AUGUSTA — The Garland lawmaker arrested Saturday for allegedly pointing a handgun at a newspaper photographer had been displaying increasingly bizarre behavior at the State House over the last several months, according to Capitol Police and members of legislative leadership. In early March that behavior led Capitol Police to impose a trespass notice on Rep. […]
Maine Legislature
Posted inMaine, The Franklin Journal
Political Pulse: Losers and winners lobbying the Legislature
Last week’s story about how lobbyists flocked to the Republican overhaul of the state’s insurance laws showed how various stakeholder attempted to influence the legislation. But the data used in that report also contained some revealing information about other bills and initiatives. Take this one: Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios, a firm hired by the […]
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Committee unanimously approves LePage’s change to conflict law
AUGUSTA — A legislative committee on Friday unanimously approved a bill designed to amend conflict-of-interest provisions that prompted the resignation of the state’s top environmental regulator and suspended hearings on its permitting board. Gov. Paul LePage is sponsoring the proposal. It has the support of Republican and Democratic leaders. LePage has said the bill would […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine lawmakers kill anti-nepotism bill
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bill to bar Maine officials from hiring family members, prompted by Gov. Paul LePage’s hiring of his daughter to work in his office, has been killed. A 22-13 Senate vote Wednesday to not pass the bill finishes it off for the session. The House voted a day earlier to kill […]
Posted inMaine
Lobbyists flocked to insurance overhaul bill
AUGUSTA — A recently enacted law that repeals and rewrites many of Maine’s insurance laws has been the most contentious bill this legislative session. It also was one of the most intensely lobbied. According to records at the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, lobbyists representing at least 24 organizations — mostly insurance […]
Posted inMaine
House gives first OK to loosen child labor law
AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would loosen restrictions in the state’s child labor law. The legislation allows 16- and 17-year-olds to work longer hours and more often when school is in session. It increases the maximum number of hours worked in a week from […]
Posted inMaine
LePage: Brown won’t be reappointed to DEP despite bill amending conflict provision
AUGUSTA — As promised, Gov. Paul LePage has introduced a late bill that will amend conflict-of-interest rules to ensure that individuals with a development background can serve on the state’s citizen environmental board. The bill could also conceivably allow LePage’s recently resigned commissioner of environmental protection to return to his post. Brown stepped down as […]
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State insurance chief resigns amid health overhaul
AUGUSTA — The head of the state’s insurance regulatory agency announced her resignation Monday just hours before Republican lawmakers passed wholesale changes to Maine’s health insurance laws. Superintendent Mila Kofman, who headed the Maine Bureau of Insurance since March 2008, will leave her position as of June 1. Kofman’s resignation comes amid a bitter partisan […]
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House gives preliminary approval to public-notice bill
AUGUSTA — The Maine House of Representatives gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill that would allow municipalities to publish public notices in places other than newspapers. The House voted 91-58 to approve LD 392, legislation that authorized towns to publish legal advertisements, such as meeting notices, in weekly newspapers. State law currently requires towns […]
Posted inMaine
Right-to-work legislation fizzles as GOP shifts to passage of bipartisan budget
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage told a national news organization in February that Republican lawmakers were bracing for a Wisconsin-style fight with unions. But following the passage of a divisive health insurance bill, it appears LePage and Republican leaders are prepared to abandon that battle to focus on the passage of a $6.1 billion biennial […]