he hopes to have someone representing House District 24 by the beginning of the second legislative session in January. […]
Posted inLocal & State
LePage announces special session for congressional redistricting plan
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday announced a special session for the Legislature for lawmakers to consider a new congressional redistricting plan. The session will begin Sept. 27. The congressional redistricting plan is spurred by recent population changes revealed by the U.S. Census. The plan is being drafted by a reapportionment committee composed of […]
Posted inLocal & State
Maine awaits fallout as dust settles on Congress’ debt ceiling bill
AUGUSTA — State lawmakers say impending cuts in federal spending will have a significant impact in Maine, a state reliant on federal funding. Congress and President Barack Obama this week averted a government default by reaching a last-minute deal to raise the federal debt ceiling in exchange for about $2.2 trillion in deficit reduction. State […]
Posted inLocal & State, The Franklin Journal
Political Pulse: Election Day registration supporters battle opponents’ stagecraft
Supporters of a people’s veto campaign to restore Election Day voter registration were obviously concerned when Secretary of State Charlie Summers announced last Wednesday that he was holding a news conference to discuss what his office described as “preliminary findings regarding voter fraud allegations.” The group’s anxiety was partially attributable to fears that Summers may […]
Posted inLocal & State
LePage administration: Exclude gubernatorial candidates from clean elections law
AUGUSTA — The LePage administration on Thursday said it’s standing neutral as the state’s ethics commission begins work conforming Maine’s clean elections law following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision against states awarding public money to candidates facing well-heeled opponents. However, Dan Billings, chief legal counsel for the administration, said the high court’s decision should […]