Marina Villeneuve

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Maine moves to become third with plastic bag ban

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - The Maine Senate has moved the state a step closer to a ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery check-out lines. With a 24-9 vote Thursday, the Senate sent the bill to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who hasn't indicated her personal stance, but the bill is backed by Maine's environmental agency.

Governor to sign bill creating legal framework for pot sales

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine's governor plans to sign a bill in coming days to set up a legal framework for recreational marijuana sales, a spokesman for Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said Friday. The state's voters chose to legalize both the use and sale of recreational marijuana among adults in November 2016, but months of delays and political squabbles have slowed the implementation of a commercial industry.

APNewsBreak: Numbers of Maine lawmakers who went on to lobby

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - At least 14 Democrat and eight Republican lawmakers in Maine have gone on to register as paid lobbyists over the past three decades, a practice that is being targeted by a bill moving through the Legislature.

APNewsBreak: Ex-governor pardoned late mentor's grandson

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage pardoned his late mentor's grandson in the final days of his second four-year term, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press that detail pardons for crimes including drug trafficking, tax evasion and embezzlement of public funds.

Maine's governor leaves behind spotty legacy on transparency

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Republican Gov. Paul LePage promised to fight for citizens' rights to access information from Maine's government and kicked things off with a vow that his transition would be "the most transparent" in history. As he prepares to leave office eight years later, he leaves behind a spotty legacy on transparency.

Maine governor's success sometimes overshadowed by mouth

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Vowing to work to the last minute, Republican Gov. Paul LePage is too busy to ponder his fulfilled campaign promises or his abrasive style: "Let history determine who I was," he told The Associated Press during a brief hallway exchange at the Statehouse.

Record level of women elected in Maine amid liberal spending

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine voters sent a record number of women to the Legislature on Election Day as liberal spending boosting female candidates helped Democrats sweep into control of the Statehouse.

'Dark Money' Helps Fuel Litany of Campaign Ads in ... Maine?

data powered by Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country.

Governor says he'll keep blocking payments to AG office

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Republican Gov. Paul LePage said Friday he won't release $4.9 million that lawmakers budgeted for Democratic Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills' office until she provides him legal bills that are as detailed as those of private law firms. In an Aug.

APNewsBreak: Feds say no to LePage job-training penalties

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Federal officials told Gov. Paul LePage in June that he can't impose financial penalties on local groups that help job-seekers as part of his battle to cut bureaucracy out of job-training efforts, according to correspondence obtained this month by The Associated Press through a federal Freedom of Information Act request.

As federal Medicaid funding declines, states mull costs

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine's Republican governor has said federal regulators want to know how Maine would pay for Medicaid expansion. But it's unclear just how that issue will play out in Maine, the first state to pass Medicaid expansion under Republican President Trump's administration.

APNewsBreak: LifeFlight summoned during LePage health scare

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Gov. Paul LePage's health scare last month alarmed doctors enough that they summoned a LifeFlight helicopter to take him to a Bangor hospital. LePage confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that he was transported via LifeFlight, calling it a "nice" ride.

LePage rips up lawmakers' letter, says senator he called 'repugnant' owes him an apology

AUGUSTA - Gov. Paul LePage said Wednesday that he'll apologize for calling a Republican senator the "most repugnant human being" once the governor himself gets an apology - or when "hell freezes over." LePage, a Republican, said Wednesday that he has responded to a committee's demand that he apologize to Sen.

Governor's legal costs to rise as Medicaid lawsuit continues

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine could pay up to $200,000 for a Boston-based lawyer to defend the LePage administration in a lawsuit over voter-approved Medicaid expansion. The Department of Health and Human Services in a state form dated Monday proposed increasing the cost of a no-bid contract with law firm Consovoy McCarthy Park from $100,000 to $200,000 through December.

Company fights to keep details of Bangor psychiatric home a secret

The company wants to prevent the release of its list of current and closed lawsuits - and full disclosure of its staffing, cost and operations proposals - because it says they are trade secrets.. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries from the Bangor Daily News.

Independents uneasy about taking cash, even from indie group

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Hoping to capitalize on voter frustration over growing polarization in politics, a group fueled partly by what critics call "dark money" plans to spend $3 million this year to support and elect independents. But some free-spirited lawmakers are declining their help.

