Some lawmakers are calling for an investigation of the state’s contract with California-based Workday Inc., which was hired to update Maine’s antiquated employee benefits system but walked off the job last month.
Scott Thistle
Scott Thistle is the State House reporter for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He has covered politics and government in Maine since 2006. Prior to that he served as the State House reporter for the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minnesota. A Maine native, Thistle has worked in journalism since 1990, when he got his start at a weekly newspaper in rural Oxford County, Maine. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and an active volunteer with the National Ski Patrol. He resides with his wife, Amy and his two sons Finn and Kai, in Auburn, Maine. @thisdog
Posted inLocal & State, News
Maine may seek $21 million refund from human resources software contractor
California-based Workday walked off the job last month after a dispute with the state. Meanwhile, Maine’s finance commissioner told lawmakers it may take $8 million more to get the new system up and running.
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Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News, Politics
Deal on state tax exemption implodes as Republicans balk at supplemental budget
Democrats support a bill to reduce tax liability for businesses and individuals who received federal COVID-19 relief loans or benefits, but Republicans are pushing for more.
Posted inLocal & State, Nation & World, News, Politics
Sen. King to chair Senate panels on national parks and nuclear forces
Maine’s junior U.S. senator was tapped to chair the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, and a subcommittee that oversees U.S. nuclear and strategic forces.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News, Politics
Legislative panel votes to keep Maine’s ban on plastic shopping bags
Enforcement of the law has been temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Bill seeks to ban the use of aerial herbicides in Maine forests
Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, a logger and the bill’s sponsor, said aerial application of glyphosate and other herbicides has caused irreversible environmental damage.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Gov. Mills’ plan to switch vaccinations to age-based eligibility gets mixed reaction
Organizations representing retailers, restaurants and lodging businesses support a clear vaccine plan but are disappointed that many of their younger workers will still have to wait.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Maine tax revenues ahead of forecasts, despite pandemic’s impact
Finance commissioner Kirsten Figueroa said revenues for January were nearly $90 million more than predicted and up by more than $154 million for the first 7 months of the current fiscal year.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Mills makes push for another $30 million for broadband internet in Maine
Weak or nonexistent internet connectivity, a longstanding problem in rural Maine, has been exacerbated during the pandemic as workers, businesses, students and families struggle to stay connected.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
‘We have been tested,’ Mills tells lawmakers in budget address
In a prerecorded address, Gov. Janet Mills praises Mainers for their perseverance during the pandemic and outlines the priorities of her 2-year budget proposal.