AUGUSTA — The joint committee charged with making Maine’s regulatory environment more hospitable to business has released a draft version of a bill that stands in stark contrast to the initiatives originally proposed by Gov. Paul LePage. Although some of the governor’s initiatives are included in LD 1, many of his more controversial ideas have […]

AUGUSTA — The Maine House on Thursday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a ban on bisphenol-A, known as BPA, a chemical used in some children’s products. Representatives voted 145-3 to phase out BPA and include it as a priority banned chemical in the state’s Kid-Safe Products law. The vote follows weeks of controversy surrounding BPA. […]

AUGUSTA — A bill clarifying that the mandatory minimum 100-mile distance between casinos in Maine will be measured by road miles, not air miles, moved closer to law Thursday following a unanimous vote in the House. The bill is significant to the $165 million Oxford County casino. Developers of that project, Black Bear Entertainment, say […]

AUGUSTA — A bipartisan group of lawmakers is backing a bill that would award a “welcome home bonus” to soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The proposal is modeled after a similar law in Massachusetts, where soldiers from conflicts dating back to World War II receive a cash payment for their service. The Maine bill […]

AUGUSTA — Attorney General William Schneider said Wednesday that his office won’t rule until May 1 on whether Darryl Brown, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, has a conflict of interest under state law. The May 1 date corresponds with the deadline the AG’s office has to respond to an inquiry by the federal […]

AUGUSTA — Following a heated floor debate, the Maine Senate on Thursday narrowly defeated a bill that would allow some towns to increase the distance between sex offenders’ homes and schools. The bill was sponsored by Jonathan Courtney, R-Springvale, and had the support of Republican leaders. But four GOP lawmakers voted with the Democratic minority […]

AUGUSTA — A bill backed by Gov. Paul LePage to create a six-year statute of limitations to enforce environmental violations faces an uphill climb following a second decisive committee vote opposing the measure. The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee voted 8-1 against the bill sponsored by Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello, R-Poland. The panel’s bipartisan decision mirrored a previous […]