AUGUSTA – The Maine Ethics Commission voted Wednesday to fine Democratic gubernatorial candidate Diane Russell $300 for failing to file timely and complete campaign finance reports. Ethics commission staff had found earlier this month that Russell didn’t provide enough detail on campaign expenditures she listed only as “travel,” “meals” or other expenses. Staff had also raised concerns […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Let's Grow Maine: A plan to end hunger by 2020
“Why should there be hunger and deprivation in any land, in any city, at any table, when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life? There is no deficit in human resources; the deficit is in human will.” — Martin Luther King Jr. To achieve […]
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Cut governor's pay, says one candidate for Maine's top job
Instead of pressing ahead with a plan to more than double the governor’s salary, one of the Democrats seeking to win the state’s top job said lawmakers ought to slash it. Former Portland state Rep. Diane Russell said that “raising the wage of the governor is probably the worst idea I’ve seen.” She said that […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Democrats tell Lewiston progressives they will bring change to Maine
LEWISTON — There wasn’t a hint of romance in the air during a speed dating event Wednesday in a venue featuring the requisite exposed ducts, wooden columns and pizza. Ten Democrats tried to woo about 100 progressives brought together there by the Maine People’s Alliance during 150-minute tour through an acoustically challenged room in an old […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Diane Russell announces she will run for governor in 2018
The Democratic primary race to replace Gov. Paul LePage in 2018 attracted a seventh contender Thursday when former four-term state Rep. Diane Russell of Portland announced her candidacy. Russell, 41, announced her candidacy by highlighting her ascent from a convenience store clerk earning $8 per hour when she first ran for the House of Representatives […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Diane Russell ready to fight superdelegates at Democaratic National Convention
PORTLAND — Ahead of the Democratic National Convention, a Maine delegate is telling donors there’s enough support for a floor vote to abolish unpledged “superdelegates” in future elections. Democratic state Rep. Diane Russell has gained national prominence for advocating against the outsized influence of superdelegates, who are elected officials and party leaders who are free […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine ethics panel fines state Rep. Diana Russell $500
AUGUSTA — The Maine ethics commission levied a $500 fine Wednesday against state Rep. Diana Russell after finding the Portland Democrat should have reported an email list she used for fundraising as an in-kind contribution in her unsuccessful primary campaign for a state Senate seat. The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices agreed with Russell […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Diane Russell raises $87,000 for state Senate campaign
AUGUSTA— A Democratic lawmaker from Maine who has gained national prominence for supporting legalizing marijuana and eliminating superdelegates is flush with money from small, out-of-state donors. State senate candidate Rep. Diane Russell of Portland raised nearly $87,000 from January through May. The state ethics commission believes it’s among the highest amounts ever raised for a […]
Posted inMaine
To exempt nonprofits from meals tax, state needs to find funds
AUGUSTA — A legislative committee held a work session Tuesday to address the almost $2 million fiscal note attached to a bill to exempt nonprofits from collecting sales tax on fundraising meals. The size of the fiscal note could become an issue when the bill reaches the Appropriations table for funding. LD 1613, “An Act […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Working Families PAC fined for not reporting all expenditures
AUGUSTA — A Portland legislator’s political action committee was fined $2,000 on Wednesday by Maine ethics regulators for leaving some expenditures unreported for more than a year. The Working Families PAC, which is run by Rep. Diane Russell, a Democrat, omitted just more than $1,200 in expenditures from a report due in October 2014. They […]