Strong and Steady Turnout on Election Day in Fryeburg

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The Caledonian-Record (Vermont)

June 12, 2018 Tuesday

Strong and steady turnout on election day in Fryeburg

BYLINE: Staff Writer

SECTION: REGIONAL

LENGTH: 842 words

FRYEYBURG, Maine -- Voters were coming through the American Legion doors at a steady pace to vote for local candidates and the Fryeburg marijuana ordinance on Tuesday, according to town election workers. Polls closed at 8 p.m., after Sun press deadlines. However, initial results will be posted on conwaydailysun.com. Full results and an analysis will appear in Thursday's paper. Tom Kingsbury, one of two candidates for an open Fryeburg selectman seat, greeted voters Tuesday outside the door to the polling place and said from what he saw, the turnout was good. "This morning by 8 a.m. there were already people out to here," he said gesturing to the front of the American Legion building. "Just putting the name with the face has probably gathered me a few votes so it's worthwhile me being here," said Kingsbury, 70. The other candidate for selectman is David Brown, 58. Ballots also were cast in other races. Mary Di Nucci, Nicole Goggin and Allison Leach were vying for two three-year terms on the MSAD 72 school board. An open Maine House District 70 seat was also on the ballot. Incumbent state Rep. Nathan Wadsworth of Hiram is unopposed on the Republican primary ballot. Hoping for his seat are Democrats Nathan Burnett of Hiram and Warren Richardson of Fryeburg. District 70 includes Fryeburg, Brownfield, Hiram, Porter and Lovell, Maine. The rest of the Democratic primary ballot included Zak Ringelstein for U.S. senator, Michael McKinney for state senator District 19, Elizabeth Watson and Christopher DeCato for county treasurer, Thomas Williams for Oxford County Register of Deeds, James Theriault for Oxford County Sheriff and Andrew Robinson for District Attorney District 3. On the Republican primary ballot, candidates included Eric Brakey and Max Patrick Linn for the U.S. Senate seat, Bruce Poliquin for District 2 Congressional Representative, James Hamper for State Senator District 19, Marc Vanderwood for Oxford County County Treasurer, Cherri Crockett for Oxford County Register of Deeds, Christopher Wainwright for Oxford County Sheriff and Thomas Carey and Alexander Reginald Willette for District Attorney District 3. Burnett joined Kingsbury in front of the polls to greet voters as they went inside. He said his math and computer science teaching experience at Sacopee Valley High School in Hiram gives him an edge. "I think Augusta's been telling teachers what to do for too long; they don't have enough teacher voice involved in the conversation," he said. Page 2 Strong and steady turnout on election day in Fryeburg The Caledonian-Record (Vermont) June 12, 2018 Tuesday

Also on Fryeburg's ballot was Warrant Article 3, a referendum on adult marijuana cultivation, products manufacturing and testing ordinance and a related land-use ordinance. According to election workers, some voters were confused about the language of a ranked-choice referendum question and requested new ballots to change their vote before putting the ballot in the box. The question asked: "Do you want to reject the parts of a new law that would delay the use of ranked-choice voting in the election of candidates for any state or federal office until 2022, and then retain the method only if the constitution is amended by December 1, 2021, to allow ranked-choice voting for candidates in state elections?" If approved by voters, ranked-choice voting would make Maine the first state in the country to implement the election system that lets voters rank candidates on the ballot. Votes are counted based on the first choice where a majority would give a candidate an outright win. But if no candidate wins a majority, the candidate with fewest votes is eliminated and those votes are added to the second ranked candidate. The process repeats until a candidate has a majority. Burnett said ranked-choice voting would have growing pains but believes it's best for Maine. "Maine has a rich history of third-party candidates, and this honors it more than what we're currently doing. I think we can do better and need to do better, and this is better." Ballot box caretaker Diane Gushee predicted a strong total voter turnout of between 1,300 and 1,400 people. "There's been a couple times when all the booths have been full today, which is really good," she said. Former Fryeburg Business Association President and election worker Donna Woodward thought the turnout was strong and steady all day, though "usually the big thrust of it all comes in after 4 p.m. when people get off work," she said. On the ranked-choice question, Woodward said she thinks about 20 percent of the people wanted a new ballot because they misunderstood the question and voted for the wrong choice. "The way it's worded, it's totally confusing to people -- they don't know the double negatives in it, so the way it's written, if I don't want it, is it yes or no?" There are also two open seats on the Fryeburg Water District Board of Trustees after Nickie Sekera and Nels Liljedahl declined to run for re-election. Voting for that race was held across the street in the Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center, where Jessica Knowles Lane, 34, and David Kennedy West, 44 are on the ballot.

