WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s at least one constant in a government shutdown: The 532 members of Congress continue to be paid — at a cost of $10,583.85 per hour to taxpayers. Lawmakers get their pay even as hundreds of congressional staffers are sent home, packs of tourists are turned away at the Capitol, and constituent […]
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Posted inAdvertiser Democrat, Oxford Hills
Local farmers hear from federal agriculture official
NORWAY — Passage of the Farm Bill will be critical to ensure the continuation of small farms across Maine and the country, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Edward Avalos told a group of local farmers Friday morning. “It’s not fair for Congress to keep farmers and ranchers hostage,” he said. “If Congress […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
King stands in defense of Obamacare
“The estimates are between 20,000 and 30,000 of those people die each year because of the lack of health insurance,” King said during a speech on the Senate floor. “Why doesn’t that bother us?” King spoke late in the day following a more than 20-hour filibuster by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who spoke against the […]
Posted inMaine
Maine politicians renew support for better background checks in wake of D.C. shootings
AUGUSTA — State and federal lawmakers from Maine on Wednesday renewed their support for law changes that would improve gun-sale background checks in the U.S. after a mass shooting in Washington D.C., on Monday. The incident, which claimed the lives of 13 people, including the shooter, at the Navy Yard, remains under investigation. But emerging […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Oxford Hills, River Valley, The Franklin Journal
RSU 10 employees, board reach contract agreement
DIXFIELD — The RSU 10 board and secretaries, Central Office employees, business office employees and other clerical staff, have agreed on a three-year contact. Superintendent Craig King said the approximately 25 employees, who also include those responsible for technology in the district, will receive up to a 2.1 percent salary increase for Jan. 1 to […]
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, sj-web
Maine lawmakers not ready to endorse Syria strike
PORTLAND (AP) — While all of Maine’s congressional delegation remains undecided about military strikes on Syria, none of the four lawmakers is eager for the U.S. military to get involved in another conflict in the Middle East. Calls from constituents are heavily against military strikes, they say. “I do think we’re at a growing risk […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Angus King, other Maine delegates, still weighing options on strike against Syria
PORTLAND — U.S. Sen. Angus King on Wednesday said he has not yet made a decision on whether to support military intervention in Syria. “I can tell you that in my years of public service, I think this is just about the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to deal with,” King said during a […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
King, Pingree applaud Obama’s decision to ask Congress
Two Mainers in Congress applauded President Barack Obama’s decision to seek congressional approval before moving forward with military action against Syria. However, they are not sure how they’ll vote. “I will review the evidence and arguments with great care before deciding how I will vote on this difficult and important issue,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
MLK’s dream inspires a new march, and a president
WASHINGTON (AP) — Standing on hallowed ground of the civil rights movement, President Barack Obama challenged new generations Wednesday to seize the cause of racial equality and honor the “glorious patriots” who marched a half century ago to the very steps from which Rev. Martin Luther King spoke during the March on Washington. In a […]
Posted inOxford Hills, River Valley, The Franklin Journal
RSU 10 board to discuss vote consideration petition
DIXFIELD — The RSU 10 Board will take up a petition Monday submitted last week that calls for another vote on the recently passed $36.5 million operating budget. Superintendent Craig King said on Friday that a state statute allows such a request, providing a sufficient number of valid signatures are on the petition. According to […]