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 […]
Maine Legislature
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine lawmakers look at bullying in schools
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Legislature’s education committee is taking up bullying in schools today. The panel is planning to review a pair of bills Wednesday, including one that targets so-called cyberbullying. Democratic Rep. Donald Pilon of Saco says the state needs to get a handle on bullying and harassment done via e-mail, text […]
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Committee cool to bill limiting enforcement of environmental violations
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 […]
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Casino build-radius bill gets unanimous nod from Senate
AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that clarifies the 100-mile build radius for casinos to be defined in road miles, not air miles. The bill is significant to the $165 million Oxford County casino. The developers of that project say ambiguity in the state’s gambling law could threaten the project and […]
Posted inMaine, The Franklin Journal
Political Pulse: The mural, recall politics and pranks
Nuggets from the notebook while vetting a mural conspiracy theory … The mural furor has leaned heavily toward critics of Gov. Paul LePage’s decision to remove the 36-foot piece from the Department of Labor. Even traditional allies have avoided supporting the governor. The president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce has suggested a compromise […]
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Bill briefs: A rundown of tri-county delegation bills
Here is a list of highlights sponsored by tri-county lawmakers in bills 526 through 650. * Rep. Gary Knight, R-Livermore Falls, wants veterans and their survivors to receive a $500 property tax credit. Knight’s bill would force the state to reimburse municipalities for the credit. A public hearing for LD 550 has not been scheduled. […]
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Lawmaker seeks process to recall Maine governor
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A Democratic lawmaker is proposing that a process be created for Maine citizens to recall the governor, legislators and constitutional officers. Rep. Cynthia Dill’s proposal was set aside without action Thursday in the Maine House. Dill, of Cape Elizabeth, says the proposal is in response to hundreds of citizen requests and […]
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Lawmaker seeks lower, temporary ‘training wage’ for workers under 20
AUGUSTA — The sponsor of a new child labor bill says employers should have the flexibility to pay workers under age 20 a “training wage.” Opponents countered that the proposal devalues young workers and takes money out of the hands of laborers and gives it to business. LD 1346 suggests several significant changes to Maine’s […]
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Business groups clash with parents, environmental groups over Kid-Safe law
AUGUSTA — Environmentalists, health groups and parents came out in droves Tuesday to oppose a bill that they believe would gut the state’s Kid-Safe Products Act. The proposal sponsored by Rep. James Hamper, R-Oxford, is supported by several Maine businesses, the toy industry, the chemical industry and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Each told […]
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Amended child labor bill heads to Senate
AUGUSTA — The Senate will soon vote on an amended bill that would loosen restrictions within the state’s child labor law. The amended proposal emerged from the Legislature’s labor committee last week via a 7-6 vote along party lines. Republicans supported the measure, which would allow minors to work longer hours and more often during […]