AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s watchdog Government Oversight Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to authorize an investigation into the influence Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s actions had on the decision by a nonprofit charter school to fire House Speaker Mark Eves as its president days after hiring him. In question is whether LePage threatened to withhold or […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Paul LePage’s attorney says he’s not subject to Government Oversight Committee review
AUGUSTA — A top attorney for Republican Gov. Paul LePage is resisting efforts by several state lawmakers to have the Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee launch an investigation into LePage’s actions regarding House Speaker Mark Eves and a position he had been hired for then fired from at the Good Will-Hinckley School. The committee, evenly split […]
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Legislature passes bill that removes permit requirement for concealed guns
AUGUSTA — A bill that removes Maine’s requirement that those carrying a concealed handgun first obtain a permit from law enforcement to do so passed the state Senate on a 23-12 vote Tuesday. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, now moves to Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who will have 10 days to veto […]
Posted inMaine
Lawmakers pass Maine $6.7 billion budget despite LePage veto
AUGUSTA – In a show of bipartisan strength Tuesday, the Maine Legislature stood up to Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a new $6.7 billion state budget that cuts the state’s income tax rate and stretches the sales tax in an attempt to shift more of the state’s costs to visitors. The House voted 109-37 […]
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Paul LePage vetoes state budget, issues graphic veto message
AUGUSTA — The Legislature is set to reconvene Tuesday in order to take up a veto of the state’s next two-year budget issued by Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Monday afternoon. The veto follows a failed LePage attempt to make about $60 million in cuts to the budget, when LePage used his executive authority to […]
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Maine House leaders urge members to focus on state budget
AUGUSTA — House Democratic leaders on Friday urged members of their caucus to stay focused on the state budget before delving deeper into recent actions by Republican Gov. Paul LePage that have some lawmakers calling for impeachment. House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe, D-Skowhegan, said that while he and other lawmakers were deeply concerned about recent […]
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Gov. LeRage: Paul LePage says area lawmakers, cartoonist should be shot
AUGUSTA — A top advocate for expanding passenger rail to Lewiston-Auburn said Thursday that Republican Gov. Paul LePage said state lawmakers from Lewiston should be “rounded up and executed in the public square.” Tony Donovan, a Portland-based real estate developer and member of the executive council for the Sierra Club Maine, said LePage made the […]
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Maine lawmakers take timeout in rush to finish work for 2015
AUGUSTA — State lawmakers gave themselves a timeout early Wednesday morning when they voted to extend by five days their current work session and then went on recess until Tuesday, June 30. The Legislature still has before it a host of work, not the least of which is finalizing a $6.7 billion budget package that […]
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Maine House says, ‘yes’ to General Assistance for immigrants
AUGUSTA — The Maine House approved a bill Monday allowing asylum-seeking immigrants to collect up to 24 months of General Assistance payments from cities and towns. The bill faces additional hurdles in the Legislature and a likely veto from Republican Gov. Paul LePage. The House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats, largely split along party lines. […]
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Legislature overrides Paul LePage’s veto of bill to study hayride regulations
Also on this page: Legislators busy overturning vetoes AUGUSTA — The Legislature on Monday overturned a veto of a bill to create a task force to examine the safety and possible regulations for farm amusement rides, such as the haunted hayride that claimed the life of an Oakland teen last fall. The House voted 146-0 to overturn by […]