AUGUSTA — A Republican lawmaker wants rest stops along the Maine Turnpike to sell local products, but a 30-year contract between the quasi-governmental Turnpike Authority and a national company could threaten the proposal. Sen. Chris Rector, R-Knox, is sponsoring LD 217, a bill that would require the Maine Turnpike Authority to promote and sell Maine […]
Maine Legislature
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LePage orders removal of labor mural, sparking outcry
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has ordered the removal of a 36-foot mural depicting Maine’s labor history from the lobby of the Department of Labor. Worker advocates described the move as a “mean-spirited” provocation amid the administration’s high-tension standoff with unions. Acting labor chief Laura Boyett emailed staff Tuesday about the mural’s pending removal, as […]
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Immigrant advocates dispute anecdotes driving LePage’s safety-net proposal
AUGUSTA — Earlier this week House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, asked members of his caucus if they had heard of abuses in the welfare system. According to Nutting, lawmakers kept “bouncing up” to tell their stories. He said he’d received similar responses during constituent meetings. The prevalence of anecdotes is one reason Nutting and members […]
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Oxford casino proponents say project hinges on build-radius change
AUGUSTA — The developers of a $165 million Oxford County casino urged lawmakers Wednesday to clarify a portion of the state’s gambling law that they say threatens the project. The law states that a casino or slot machine license cannot be awarded if another gambling facility is located within 100 miles. Proponents of LD 667 […]
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Effort to raise Maine’s minimum wage meets opposition by business groups, LePage
AUGUSTA — Rep. Mike Carey, D-Lewiston, wants to raise the state’s minimum wage each year to match the cost of inflation. The reason, he says, is simple. “When basic goods cost more because of increased prices, basic wages should also go up,” he said. But trade groups and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce oppose […]
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Bill briefs: A quick rundown of bill highlights from the tri-county delegation
The list of bills clearing the Revisor’s Office is closing in on the 1,000 mark with roughly another 800 or so on the way. Here is a list of highlights from bills 300 through 425 sponsored by tri-county lawmakers: * Rep. Tom Winsor, R-Norway, has one of the more controversial bills this session. LD 309 […]
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Flame retardant heats up
AUGUSTA — In mid-December, the state’s scientific review of priority chemicals slated for regulation in the state’s Kid-Safe Products Act had finished its six-month analysis of brominated flame retardants. According to documents obtained through a Freedom of Access request, toxicologists with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and review staff at the Maine […]
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Proposed changes to child labor law spark concern
AUGUSTA — Groups representing restaurants and hotels sparred with worker advocates on Wednesday over a bill that would ease work restrictions within the state’s 20-year-old child labor law. The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Debra Plowman, R-Hampden, and backed by Gov. Paul LePage. Both believe high school-age students should be allowed to work longer hours […]
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PR battle over pension plan continues
AUGUSTA — The battle for public opinion continued Tuesday as the state treasurer urged lawmakers to embrace the governor’s strategy to fix the state pension debt. In his third news conference on the issue since Jan. 21, Treasurer Bruce Poliquin said lawmakers should “seize the moment” to tackle Maine’s $4.3 billion pension shortfall, which he […]
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GOP lawmaker introduces bill to ‘nullify’ federal laws
AUGUSTA — A national movement designed to reassert states’ rights and void federal mandates not enumerated in the U.S. Constitution has made its way into the Legislature. Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, has submitted so-called nullification legislation modeled after proposals recently adopted by five other states and under consideration in at least 16 others. If enacted, […]