Governor's Push Against Wind Permits Gets Day in Court

By MARINA VILLENEUVE, Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Republican Gov. Paul LePage's lawyers on Friday asked a judge to toss a lawsuit challenging the governor's executive order to halt wind turbine permits in western and coastal regions of rural Maine. Advocacy groups challenged the constitutionality of LePage's January order, claiming it's causing uncertainty in the wind industry.

Governor floats hospital tax to pay for Medicaid expansion

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Some lawmakers said Monday that Maine's Republican governor has been floating a new tax on hospitals to pay for voter-approved Medicaid expansion. Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau said that Gov. Paul LePage's administration has sent word the governor is considering the idea.

NOT REAL NEWS: Maine legislators did not vote for mutilation

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine lawmakers did not vote to allow female genital mutilation, despite reports circulating widely online. Several sites claimed Democrats in the Maine Legislature voted to allow the practice, which is common in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Female genital mutilation is already outlawed in the U.S.

NOT REAL NEWS: Maine legislators did not vote for mutilation

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine lawmakers did not vote to allow female genital mutilation, despite reports circulating widely online. Several sites claimed Democrats in the Maine Legislature voted to allow the practice, which is common in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Female genital mutilation is already outlawed in the U.S.

Maine lobbyist calls out sexual misconduct at State House

Some of the lobbyists who allege misconduct are set to testify Wednesday in support of a proposed law that would mandate stricter anti-harassment training and education for lawmakers and their staffs and, for the first time, require the same training for lobbyists.

Critics say Maine slow to expand opioid care for uninsured

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Five uninsured Mainers benefited last year from a multimillion-dollar plan that was supposed to help combat the opioid crisis by expanding treatment to as many as 400 individuals with or without insurance. The state Department of Health and Human Services in a Feb.

Maine's lame duck governor to work until 'very last minute'

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine's outspoken governor has kicked off his final year in office by keeping a low profile. There have been no personal jabs, no radio rants. Which Paul LePage will show up for his final State of...

In Maine, a new way of voting is facing its biggest test yet

"This will either fuel the adoption of ranked-choice voting in other jurisdictions, or it will stop it in its tracks." PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The election drew to a close last week in most places but not in fishing villages, potato farms and vast tracts of wilderness that comprise Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

As federal Medicaid funding declines, states mull costs

Maine's Republican governor has said federal regulators want to know how Maine would pay for Medicaid expansion. But it's unclear just how that issue will play out in Maine, the first state to pass Medicaid expansion under Republican President Trump 's administration.

Maine tribes say Medicaid work requirement would jeopardize health care

Tribal nations say a push endorsed by federal authorities to require Medicaid recipients to work or volunteer is at odds with the federal government's responsibility to provide health care to Native Americans.

Report: Trump commission did not find widespread voter fraud

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The now-disbanded voting integrity commission launched by the Trump administration to investigate the 2016 presidential election uncovered no evidence to support the president's claims of widespread voter fraud, according to an analysis of administration documents released.

Company fights to keep details of Bangor psychiatric home a secret

The company wants to prevent the release of its list of current and closed lawsuits - and full disclosure of its staffing, cost and operations proposals - because it says they are trade secrets.. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries from the Bangor Daily News.

Maine candidates aim for civility after firebrand governor

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine's outgoing firebrand Republican governor has railed against his perceived opponents with fury and gusto over an eight-year tenure marked by profanity-laced controversy and a failed impeachment attempt. The four candidates running to succeed the governor who calls himself "Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular" are promising a more collaborative approach.

Judge tosses challenge of order halting wind turbines

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A judge has tossed a legal challenge of Republican Gov. Paul LePage's executive order halting wind turbine permits in parts of Maine, while leaving the door open to revisit the topic. Superior Court Justice Andrew Horton said in his decision Friday that the governor has admitted that his own administration is not enforcing the executive order.

APNewsBreak: Feds say no to LePage job-training penalties

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Federal officials told Gov. Paul LePage in June that he can't impose financial penalties on local groups that help job-seekers as part of his battle to cut bureaucracy out of job-training efforts, according to correspondence obtained this month by The Associated Press through a federal Freedom of Information Act request.

