AUGUSTA — Philip Congdon, who Wednesday abruptly resigned his post as the state’s head of economic development, says the offensive comments that apparently cost him his job were not reported accurately and taken out of context. Congdon stepped down as the commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development following widespread complaints that the […]

AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage’s administration underwent a major overhaul Wednesday as one cabinet member resigned and another was reassigned.  Both moves came amid more controversy for the governor, whose first four months in office have been marked by turmoil. Department of Environmental Protection Chief Darryl Brown, a Livermore Falls resident, stepped down after Attorney […]

AUGUSTA — Longstanding regional tensions over Canadian loggers working Maine woodlots have become the latest political flash point for Augusta lawmakers. Earlier this month Republican legislators rejected a bill that would penalize landowners for hiring foreign “bonded” laborers in harvesting operations. On Tuesday, Senate Republicans were poised to defeat another proposal that would award a […]

AUGUSTA — Backers of a 1,500-slot machine facility planned for Lewiston’s former Bates Mill No. 5 are hoping to persuade lawmakers to green-light the project without a statewide referendum. However, those efforts face opposition from anti-casino groups and Gov. Paul LePage. Dan Billings, LePage’s legal counsel, told the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on […]

AUGUSTA — Critics of a bill that would establish drug testing for recipients of state assistance say the proposal is likely unconstitutional. That was the testimony delivered Monday by low-income and civil rights advocates in response to a bill by Sen. Thomas Saviello, R-Wilton, who proposed suspending benefits for MaineCare recipients who test positive for […]

Here is a list of highlights sponsored by tri-county delegation lawmakers in bills 851-950. * Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, has a bill that would create a task force to review ways to deal with a projected increase in Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses. The task force in LD 859 would report its findings and suggest […]

Last month the Maine Turnpike Authority announced that it was immediately canceling all its contracts with outside lobbyists. The move was a response to a watchdog report and high-profile legislative hearings that raised questions about the quasi-governmental agency’s spending practices. Officials for the MTA said eliminating the contracts would save about $27,000 per year. The […]