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Portland Press Herald

May 31, 2018 Thursday

Page 3 Legislative committees move only marginally closer to deal Negotiators traded offers for more than seven hours, but took no public action until after 9 p.m. Portland Press Herald May 31, 2018 Thursday

Legislative committees move only marginally closer to deal Negotiators traded offers for more than seven hours, but took no public action until after 9 p.m.

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE

SECTION: Pg. B.2

LENGTH: 1047 words

DATELINE: Portland, Me.

FULL TEXT AUGUSTA -- After a day of mostly behind-the-scenes talks lawmakers on the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee inched only marginally closer to a deal that could return the entire Legislature to a special session so they can finish work on hundreds of bills, including several key funding measures, left unfinished earlier this month. The committee voted Wednesday on a trio of bills that would set state funding for county jails and increase state reimbursement rates for direct care workers, including those who work in nursing homes and group homes for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. But negotiators didn't reach agreement on other key measures, including a bill to fix an error in the state's budget law that has locked up funding for candidates running under the state's Clean Elections Act. Negotiators traded offers for more than seven hours, but took no public action until after 9 p.m. "This is only Act II, Scene 1," said Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, the Senate committee chairman, prior to the start of voting on the three bills, which were combined into a single bill in a 13-0 vote. Committee members appeared to agree to resume negotiations Monday, but did not finalize that Wednesday. The rate increases approved Wednesday support workers who care for more than 4,000 adults with autism and other intellectual disabilities who receive Medicaid-funded services, such as group home placements, day programs, in-home care and supportive work environments. But time is running short for other unfinished business, including a $100 million borrowing package for state highway and bridge work, which would go to voters in November. Without legislative action by the end of June, the state could miss out on applying for federal matching grants. Earlier in the day those affected by the impasse urged the Legislature to get back to work in a special session on other pressing issues, including a bill to provide $18.3 million in state funding for county jails. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce, president of the Maine Sheriff's Association, said if funding isn't in place by the end of the fiscal year the state's 15 jails may have to reduce training and education programs for inmates. Joyce said staff hours would also be cut, and some jails could close if they can't raise enough funds from property taxes to continue operations. "There is even a consideration of sheriffs being forced to release prisoners early in order to save funding," Joyce said. "When you think about these drastic measures you really have to question the logic behind partisan initiatives that are potentially jeopardizing the safety of Maine citizens." Others, including Molly Baldwin, executive director of Home Care for Maine, which provides in-home services to elderly Mainers, said if the reimbursement rate increase for home care workers isn't passed, agencies will be forced to pay some workers less than the minimum wage or shut down entirely. "These workers are the most dedicated people I know," Baldwin said. "Some of these workers aren't much younger or better off financially than the people they are taking care of." Page 4 Legislative committees move only marginally closer to deal Negotiators traded offers for more than seven hours, but took no public action until after 9 p.m. Portland Press Herald May 31, 2018 Thursday

She said about 10 percent of direct care workers also received some form of state assistance because their wages were low to begin with. "They often are the lifeline for those they serve and every study or survey that examines the issue of long-term care has concluded that the cost to the taxpayer is reduced and health outcomes for elders improves when they spend their golden years in their own homes." Eileen King, deputy executive director of the Maine School Management Association, said another bill stuck in limbo would provide over $1 billion in state funding to public schools. She said while the LePage administration has found a way to work around a funding shortfall for schools for now, the ultimate responsibility belongs to the Legislature. "The concern we have is the precedent it would set to have the Legislature cede authority and authorize school funding to the executive branch," King said. "Funding for public education should be in the hands of the legislators ... we ask them to return and finish the job they have started." The Legislature adjourned on May 2, after State House leaders were unable to broker a compromise to extend the session. Bills were left unfinished, including dozens that have a broad impact on not only individual Maine people but companies and businesses. Sharp divisions over how the state should fund a voter-approved expansion of Medicaid and a voter-approved increase to the state's minimum wage left the Legislature in gridlock. Some lawmakers have said state budget-writers should set aside the most contentious issues and approve funding bills all sides agree on. However, others from both the left and the right are pushing for larger concessions. Earlier Wednesday, Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, House chairman of the committee, said he couldn't agree to limit talks to a handful of key bills that had broad bipartisan support. He hinted that Democrats again would push to fund Medicaid expansion. "The availability of money is not an issue, in terms of us making some of these tough decisions," he said. "We just need to come together and decide what our priorities are." By the end of the day Gattine still seemed interested in packaging some bills together but discussions around funding Medicaid expansion or altering the voter-approved minimum wage hikes had faded. Hamper said he had wanted to limit the conversation to just six key bills, including the measures increasing reimbursement rates for direct-care workers and nursing homes, county jail funding and the transportation bond. In all, the package would spend about $37 million - some of which has already been appropriated, but requires law changes to allow the money to be spent. The amount is small relative to the state's overall 2-year budget, which is approaching $7.1 billion. Hamper said he there was broad agreement on key issues, and the bills where there was profound disharmony should be set aside. "We are tired of inaction and want to get these things done," Hamper said. Staff Writer Scott Thistle can be contacted at 713-6720 or at: [email protected] Twitter: thisdog

