House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, this week unveiled her wide-ranging Leveraging Investments in Families Today bill, which aims to expand and enhance social service programs with federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant money that she says has gone unspent. Republican Gov. Paul LePage said Tuesday that Gideon and the Democrats are wrong about the availability of the […]
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Posted inMaine
Sara Gideon introduces bill to expand welfare in Maine
AUGUSTA — House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, will introduce a new bill Monday that would expand and enhance Maine’s social services safety net, largely funded with what Gideon said is $150 million in federal funds that Gov. Paul LePage’s administration isn’t spending. Among the elements of Gideon’s wide-ranging bill are requirements for the state to use federal […]
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Gov. Paul LePage pressures Legislature to provide money to regulate marijuana
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Monday ordered the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations to take over rule-making authority for marijuana regulation and told bureaucrats not to spend any money on it. LePage said in his order that “no employee or department of the Executive Branch may use funds for the purpose of […]
Posted inMaine
Legislature may restrict marijuana edibles when it takes up referendum
AUGUSTA — Among the first items of business when legislators return next month will be a couple of quick fixes to the recreational marijuana measure approved by voters in November. House Speaker Sara Gideon said Wednesday that two changes are “front and center” to correct problems some have identified with the legalization referendum. She told […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine House Democrats nominate Sara Gideon for Speaker
AUGUSTA — Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives put Assistant House Majority Leader Sara Gideon on track for the chamber’s top spot on Friday, nominating her to succeed House Speaker Mark Eves of North Berwick. Gideon, 44, was the odds-on favorite for the speaker’s chair after Democrats held their majority in the chamber in […]
Posted inLetters
Brooks advocates for Lewiston
I want to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Lewiston for allowing me the opportunity to work alongside Rep. Heidi Brooks in the 127th Maine Legislature. Rep. Brooks has been a passionate advocate for the people of Lewiston. She has shown determination and compassion in her advocacy on their behalf, especially seniors and […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Some Maine Democrats to press for impeachment of Gov. LePage
AUGUSTA — The furor over Gov. Paul LePage’s comment about “young white” girls being impregnated by out-of-state drug dealers is last week’s news. This week could bring an impeachment order calling for an investigation into the Republican’s alleged abuse of power. A group of lawmakers led by Rep. Ben Chipman, a Portland Democrat, submitted the […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Attack on Planned Parenthood part of extremist agenda
We stand with Planned Parenthood. Our support is matched only by our dismay and disappointment with the extremists, in Congress and in Maine, who would turn those five simple words into a divisive, political flash point. But why should our dedication to women’s health care be controversial? And what organization is more deserving of that […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Legislator aims to tighten Maine’s household chemical rules
AUGUSTA — A Maine legislator wants to require the state to include products that threaten the health of pregnant women when it sets rules about potentially toxic products. Rep. Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, says her bill would tighten state laws about such products. She and a group of environmental and health advocates say the bill is […]
Posted inMaine
Maine legislative panel agrees to expand access to heroin overdose drug
AUGUSTA — A bill that Republican Gov. Paul LePage believes encourages a false sense of security for drug addicts but one that advocates say will save lives was approved by the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on a 7-4, party-line vote Monday. LD 1686, legalizes broader possession and administration of naloxone hydrochloride by a […]