News

Lepage's OPM Director Resigns, Office Dismantled

By AP • May 16, 2018

The director of the LePage administration's Office of Policy and Management has resigned, and all but one member of the office has been reassigned to other state agencies.

The Portland Press Herald reports that the LePage administration did not announce Jonathan LaBonte's April 10 departure. A spokesperson said the administration does not publicize every resignation.

Poliquin Supports Trump’s Planned Cuts to Children's Health Insurance Program

By AP • May 16, 2018

Maine Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin is backing President Donald Trump's plan to cut $15 billion in federal spending on children's health insurance and other programs, saying the money would be "wasted" otherwise.

Close to half of the proposed cuts target the Children's Health Insurance Program, canceling $5.1 billion in funding that wasn't used and $1.9 billion in what operates as a 'rainy-day' fund for states.

Poliquin tells the Lewiston Sun Journal the cuts will not affect federal spending or enrollment in the program.

Civil Rights Complaint Brought Against Biddeford Men Accused Of Violently Assaulting Black Man

By Beth Brogan - Bangor Daily News • May 16, 2018

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills announced Tuesday that her office has filed a civil complaint in York County Superior Court against two Biddeford men who allegedly violently assaulted an African-American man in April and used racial epithets outside a 7-Eleven convenience store.

Dusty Leo, 27, and Maurice Diggins, 34, were arrested at the time and charged with aggravated assault for the alleged incident, Mills said in a news release.

Students Demand Maine DEP Act To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

By Patty Wight • May 16, 2018

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection got an earful at a public hearing Tuesday from a group of high school and middle school students worried about climate change.

The public hearing was prompted by a petition the students filed earlier this year about what they say is the state's failure to do its part to protect them. They're are asking the DEP to take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Science Center That Brought Sharks, Titanic Exhibits To Portland Is Closing

By AP • May 16, 2018

PORTLAND, Maine - A popular science center that has attracted traveling exhibits to Maine's largest city is closing its doors.

The Portland Press Herald reports the Portland Science Center is shutting down after nearly three years on the city's waterfront. The center has featured exhibits about subjects such as sharks, pirates and the Titanic.

Why Language Matters When Describing Substance Use Disorder In Maine

By Nora Flaherty • May 16, 2018

A new law took effect on May 1, changing the language used to describe substance use in Maine's laws.

Maine Supreme Court To Take Up State Medicaid Abortion Ban

By Ed Morin • May 15, 2018

The Maine Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday challenging the state Medicaid program's ban against covering abortions.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine has appealed a Maine Superior Court decision against the group's lawsuit filed on behalf of three abortion providers.

Ranked-Choice Voting Education Campaigns Underway As Primaries Near

By Mal Leary • May 15, 2018

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Ranked-Choice Voting Education Campaigns Underway As Primaries Near

Maine voters in next month’s state primary will be the first to use ranked-choice voting for state elections. Election experts say many voters don’t understand how the system works, but they’re hopeful voter education programs now running can help clear up any confusion.

Housing Payments To Be Revised Under New GI Bill Changes

By Ed Morin • May 15, 2018

Changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill coming into effect on Aug. 1 could have a significant effect on the amount of housing money students receive.

Currently, rates take into account the cost of housing where the main campus of the school is located. Beginning in August, housing payments will be calculated using the zip code of where the student is physically taking most classes.

Robert Haley, director of the Maine State Approving Agency for Veterans Education Programs, says the change is an effort to right-size housing payments.

Maine Supreme Court Hears Portland Landlord's Appeal In Fatal Fire Conviction

By Fred Bever • May 15, 2018

Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald via AP, Pool, File

Maine's highest court heard oral arguments Tuesday that could decide whether a Portland landlord should be jailed for violating codes at an apartment house he owned, where six people were killed in a fire in 2014.

Dunlap: Time Running Out For Enrolled Maine Voters Who Want To Switch Party Affiliation

By Steve Mistler • May 15, 2018

Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap is reminding voters who are enrolled in one of the four political parties, and who want to change their affiliation in time for the June 12 primaries, to do so soon.

Dunlap says most municipalities will require party-enrolled voters who want to change their affiliation to do so by May 25.

That deadline does not affect voters who are not enrolled in one of the parties because Maine allows unenrolled voters to sign-up for any of the parties at any time, including Election Day.

Tom Wolfe, Pioneering 'New Journalist,' Dead At 88

By Hillel Italie - Associated Press • May 15, 2018

NEW YORK - Author Tom Wolfe, who chronicled everything from hippies to the space race before turning his sharp eye to fiction, has died. He was 88.

Wolfe's agent Lynn Nesbit told The Associated Press that Wolfe died in a New York City hospital. Additional details were not immediately available.

The "new journalism'' reporter and novelist insisted that the only way to tell a great story was to go out and report it. His writing style was rife with exclamation points, italics and improbable words.

LePage Joins Republican Push To Nominate Trump For Nobel Peace Prize

By Steve Mistler • May 15, 2018

Maine Gov. Paul LePage is backing a Republican effort to nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

State Police Arrest Protesters Outside Maine Governor's Mansion

By AP • May 15, 2018

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine State Police have arrested a group of people who were protesting outside the governor's mansion in Augusta.

Maine Poor People's Campaign spokeswoman Marie Follayttar Smith says the Monday protest was part of a nationwide campaign against systemic poverty and racism.

State police tell the Bangor Daily News that 18 people were arrested and charged with trespassing and failure to disperse.

Maine County Jail Funding In Limbo As Lawmakers End Session

By Mal Leary • May 15, 2018

When lawmakers abruptly ended the second regular session of the Legislature earlier this month, they left some unfinished business. Among the bills left in limbo or unfunded is one affecting Maine’s county jails, and failure to correct the situation could create some unintended serious consequences.

Like scores of other bills, a measure providing funding for county jails was left unaddressed when lawmakers adjourned. The bill would have provided $3 million to cover budget shortfalls this year and $14.2 million in state aid in the new budget year starting July 1.

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