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JOURNAL-CODE: 46034 Page 5 Legislative committees move only marginally closer to deal Negotiators traded offers for more than seven hours, but took no public action until after 9 p.m. Portland Press Herald May 31, 2018 Thursday

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Associated Press State & Local

April 30, 2018 Monday 6:37 PM GMT

Advocates to sue to force Maine to expand Medicaid

BYLINE: By MARINA VILLENEUVE, Associated Press

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 656 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - 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. LePage missed an April 3 deadline under the voter-approved law to file a federal application for Maine to eventually receive about $525 million in annual federal funding to expand Medicaid. The lack of action has left funding to expand Medicaid to upward of 70,000 low-income Mainers in limbo. Lawmakers return to work Wednesday to address LePage's vetoes but have no plans to address a bill to fulfill the governor's demand of providing $3.8 million from Maine's general fund for staffers to handle Medicaid expansion. The expansion would apply to residents who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty limit, about $28,000 for a family of three. It could impact Maine residents like Cassie Steimlosk. Steimlosk, a plaintiff, stays home to take care of her 2-year-old son Jackson, who lives with a subtype of muscular dystrophy that means his vocal cords randomly close. "I definitely feel like there's a huge gap in between what is the poverty level and what isn't considered poverty. It puts a lot of families in a very tight spot," she said. Her husband Timothy works three jobs to afford $600-a-month in insurance, and Steimlosk said the state would reimburse such insurance costs if her family becomes eligible for Medicaid coverage. LePage spokeswoman Julie Rabinowitz has said the application could be submitted "very quickly" if lawmakers provided the state's share of funding for expansion under the governor's terms. The LePage administration declined comment on the litigation. Democrats and pro-expansion advocates said the governor does not need extra funding to file a simple application. They argued he is ignoring the law and pitting Mainers against each other. The governor is blaming lawmakers, who he said have not funded Medicaid's first year of expansion, which his administration estimates will cost Maine about $58 million, including about 100 new staffers to manage the expansion. The LePage administration has said expansion could bankrupt Maine, and it has denied Page 6 Advocates to sue to force Maine to expand Medicaid Associated Press State & Local April 30, 2018 Monday 6:37 PM GMT estimates from the Legislature's nonpartisan fiscal office and the Maine Health Access Foundation that Maine will see annual savings between $25 and $27 million. LePage for months has said he would not take any steps to expand Medicaid until lawmakers provide "sustainable" long-term funding without raising taxes, dipping into the rainy-day fund or using budgetary gimmicks. The governor also wants lawmakers to provide money to help individuals with developmental disabilities awaiting services. The Legislature's nonpartisan fiscal office says Maine technically has enough Medicaid dollars to fund expansion claims through May 2019. Lawmakers have been debating about using roughly $140 million in projected surplus revenue through mid-2019 for Medicaid expansion. Democratic Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills said lawmakers could also use $35 million in extra tobacco settlement funds. Lawmakers could pass legislation to set aside surplus funds for Medicaid expansion, said Republican Sen. James Hamper, who co-chairs the Legislature's joint appropriations and financial affairs committee. His co-chair Democratic Rep. Drew Gattine said he's open to such an idea. Republican House Leader and gubernatorial candidate Ken Fredette has said lawmakers need to set aside three years of Maine's share of Medicaid expansion funding in addition to costs for new staffers. Fredette has also demanded a rollback of the voter-approved minimum wage hike if lawmakers approve more money for personal aides serving individuals with developmental disabilities.

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Kennebec Journal

April 21, 2018 Saturday

State not addressing drug crisis, critics say

BYLINE: KEVIN MILLER

SECTION: Pg. 1.A ISSN: 07452039

LENGTH: 1381 words

DATELINE: Augusta, Me.

