AUGUSTA — Lawmakers who are also military veterans were angered Tuesday when a host of their colleagues switched votes on a bill that would have required public schools to give recruiters in uniform access to school grounds. According to the Maine Department of Education, a handful of schools in Maine have disallowed uniformed recruiters but […]
politics
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Group plans to collect signatures for bear-baiting referendum
PORTLAND — A coalition that wants another statewide vote aimed at banning the use of bait, traps and dogs to hunt bears says it’s launching a petition drive in Maine. Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting announced Tuesday that it plans to gather 80,000 signatures of Maine voters, exceeding the 57,277 signatures needed to qualify for […]
advertisement
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Senate votes to keep cellphone privacy bill alive
AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers have voted to override a veto by Gov. Paul LePage of a bill requiring law enforcement to have a warrant to get location information from a person’s cellphone. The Democratic-led Senate overturned the veto on a 22-11 vote on Tuesday. Veto overrides require a two-thirds majority of present and voting members. […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Nine vetoes survive override attempt in Maine Senate
AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate opened its work Tuesday by upholding nine vetoes issued by Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Legislators returned to Augusta on Tuesday for what many called “veto day,” during which members of the two chambers will vote on a flurry of vetoes LePage issued — including 21 on Monday — since the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
State budget fix fails in Maine House
AUGUSTA — A bill to make technical corrections to the controversial $6.3 billion biennial budget bill passed late last month failed by several votes in the House on Tuesday. Defeat of the bill could cause a $6 million budget gap over the biennium if the Senate follows suit. LD 1572 makes several corrections to the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine House rejects bill allowing extra school funds to be spent without a vote.
AUGUSTA — A bill to allow Maine’s cities and towns to redo their schools’ budgets to spend unexpected state funds without voter approval has failed in the Maine House. The Democratic-controlled House voted 97-54 Tuesday. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote because it would take effect immediately. With the late passage of the $6.3 […]
Posted inMaine
Maine ethics law aims to stop ‘revolving door’
AUGUSTA — Maine’s “F” grade in government integrity issued last year by a national group has led to a number of reforms in the state’s ethics rules this year, including a bipartisan transparency bill proposed by Gov. Paul LePage that he signed into law last week. The reforms also include two bills signed by the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Bill would allow schools to spend extra funds without going to voters
AUGUSTA — Cities and towns across Maine will be watching Augusta this week, where lawmakers will consider legislation allowing them to redo their school districts’ budgets to spend unexpected state aid — without having to open the polls for voter approval. The measure is among the final bills the Democratic-controlled Legislature will take up when […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
State House rally calls for toxic chemical labeling
Troy R. Bennett | BDN Members of the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine hold a press conference at the State House in Augusta Monday morning, urging Governor LePage to sign the Healthy Kids Bill which would strengthen labeling requirements for items containing toxic chemicals. Buy Photo Troy R. Bennett | BDN Members of […]
Posted inMaine
Legislature back in session for budget fix, override votes
AUGUSTA — You may have thought the session was over for the summer, but the Legislature will reconvene on Tuesday to make a technical correction to a recently enacted $6.3 billion state budget. The fix is in the “errors and omissions” bill, LD 1572, which, depending on who you ask, is either a big deal […]