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Wednesday, September 19, 2018
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Last week, the Maine Legislature reconvened to pass a number of Gov. Paul LePage’s bills to reform the child welfare system in response to the deaths of two children, allegedly at the hands of their caregivers. Lawmakers voted . . .
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Last week, the Maine House voted 72-51 to table an order sponsored by Rep. Paula Sutton (R-Warren) calling for an ethics investigation into House Democratic leadership’s handling of rumors that a former Democratic legislator . . .
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Last week the Maine Commis- sion on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices voted to release up to $3 million in public financing owed to 120 Clean Elections candidates. The funds were previously held up by a drafting error in . . .
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Last week, Maine’s Supreme Court dealt a setback to a coalition challenging a Maine Public Utilities Commission rule that reduces the compensation solar users receive for the energy they produce. The Court dismissed the appeal, stating . . .
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The nonpartisan Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) has found “no indication” that Gov. Paul LePage was involved in a decision to divert deliveries of logs to punish two mill owners who criticized him . . .
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Gov. Paul LePage announced this week that the state ended the 2018 fiscal year in July with a $175.8 million budget surplus. In a press release, the governor’s office said the funds will be used to fulfill a number of commitments, including . . .
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Gov. Paul LePage will likely call the Legislature back into session later this summer to take up a comprehensive bill to bolster the state’s child protective system in response to the tragic deaths of two children several months ago. . . .
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The Maine House failed to garner the 2/3 votes necessary to override LePage’s veto of LD 912, which would have prohibited certain licensed professionals — such as physicians, psychologists and social workers — from practicing . . .
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When the Maine Legislature returns on July 9, it will be to potentially override at least three dozen vetoes, including bills to increase funding for Medicaid expansion (see page 1), climate adaptation, services for people with disabilities . . .
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The Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee voted 9-0 to subpoena Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Ricker Hamilton after he didn’t show up to answer questions about the state’s child welfare system . . .
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The LePage administration’s repurposing of cash assistance previously used to aid low-income families “lacks transparency,” according to a new report by the nonpartisan Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability . . .
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On Monday, 70,000 low-income Mainers became eligible for MaineCare due to the Medicaid expansion referendum passed by 60 percent of Maine voters last November. But it’s not certain whether they will actually be able to receive coverage . . .
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A coalition of lawmakers and voters led by the group Maine Citizens for Clean Elections is suing Gov. Paul LePage in Kennebec Superior Court to force him to release Clean Elections funding for candidates who have qualified for the program. . . .
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A $30 million bond to support the maintenance of waste water treatment facilities across the state passed unanimously in the Senate and 124-2 in the House on Tuesday. But House Republicans are blocking a $49 million bond to make . . .
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On Tuesday, the Legislature rejected a bill that would have sent a referendum out to voters aimed at repealing the voter-approved law that legalized adult-use marijuana. The Senate voted 18-13 to defeat the bill and the House voted . . .
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Gov. Paul LePage and his Republican allies may have discovered a secret weapon to prevent Democrats from winning both houses of the Legislature this fall — defunding their campaigns. The governor is refusing to release hundreds . . .
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Gov. Paul LePage has killed a deal to sell $117 million in voter-approved bonds needed to fund road work and other projects this summer. State Treasurer Terry Hayes says that the governor previously signed three financial orders to sell the bonds, but he refused to sign the closing documents last week.
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The Maine House voted 126-6 and the Senate voted unanimously this week to provide $41.6 million for several initiatives including funding for nursing homes, drug and mental health treatment and services for people with disabilities . . .
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The LePage administration is appealing last week’s Superior Court ruling that he must file the necessary paperwork to the federal government to expand Medicaid. The governor has ignored an April 3 deadline to file the State Plan . . .
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On Tuesday, 54 percent of Maine voters said yes to preserving ranked-choice voting. Republican Shawn Moody easily defeated his three opponents in the GOP gubernatorial primary with 56 percent of the vote. And while Democrat . . .
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