FULL TEXT Record-setting 418 Mainers died of overdose last year; over 120 bills stranded in committee Page 7 State not addressing drug crisis, critics say Kennebec Journal April 21, 2018 Saturday

Drug addiction specialists and advocates for treatment programs are criticizing the Legislature for failing once again to take any major steps to address Maine's opioid crisis despite a record-setting death toll caused by overdoses in the state. But lawmakers and some advocates said they hope a few key opioid-related measures can be salvaged from the political fires consuming the State House when the Legislature returns for an extended veto day or a special session later this spring. Partisan disagreements over Medicaid expansion and tax cuts derailed work in the final days of the 2018 legislative session, leaving several bills related to the opiate crisis as well as more than 120 others stranded in the budget-writing committee. Although a last-minute maneuver kept those bills alive at least temporarily, it's unclear whether lawmakers will be able to agree to fund those smaller initiatives unless they can resolve the bigger, partisan issues. If not, this would be the second year in a row in which lawmakers largely have failed to act in the face of a drug crisis that killed 418 Mainers last year, double the number of overdose fatalities in 2014. "I am feeling very frustrated because we have put in a lot of hours and a lot of work looking at the opioid crisis in Maine," said Malory Shaughnessy, executive director of the Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services and a member of a state task force that recommended dozens of actions to the Legislature. "Now they are all caught up in the political process, and people are dying every day." One of the major recommendations that emerged from last year's Task Force to Address the Opioid Crisis enjoys widespread, bipartisan support. The bill, L.D. 1430, seeks to replicate Vermont's successful "hub-and-spoke" system that integrates medication-assisted treatment -- widely considered the most effective treatment for opioid addiction -- with counseling, support and general health care services, The idea behind "hub-and-spoke" is that individuals are more likely to succeed under a comprehensive approach that includes health and wellness in addition to medication-assisted treatment with methadone or Suboxone. The bill passed in both chambers unanimously but is stalled in the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, awaiting funding. A $68 million spending package endorsed by committee Democrats and Senate Republicans includes $6.7 million to establish a hub-and-spoke system in Maine, but the agreement fell apart after House Republicans objected to other contents of the package. "There was huge, bipartisan support for that bill, and now it is just sitting there," Shaughnessy said, calling the delays "a disservice to the people of Maine." Committee co-chairman Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, said he, too, was frustrated with the lack of progress on opioids. A bill that Gattine proposed to provide treatment and housing to homeless addicts -- a major problem in Portland -- also passed in both chambers but is stuck "on the table" in his own committee. "I'm very worried," Gattine replied when asked about the prospects of the "hub-and-spoke" or other opioid-related measures receiving funding this year. "I think we need to continue to work and find common ground on those things that we can do. And if we don't, then we need to come back in January" to address them. Maine's death toll from drug overdoses has set a record several years in a row as the state and the nation have struggled to deal with the heroin and prescription opiates crisis. While the number of opioid prescriptions has fallen significantly in Maine, thanks to a 2016 law placing restrictions on doctors and patients, emergency rooms in Maine continue to see a surge in suspected overdose cases. In many ways, the current State House stalemate is a continuation of the tension -- with Democrats and Senate Republicans on one side and House Republicans plus Gov. Paul LePage on the other -- that caused last year's three-day government shutdown. This year, Democrats are pushing for funding to begin implementing Medicaid expansion, while Republicans insist that lawmakers cut state taxes to conform with the recent federal tax cuts from Congress. More than 120 bills passed by both chambers will soon die in the Appropriations Committee unless lawmakers agree to fund them. Other opioid-related bills "on the table" in Appropriations would provide Page 8 State not addressing drug crisis, critics say Kennebec Journal April 21, 2018 Saturday funding for needle exchange programs, emergency housing and treatment for women with children, and "pre- diversion" programs that divert addicts in the criminal justice system toward treatment programs instead of jail. Like Shaughnessy, advocate Kenney Miller had hoped for some "real action" this session in response to the carefully crafted, bipartisan recommendations from the opioid task force. Instead, they've watched bill after bill get caught up in the broader negotiations among Appropriations Committee members and legislative leaders. "I don't think they are treating this issue like the crisis that it is. We shouldn't be bargaining about these bills" said Miller, executive director of the Health Equity Alliance, which runs a needle exchange program and distributes kits for naloxone, the overdose reversal drug, to at-risk individuals. "The cost of inaction is another 418-plus lives over 2018. We can't afford to continue to watch this death toll climb and not do anything about it." Lawmakers have passed several minor opioid-related measures that did not have a price tag. For instance, the Legislature passed a bill making clear that Mainers under age 21 should be able to obtain naloxone without a prescription. The Maine Board of Pharmacy is currently finalizing rules -- two years in the making -- that would have allowed pharmacists to dispense naloxone, or Narcan, only to adults 21 or older without a prescription. The 21-and-over age limit was a compromise intended to win the support of the LePage administration, which has stalled the rules. But organizations involved in treating the growing number of people with opioid addictions plan to continue pressuring lawmakers for whenever they return. "Our legislators have a unique chance to stand with Maine's people in the response to the opioid epidemic and stop playing politics with the lives of our people," Courtney Allen, chapter leader for Young People in Recovery and co-founder of the James' Place recovery residence in Augusta, said in a statement. "They must pass and fund the recommendations of the opioid task force this year." Gattine said there are other bills that could receive funding but acknowledged that "it's hard to separate those questions from the overall picture in regard to spending." He and other Democrats blamed House Republicans -- and particularly House Minority Leader Rep. Kenneth Fredette -- for scuttling the $68 million spending package but also suggested the LePage administration has not prioritized dealing with the crisis. "As a Legislature, I don't think we have done enough, but a number of the things that we have done have been ignored or not implemented by the LePage administration," Gattine said. As an example, Gattine pointed to the $5 million earmarked by the Legislature last year to provide treatment for up to 400 Mainers. As of February, only about 50 people had been served and less than $60,000 of the $5 million spent by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Fredette, R-Newport, said he also has been frustrated by the Legislature's lack of action on the opioid crisis. Fredette said he spoke with Gattine's co-chairman on the Appropriations Committee, Republican Sen. Jim Hamper of Oxford, about his concerns that the $6.7 million for a hub-and-spoke model wasn't enough to address the crisis. "Because I didn't see more in there, I actually went to Jim Hamper ... and said, 'Jim, we really need to be looking at what are some other options for spending on possible solutions to this opioid crisis,'" said Fredette, who is seeking his party's nomination for governor. "My belief is some of these things are going to be in the final package. And that only happened in the last three or four days." Credit: By KEVIN MILLER Portland Press Herald

