AUGUSTA (AP) — Union members upset with Maine Gov. Paul LePage’s pension proposals faced off Wednesday with LePage supporters as the Appropriations Committee met in Augusta to begin examining the governor’s plan to fix the state’s retirement system. The committee heard from foes and fans of the governor’s proposal to change how Maine’s pension system […]
Paul LePage
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage budget brings out hundreds of union workers in protest
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Union members upset with Maine Gov. Paul LePage’s pension proposals faced off Wednesday with LePage supporters as the Appropriations Committee met in Augusta to begin examining the governor’s plan to fix the state’s retirement system. The committee heard from foes and fans of the governor’s proposal to change how Maine’s pension […]
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Posted inMaine, New England, sj-web
Maine ready to commit $35M to bridge replacement
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage is ready to commit $35 million to help replace the Memorial Bridge between Kittery and Portsmouth, N.H. LePage discussed the bridge Tuesday with lawmakers from York and Cumberland counties. The state money is aimed at securing $20 million in federal funding, but that money is now in […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Senate OKs game chief, workers’ comp director
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Senate has confirmed Gov. Paul LePage’s nominees to head Maine’s fish and game department and workers’ compensation board. Senators voted unanimously Tuesday to confirm Chandler Woodcock of Farmington as commissioner of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department. Woodcock is a former state senator who ran unsuccessfully for governor as […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Hearings on ‘Spartan’ Maine budget open
AUGUSTA (AP) — Hearings on Gov. Paul LePage’s $6.1 billion budget package opened Monday with a focus on taxes, and advocates were quick to weigh in with support for a package they said will either stimulate business or foist unfair burdens on those who can afford it least. During a joint session before the committees […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Senate OKs game chief, workers’ comp director
AUGUSTA (AP) — The Maine Senate has confirmed Gov. Paul LePage’s nominees to head Maine’s fish and game department and workers’ compensation board. Senators voted unanimously Tuesday to confirm Chandler Woodcock of Farmington as commissioner of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department. Woodcock is a former state senator who ran unsuccessfully for governor as the […]
Posted inOur View
Maine Heritage Policy Center’s report on state government workforce didn’t adjust for size difference
If anyone thought the Maine Heritage Policy Center and Gov. Paul LePage were joined at the hip, there was definitive proof Wednesday that they are not. In its latest report, “Right-sizing Maine’s State Government Workforce,” the conservative think tank chided the governor for not eliminating enough state workers to put Maine on the “path to […]
Posted inMaine
Governor’s BPA statements ‘outrageous’
For many years, Kerrie Poulin has been aware of the dangers of bisphenol-A. She’s read the reports. She took action. The science, she said, is everywhere. “I have three young kids,” Poulin said. “Staying current on the latest science and health of my kids is always on the forefront of my goals for the day. […]
Posted inBusiness, Maine, sj-web
LePage sees bias against big-box stores, seeks to remove limitations
AUGUSTA, Maine — Business groups and the LePage administration are targeting a four-year-old law that requires communities to consider the economic impact of “big-box” stores such as Wal-Mart before issuing a local permit. Enacted in 2007, the Informed Growth Act was championed by supporters as a way to protect Maine’s downtown business districts and local […]
Posted inOur View
Cut red tape, but do so with due diligence
Peter Mills earned a reputation as a thoughtful, knowledgeable Republican legislator who spent 16 years in the Maine House and Senate. But he finished a distant third in last year’s gubernatorial primary when Paul LePage’s campaign caught fire as part of the tea party movement. Voters were in no mood for experience and moderation. Last […]