Lawmakers on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee took nearly three hours of testimony Monday on L.D. 467,  a bill that would have narrowed a resource protection area known as the Saco River Corridor. And then, after a brief caucus, the committee quickly killed the bill. It’s unusual, although not unprecedented, for a legislative […]

Good morning, It’s Franco-American Day at the State House and the speeches and presentations are likely to crowd out some of the legislative activity. The committee schedule is relatively light. There’s a public hearing on L.D. 537 in the Education Committee. The proposal would prohibit standardized tests on students in grades kindergarten through grade 2. […]

Good morning and happy Sunshine Week. The recognition of government transparency is apropos. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a likely candidate for president, held a press conference last week to explain her use of a private email server and to tell reporters that she’d deleted half of the messages. Clinton’s purge is presumably because the messages contained the […]

State Sen. Michael Willette, R-Presque Isle, said Wednesday that he has no intention of resigning his seat after apologizing from the Senate floor for a number of offensive Facebook posts about Muslims, immigrants, race and President Obama. Senate President Michael Thibodeau, R-Winterport, has said that the matter is settled, even though Senate Democrats have requested […]

Maine Senate Democrats have asked Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, to condemn a Republican state senator who last week posted a conservative meme on Facebook suggesting that members of the ruthless terrorist group ISIS are family members of President Obama. Minority leader Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, and assistant leader Sen. Dawn Hill, D-Cape Neddick, met Tuesday […]

Maine Democrats are increasing the pressure on a Republican state senator who last week posted a conservative meme on Facebook suggesting that members of the ruthless terrorist group ISIS are family members of President Obama. Sen. Mike Willette, R-Presque Isle, on Monday apologized for sharing the post publicly, but neither for the message that the post conveyed nor […]

  State Sen. Michael Willette apologized Monday for sharing a Facebook post criticizing President Obama’s handling of the terrorist group ISIS and suggesting that its members are family members of the president. Willette, a Republican from Presque Isle, posted a photo from Conservative News Daily that depicted Obama with the caption, “Why haven’t I done […]

Good morning, There’s no session Monday, but legislative committees will be buzzing with a host of public hearings and work sessions. The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will hold public hearings on several bills designed to restrict the use of consumer fireworks. Similar proposals have been introduced since the Republican-led Legislature legalized consumer fireworks […]

Aaron Chadbourne, a senior policy advisor to Gov. Paul LePage, once launched a failed effort to create an award at Harvard University — and name it after himself. According to his website, Chadbourne is a Gorham native who recently joined the administration to advise on policy matters, including the governor’s budget, which this year contains a sweeping […]