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Associated Press State & Local

April 19, 2018 Thursday 7:43 PM GMT

Lawmakers face unresolved issues as House GOP lists demands

BYLINE: By MARINA VILLENEUVE, Associated Press

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 542 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Resistance by House Republicans to extending the legislative session forced Maine lawmakers to return home Thursday, leaving work undone on tax reform, infrastructure bonds, the opioid crisis and Medicaid expansion. On their last official day Wednesday, lawmakers worked late. House Republicans defeated efforts to extend the session by five days. The Senate went home just before midnight, while House lawmakers were allowed to keep working past midnight. Republican Gov. Paul LePage, Gideon or Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau could call lawmakers back to Augusta in the coming weeks. Lawmakers must handle vetoes and could also consider pending bills. Whether lawmakers will make progress this year on a number of unresolved issues facing Mainers is unclear. They have been trying to hash out compromise on how best to use roughly $140 million in projected budget surplus through June 2019. Democrats on Thursday blamed LePage and House Leader and gubernatorial candidate Ken Fredette, a Republican, for "stall tactics" and an unwillingness to compromise. Democratic Sen. Troy Jackson said the public should be upset will the governor and lawmakers. "They have to know who was holding this up, and it was House Republicans," he said. Democrats claim Fredette backed out of talks with Senate Republicans on a deal that could include widely supported issues, in addition to new staffers to handle Medicaid expansion. Fredette called such accusations "blatant lies." He said lawmakers took too long this year to make decisions on long looming issues and called Medicaid expansion money without a long-term funding plan a "poison pill." Page 10 Lawmakers face unresolved issues as House GOP lists demands Associated Press State & Local April 19, 2018 Thursday 7:43 PM GMT