Maine House makes room for more independent lawmakers

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A small but growing number of independent state lawmakers who have weakened Democrats' hold on the House hope to promote compromise as independents seek to gain ground nationally in 2018. The Maine House has its highest...

Maine Medicaid expansion vote seen as 'Obamacare' referendum

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The roiling national debate over the government's proper role in health care is coming to a head in a state more commonly known for moose, lobster and L.L. Bean. On Nov. 7, voters in Maine will...

Liberals seek universal home care for elderly, disabled

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Liberals backed by billionaire philanthropist George Soros have launched an effort for Maine to be the first state to ensure all elderly and disabled people have access to help with daily activities from bathing to medication...

Legislature has 2 sexual misconduct complaints since 2008

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Over the last decade, the Maine Legislature has received two complaints of sexual misconduct or harassment against legislators, records obtained Thursday by The Associated Press through a public records request show. Both complaints were against House...

Governor moves to empty prison as lawmakers mull its future

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Republican Gov. Paul LePage moved Friday to empty a minimum security prison as Maine lawmakers debated the future of the facility, which costs $5 million per year to run. Lawmakers fought LePage's moves last year to...

Costs for lawsuits involving Maine governor exceed $100K

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Lawsuits in which Republican Gov. Paul LePage hired outside legal representation have cost the state at least $110,000 since last fall, raising the total expenditures to at least half a million dollars over the past four...

NOT REAL NEWS: Maine legislators did not vote for mutilation

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine lawmakers did not vote to allow female genital mutilation, despite reports circulating widely online. Several sites claimed Democrats in the Maine Legislature voted to allow the practice, which is common in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Female genital mutilation is already outlawed in the U.S.

Student from Zambia ruled eligible for US poetry contest

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A high school student in Maine who fled his native Zambia can compete in a U.S. government-funded poetry contest, a federal judge ruled Friday. The National Endowment for the Arts had blocked the 11th-grader's participation, saying...

Maine's high court clears way for ranked-choice voting

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine's highest court on Tuesday cleared the way for a system in which voters are allowed to rank their candidate choices during the June primaries. The Supreme Judicial Court declined to weigh into constitutional claims by...

Advocates to sue to force Maine to expand Medicaid

Advocates filed a lawsuit Monday to force Republican Gov. Paul LePage's administration to roll out Medicaid expansion as voters demanded in November. A legal aid group, health organizations and individuals who could receive Medicaid coverage filed a suit in state court against Maine's Department of Health and Human Services and Ricker Hamilton, its commissioner.

Critics Say Maine Slow to Expand Opioid Care for Uninsured

Five uninsured Mainers benefited last year from a multimillion-dollar plan that was supposed to help combat the opioid crisis by expanding treatment to as many as 400 individuals with or without insurance.

Maine lobbyist calls out sexual misconduct at State House

Some of the lobbyists who allege misconduct are set to testify Wednesday in support of a proposed law that would mandate stricter anti-harassment training and education for lawmakers and their staffs and, for the first time, require the same training for lobbyists.. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries from the Bangor Daily News.

Suspect in deputy killing dropped off near where body found

A woman who for years provided a home for the fugitive suspected in the killing of a Maine sheriff’s deputy said Friday that she discovered the officer’s body in her yard.

Maine Senator's Departure Could Nix Bridge Between GOP, Dems

"'Common sense and decency are hanging by a thread in DC.'"

Nominee for utility ratepayers’ advocate has connections with telecom industry

“I don’t think it has any bearing on my qualifications,” he said.

Juvenile detention centers struggle with transgender inmates

"I don't feel comfortable... around a bunch of boys."

New England Confronts Little-Known, Messy Legacy of Mining

"It's a crazy place to have a mine," Chapman said.

With Mobile Unit, Group Tackles Drug Treatment Amid Crisis

"We're way behind in Maine, but we're way behind in most of the country," Cheney said.

To quell uproar, Maine governor seeks ‘spiritual guidance’

“He said, ‘What the hell are you doing?’” LePage said.

