Agriculture Commissioner Walter Whitcomb said the state’s natural resource agencies — Agriculture, Conservation, Marine Resources, Environmental Protection, and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife — had lost $13 million in state funding in just five years, a reduction he attributes to regular annual shortfalls in the the Department of Health and Human Services, which administers MaineCare. “We […]
state house
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage lets revenue sharing bill become law
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine legislation that prevents $40 million in cuts to state aid for cities and towns next year became law Wednesday after Gov. Paul LePage took no action on it, the Republican governor’s office said. The law takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns in April. The measure has been a […]
advertisement
Posted inMaine, sj-web
State forecasts revenue surplus but not enough to solve budget woes
AUGUSTA — Hopes expressed by lawmakers earlier this month that higher-than-projected state revenues associated with the improving economy would help solve budget woes shriveled Friday when new data showed that little has changed from previous predictions. A panel of experts on the state’s revenue forecasting committee, which met Friday morning, found that although revenues are […]
Posted inOur View
Our View: CDC employees are entitled to legal counsel
On Thursday, the Sun Journal published a front-page report on the fees to be paid to private lawyers hired to defend Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention employees in a federal whistleblower lawsuit. Attorney General Janet Mills authorized the expenditure of up to $50,000 for the firm of Kelly, Remmel & Zimmerman to represent […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Organizations deliver petitions supporting Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA — The Maine People’s Alliance has delivered more than 7,000 petitions and hundreds of postcards and personal messages urging the state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The petitions collected by MPA and two national organizations were delivered Thursday as lawmakers debate whether to expand Medicaid in the face of a promised […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Senate rejects ‘religious freedom’ bill
AUGUSTA — The state Senate rejected a bill Tuesday aimed at strengthening legal protections for religious freedom, which opponents say is unnecessary and could roll back decades of advances made for civil rights. The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 19-16 in favor of rejecting Republican Sen. David Burns’ bill, which he said would ensure the state has […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage nominates Bruce Fitzgerald as head of MEMA
AUGUSTA — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has nominated Bruce Fitzgerald to serve as the director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency. LePage said Thursday that Fitzgerald is “the right man to manage the agency in times of emergency.” The nomination is subject to confirmation by the Maine Senate. Fitzgerald has worked at MEMA since 2003 […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
How LePage plans to double Windham prison without more staff
As lawmakers work to firm up a state budget that’s out of balance and debate an expansion of Medicaid, a proposal to nearly double the capacity of the Maine Correctional Center in Windham will resurface in coming weeks. Gov. Paul LePage included the expansion project and a $100 million bond for it last year in his proposal […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
DHHS chief Mayhew says budget gap only totals $78 million
AUGUSTA — The projected budget shortfall for the state’s Health and Human Services Department will be significantly less than originally projected, the department’s commissioner said Friday. DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew told lawmakers on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee that the updated forecast incorporates six months of data from the current fiscal year, leading to a $30 […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Computer glitch delays unemployment checks to 2,200 Mainers
AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Labor says there’s been a delay in issuing unemployment benefits to 2,200 Maine workers, due to a problem with the computer system that processes the payments. The problem halted processing of unemployment checks, direct deposits, and other notifications Tuesday and Wednesday. Claimants who filed over the weekend or during […]