The governor has refused to ask for federal funding for Medicaid expansion until lawmakers provide money to cover administrative costs and a "sustainable" plan for funding expansion without tax hikes or one-time funds. Gideon has argued Maine doesn't need a written plan to use surplus money for expansion. "Democrats are obsessed with Medicaid expansion to the point where they're risking our most vulnerable in the state," Fredette said. He demanded that Democrats also re-consider failed efforts to roll back the voter-approved minimum wage hike. Thibodeau said he hopes lawmakers will put their heads together and work out a deal. Republican Sen. James Hamper said one solution he's offered Democrats could be setting aside surplus money for expansion in a special state fund. More than 100 bills and bonds for high-speed internet access and infrastructure projects received bipartisan support but need funding and legislative action to survive. Lawmakers also could update Maine's tax code in light of the recent federal tax overhaul. Lawmakers widely agree on money for county jails and nursing homes. Advocacy groups are calling for more money for substance abuse treatment, as the state faces an opioid crisis. Last year, 418 Mainers died from drug overdoses - an 11 percent increase from 2016. "In the last two years, in terms of restricting prescribing, we've done a really good job, and prescribing rates are declining," said Maine Medical Association Executive Vice President Gordon Smith. "But there's been almost nothing done in the Legislature with respect to treatment or prevention."

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

March 12, 2018 Monday

After 25 years of term limits, Maine still has plenty of career politicians

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 1708 words

Maine enacted legislative term limits in 1993, when 67 percent of voters endorsed the measure proposed through a citizen-initiated referendum.

But 25 years later, the politician it targeted is still in office, candidates with legislative service dating to the 1970s are running and Maine's citizen legislature is populated by elected officials who would have a hard Page 11 After 25 years of term limits, Maine still has plenty of career politicians Bangor Daily News (Maine) March 12, 2018 Monday time disputing that the label "career politician" fits them. Being a legislator is a part-time job, but it's one that some State House regulars have held for decades.

By switching from one chamber to the other or taking a couple of years off before launching a new campaign, lawmakers have found ways to stick around longer than the eight consecutive years limit in the law. Furthermore, voters have supported them.

Rocking the institution

After four unsuccessful attempts beginning in 1979, legislative term limits took effect in 1993, a year after a scandal involving ballot tampering by an aide for then-House Speaker John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, who at the time had led the House for 18 years. Martin, who was the poster child for supporters of Maine's term limits law, has served in either the House or Senate for all but four years since then and holds the record as Maine's longest-serving lawmaker.

Term limits as a concept play well when anti-government sentiment is high or when State House events elevate voter frustration. The 1993 referendum came two years after an acrimonious state government shutdown. Proponents of term limits convinced Maine voters in 1993 that longtime office holders focused more on accumulating power than governing, and that a regular churn of elected officials created by term limits would empower citizen legislators and inject fresh ideas into state government.

It hasn't worked that way, and efforts to modify Maine's term limits law have fizzled. Voters rejected a 2007 referendum to increase the maximum number of two-year terms in either chamber from four to six, and several legislative proposals in recent years to adjust term limits have also failed.

[What have term limits accomplished for Maine?]

That comes as a disappointment for some, including Mark Brewer, a University of Maine political science professor who has long opposed term limits, chiefly because he says they rob the Legislature of institutional knowledge.

"I can't for the life of me imagine why voters or anyone for that matter would want to get rid of people who are experienced," Brewer said. "If you were getting brain surgery, would you want someone with the most vast knowledge and the most experience? Of course you would."

Other than Martin, another prime example of someone who keeps coming back is Republican Sawin Millett of Waterford, who is running for the House this year after being termed out of office in 2010. Millett, who said he intends to file for the race this week, has decades of experience running several state departments, including a stint as Gov. Paul LePage's finance commissioner.

"Legislative service should not be looked at as a career," said Millett, who then added, "With the institutional knowledge I have gained, I can contribute something."

Voters and party operatives who recruit legislative candidates seem to agree. They've had 25 years of precedent to demonstrate that Mainers care more about electing people they trust than adhering to the political ideology that spawned the term limits law.

The deadline for party candidates to qualify for the ballot is Thursday, and here is a partial list of candidates whose campaigns illustrate ways to sidestep the term limits law. It's long. Page 12 After 25 years of term limits, Maine still has plenty of career politicians Bangor Daily News (Maine) March 12, 2018 Monday

Current House members seeking Senate seats

-- Rep. Russell Black, R-Wilton, is termed out of office this year and is running for the Senate District 17 seat being vacated because Republican Tom Saviello is termed out.

-- Assistant House Minority Leader Ellie Espling, R-New Gloucester, is termed out of office this year and is running for the Senate District 20 seat currently held by Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, who is leaving the Maine Senate to run for the U.S. Senate.

-- Rep. Stacey Guerin, R-Glenburn, is termed out of her House seat and is running for the Senate District 10 seat being vacated by Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Hampden.