A monumental task: Getting Mainers to support a new park

"Once they see what happens with it, they’ll accept it," she said.

Bernie Sanders calls for radical transformation of Democratic Party

"That's what we will do: Fight like hell with you," Perez said.

Maine law firm sues state over delay in granting public records requests

“So, now, we know why it took so long,” Maddow said.

Lawsuits filed without help of Maine’s attorney general cost state $385,000

"But there’s not enough to fight all these battles,” LePage said.

Student Loan Servicer Fights Back as States Eye Protections

"One servicer creates a too-big-to-fail environment," she said.

Republicans hope Trump amenable to food stamp restrictions

" I would become more of a veggie eater,” he said.

Maine Gov. LePage Releases Inmates With Conditions

"The state is really safe now, isn't it?" said Republican Sen. Joyce Maker.

Medicaid Recipients Say They Need Health Care to Work

"You can't tell me that me and my family haven't been working hard," said Elizabeth Capone-Henriquez.

Rural Mainers want more say in fast-tracked wind projects

"Don't let this town become a ghost town," Clough wrote.

LePage Asks Sessions to Boost Drug Prosecution

LePage said Maine is being overrun by drug gangs from other Northeastern states.

Paul LePage to ‘privatize’ Maine’s $62.5 million welfare program

"Are you really going to give families what they need and ensure support services."

How millennial nostalgia fueled the success of ‘Pokemon Go’

"I think the nostalgia element makes it so easy to talk to strangers.”

LePage ignores all but friendly media, in departure from previous governors

" Now it’s government that has to have oversight over newspapers," LePage said.

1-sentence draft bills criticized for lack of transparency

“To me, it says the legislator has not taken any time to research,” he said.

"An anti-Trump group is calling for a boycott of L.L. Bean."

Governor Wants to Out Those Hired to Film Animal Cruelty

""It is very easy for a person with a video camera to film things completely out of context," he said.

FACT CHECK: LePage said ballot referendums are just ‘recommendations.’ Legal experts say he’s wrong.

“That isn’t what the constitution says,” Tinkle said.

Maine Medical Examiner Wants More Money to Handle OD Deaths

"We have to pay the bills we get from the labs," Mills said.

Chronic Pain Patients Say Opioid Law Creates New Crisis

"It's like we have to go on bended knee and beg," she said

Few Welfare Recipients Tested for Drugs in Maine Under Law

"Frankly, the largest result is that individuals are refusing to show up for drug tests," Mayhew said."

Partial government shutdown in Maine after budget impasse

"We are all held hostage here," GIdeon said.

Maine transferred welfare dollars first, sought guidance later, letter shows

“The fact that DHHS considers this acceptable is troublesome,” she wrote.

More Maine children are being taken away because of parents’ drug use

"'You’ve got a serious problem, we’re taking your kids,''” he said.

Two Republicans, union say LePage emptying Washington County prison

"People can see through it," Tuell said.

Defenders of poor working without pay as lawmakers debate

“They’re doing a service to the public,” Moroz said.

Crime victims have little help getting their due from the system

Victims are alone in navigating a confusing and understaffed system.

After ‘end of the world’ explosion, Quebec town tries to find hope

“Spring will be good for the people here,” Gagné said.

Starbucks to take on Juan Valdez in Colombia

"The coffee world could control Starbucks,” Silva said.

Justin Bieber’s visit to Bogota opened doors for Colombian graffiti artists

“Justin Bieber did not do this,” said Essehomo Pino

Colombian ex-president sounds off on his successor’s peace talks with FARC rebels

"“He is a profound narcissist, seeing himself as Colombia’s savior,” said Ivan Cepeda,

Bogota trying to get horse carts off the streets

“This problem is not just poverty," Petro said.

Raising money to ensure women have access to abortions

"Abortion funds are a lifesaver, and so needed," said Thompson.

Wal-Mart may abandon planned D.C. stores over minimum-wage bill

"Without Wal-Mart, the redevelopment project would sink," he said.

Looking for a solution to the jump in student loan interest rates

"I feel bad for people who are now entering college," she said.

LI religious institutions balance security, openness in wake of violence

“We are taught: Do not scare people, do not instill fear in people,” said T.J. Bindra.