Three Republican-sponsored bills that would trim or roll back incentive programs for solar energy installations face a public hearing next week.
maine legislature
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
House Democrats defeat effort to rescind Gov. Mills’ emergency powers
Republicans have been trying since last spring to rein in Mills’ powers, and said the Legislature’s return to Augusta means it is time to reassert checks and balances in the state’s COVID-19 response.
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Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Maine House rejects bill to bring back old state flag
While many consumers have adopted the older version known as the ‘1901 flag,’ legislators appeared uninterested in swapping Maine’s traditional flag emblazoned with the state seal.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Maine Senate passes budget bill with tax exemption for business relief loans
Two Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the measure, which would exempt businesses from paying state taxes on federal Paycheck Protection Program loans, but it faces a stiffer test in the House.
Posted inOp-eds, Opinion
Jim Fossel: Don’t use federal aid to grow Maine’s government
Republicans in Augusta should insist that COVID relief money is targeted to replace lost revenue, not to fund new programs.
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 inBill Nemitz, Local & State, News, Op-eds, Opinion
Bill Nemitz: New and improved democracy – so easy you can do it in your pajamas
Zoom, a silver lining of the pandemic, has spurred greater attendance at local government meetings.
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 inBusiness, Local & State
Lawmakers propose 5-year extension of Maine’s lobster marketing group
The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative’s 5-year authorization is set to expire in October, but one official says the group’s work is more important than ever.