-- House Majority Leader Erin Herbig, D-Belfast, is termed out of the House and is running for the Senate District 11 seat currently held by Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, who is termed out of office. She will likely face former Rep. Jayne Crosby Giles, R-Belfast, who served two previous House terms.

-- Rep. Louis Luchini, D-Ellsworth, who is termed out of office, is running for the Senate District 7 seat currently held by Sen. Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth, who is also termed out of office. Rep. Richard Malaby, R-Hancock, is termed out of office but is running against Luchini for the Senate District 7 seat.

-- Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, is termed out of office but is running for the Senate District 22 seat held by Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, who is termed out of office.

-- Rep. Mark Lawrence, D-Eliot, has served four previous terms in the Senate and three terms in the House. He has three terms of House eligibility left in his current stint there but is running for the Senate 35 currently held by Sen. Dawn Hill, D-Cape Neddick, who is termed out of office.

-- Rep. Brad Farrin, R-Norridgewock, is eligible for two more terms in the House but is running for Senate District 3 to replace Sen. Rod Whittemore, R-Skowhegan.

-- Rep. Matthew Pouliot, R-Augusta, is eligible for another House term but is running for the Senate District 15 seat being vacated by Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, who is termed out.

-- Former Rep. Linda Sanborn, D-Gorham, reached term limits in 2016 and is now running for the Senate District 30 seat held by Assistant Senate Minority Leader Amy Volk, R-Scarborough. Volk, who served two previous terms in the House, is seeking her third Senate term.

-- Rep. Heather Sanborn, D-Portland, is eligible for three more House terms but is running for the Senate District 28 seat held by Sen. Mark Dion, D-Portland, a former Maine House member who is eligible for three more Senate terms but who is running for governor.

Former House members seeking re-election in the Senate

-- Sen. Michael Carpenter, D-Houlton, has served a total of 12 years in the Legislature and is running for his second consecutive Senate term in District 2.

Page 13 After 25 years of term limits, Maine still has plenty of career politicians Bangor Daily News (Maine) March 12, 2018 Monday

-- Sen. Justin Chenette, D-Saco, served two terms in the House before switching to the Senate in 2016. He is seeking re-election to his Senate District 31 seat.

-- Sen. Benjamin Chipman, D-Portland, served three House terms before being elected to his Senate District 27 seat in 2016.

-- Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, served three terms in the House before being elected to the Senate District 4 seat in 2014.

-- Sen. William Diamond, D-Windham, was first elected to the House in 1976 and served three consecutive terms before being elected to the Senate in 1982 for two terms. He came back to the Senate District 26 seat in 2004 and stayed until he was termed out in 2012. Diamond regained the seat in 2014 and is seeking his third consecutive term there.

-- Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, served three terms in the Senate before leaving for an unsuccessful congressional bid in 2014. He was re-elected in 2016 and is seeking his second consecutive term in Senate District 1. Former Rep. Allen M. Nadeau, R-Fort Kent, who served one House term, is running against Jackson.

-- Sen. Kimberly Rosen, R-Bucksport, served three House terms before being elected to the Senate District 8 seat in 2014.

-- Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, was termed out of his House seat in 2012, when he was elected to the Senate District 19 seat. He is seeking is fourth consecutive Senate term.

-- Assistant Senate Minority Leader Nate Libby, D-Lewiston, served one term in the House before being elected to the Senate District 21 seat in 2014. He is seeking his third Senate term.

-- Sen. David Miramant, D-Camden, served one House term before being elected to Senate District 12 in 2012.

-- Sen. James Dill, D-Old Town, served two terms in the House before being elected to the Senate District 5 seat in 2014.

Former senator seeking a return

-- Former Sen. John Tuttle, D-Sanford, who has served seven House terms and four Senate terms, is seeking election to the Senate 33 held by Sen. David Woodsome, R-North Waterboro, who is seeking re-election.

Former senators seeking House seats

-- Former Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, previously served three terms in the House and two Senate terms. She is running for the House District 59, which is currently held by Rep. Roger Fuller, a Democrat who is not seeking re-election.

-- Former Sen. Michael Brennan, D-Portland, served two terms in the Senate and is now seeking election to the House District 36 seat currently held by Rep. Denise Harlow, who is termed out of office. Page 14 After 25 years of term limits, Maine still has plenty of career politicians Bangor Daily News (Maine) March 12, 2018 Monday

-- Former Sen. Earle McCormick, R-West Gardiner, who served two House terms and three Senate terms, is running for House District 84 against Rep. Charlotte Warren, D-Hallowell.

