AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Legislature’s budgetary committee Tuesday questioned the LePage administration’s proposal to dissolve the state’s planning agency while creating a new department designed to bolster the governor’s streamlining efforts. The administration outlined its proposal to panelists on the Appropriations Committee. The plan includes dismantling the State Planning Office and redistributing its duties […]
Maine Legislature
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Environmental group says LePage ‘green’ order promotes destructive logging
AUGUSTA — A national environmental group says Gov. Paul LePage’s recent executive order expanding the standards for “green” timber required for state construction projects would lead to unsustainable wood harvesting. Last week, the governor announced the broader standards for timber used in new or expanded state building construction. The administration said the order would bolster […]
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Political Pulse: Life by a million cuts for LePage’s proposed agency
Nuggets from the notebook while reviewing the mandate for Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed new state agency . . . Starting Tuesday LePage’s proposed $221 million in cuts in the state’s MaineCare program will take center stage as the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee begins its review of the governor’s restructuring plan. But flying under the radar is […]
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Battle lines drawn on LePage’s DHHS cuts
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has acknowledged that his proposed reduction of the state’s safety net will challenge the political will of state lawmakers. That may be an understatement. One day after the governor revealed his plan to cut $220 million from the state’s Medicaid program, resistance from affected stakeholders continued to gather, setting the […]
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‘It will have a real impact’: LePage announces sweeping changes to MaineCare
AUGUSTA — The LePage administration on Tuesday unveiled a plan that could lead to sweeping structural changes in the state’s Medicaid program while ending health care coverage for 65,000 people currently receiving it. Gov. Paul LePage’s plan is designed to plug a new $120 million shortfall in the budget of the Department of Health and […]
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Maine gets $6 million to implement health care law it’s suing to stop
AUGUSTA — The state will soon get nearly $6 million in federal funding to set up the health insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Maine this week became one of 13 states awarded grants by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Maine is also one of 26 states challenging […]
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LePage hopes Canadian power will lower electricity rates
AUGUSTA — The LePage administration is exploring a deal that could make Maine the conduit for Canadian energy companies to sell electricity in New England. Gov. Paul LePage hopes an agreement will lead to lower rates for Mainers and businesses. Over the past couple of months, his administration has engaged in preliminary talks with electricity […]
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Clean Election consensus sputters, advocates say law in trouble
AUGUSTA — A legislative showdown over the state’s clean election law looms, following lawmakers’ failure Tuesday to reach a consensus on a bill designed to conform the public campaign finance program with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. In a party-line vote, lawmakers on the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted 7-5 to simply […]
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Political Pulse: Critics of MaineHousing set sights on nonprofits
Nuggets from the notebook while watching the twists and turns of the MaineHousing drama … The tit-for-tat battle at MaineHousing appears to be heading in a new direction. It just may lead to the crux of the debate. The media was recently summoned to MaineHousing’s latest board meeting to witness Executive Director Dale McCormick’s grilling […]
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Oil dealers urge LePage not to pick ‘winners and losers’ in setting energy policy
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage’s plans to reduce Mainers’ reliance on heating oil and expand natural gas is creating push-back from the state’s consortium of oil dealers. The Maine Energy Marketers Association, formerly known as the Maine Oil Dealers Association, recently met with the governor to discuss his suggestion that the state could back natural […]