-- Former Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds, who served three House terms and six Senate terms is running for the House District 75 seat held by Timberlake, who is running for the Senate.

Former House members trying to come back

Former Rep. Phil Curtis, R-Madison, who served three House terms and who was majority leader in 2011 and 2012, is running for the House District 111 held by Farrin, who is running for the Senate.

-- Former Rep. Ann Peoples, D-Westbrook, who was termed out of the House in 2014, is running for the House District 35 seat held by Rep. Dillon Bates, who is not seeking re-election.

This list does not include former legislators seeking to win back seats they lost in 2016. With an open Blaine House seat being pursued by another long list of former legislators and slim partisan splits in the House and Senate, stakes are high so expect to see more familiar faces show up on Maine ballots this year.

For a roundup of Maine political news, click here for the Daily Brief. Click here to get Maine's only newsletter on state politics via email on weekday mornings.

Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.

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Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me.

March 2, 2018 Friday

Resolutions push for rewriting US Constitution

BYLINE: COLIN WOODARD

SECTION: Pg. 2.B

LENGTH: 1880 words Page 15 Resolutions push for rewriting US Constitution Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. March 2, 2018 Friday

DATELINE: Waterville, Me.

FULL TEXT Measures facing state lawmakers pull language from ALEC model bills, could lead to radical changes A pair of resolutions under consideration by the Legislature that lift much of their wording from model bills written by a secretive, corporate-funded group could help lead to a radical rewriting of the U.S. Constitution. The resolutions seek to add Maine to the list of states that have called for the convening of a constitutional convention for the first time since the current Constitution was drafted in 1787. Maine would become the 29th state to endorse the more successful of the two measures, which would put the effort just five states short of the 34 required to convene a convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, at which delegates could set about amending the document in any way they wished, regardless of the purported purpose for which they had convened. The other state legislatures passed their resolutions over the past four decades, and there is no time limit to reach the required number. Both of the bills were introduced by Rep. Nathan Wadsworth, R-Hiram, the Maine state co-chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, an organization funded by corporations and conservative donors that allows businesses to write legislation and give it to state lawmakers to introduce at home. Each borrows much of its wording -- often word for word -- from ALEC's model bills. "These proposals are nakedly political," said Arn Pearson, executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit that tracks ALEC. "Republicans are at a high- water mark in their control of state legislatures, and they see this as an opportunity to make sweeping changes in how the government works." Wadsworth, who last year introduced another ALEC-modeled bill to prevent municipalities from building their own broadband networks, did not respond to interview requests. His effort closely resembles another last year, when other legislators introduced another ALEC bill to convene a constitutional convention. One of his current bills -- H.P. 1251 -- claims to limit the convention's proceedings to the passing of a balanced-budget provision and has been adopted by 28 state legislatures. It received a little-noticed public hearing Feb. 21 before the Legislature's state and local government committee, which is considering whether to endorse its passage to the full Legislature. "For decades the American people have been demanding to restore our dysfunctional federal government by imploring Washington to manage their budget as most families do by balancing what they spend with what they earn," Wadsworth testified before the panel. One other lawmaker, Rep. Paula Sutton, R-Warren, testified that while she is a fiscal hawk, she did not think the effort would work in practice. Three people emailed their opposition to the bill, one sent support, and one Maine resident appeared in person to advocate it. Wadsworth's other bill -- H.P. 1232 -- seeks to convene a convention that would be limited to enacting a constitutional amendment for congressional term limits. The same panel voted 7-5 to recommend it not pass, but because it was not a unanimous verdict, the measure probably will receive a floor vote. At that bill's Feb. 14 hearing, Wadsworth used almost identical language to promote it. "For decades the American people have been demanding to restore our dysfunctional federal government by imposing term limits on Congress," he testified. "Career politicians have dominated Congress for decades, and it has prevented Congress from being what the Founders intended, the branch of government closest to the people." Opponents of the effort expressed alarm that Maine lawmakers might pass the balanced-budget version, as it would put them within striking distance of actually enacting it. Critics fear that, once convened, a convention -- where most delegates probably would be appointed by Republican governors and lawmakers, and each state would presumably have an equal vote, regardless of Page 16 Resolutions push for rewriting US Constitution Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. March 2, 2018 Friday population -- would be used as a vehicle to circumvent the three branches of government to remake the country on a laissez-faire footing, with minimal federal regulations, spending or taxes. At a mock convention held in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 2016 and attended by Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon, and 149 other state legislators from all 50 states, delegates passed an amendment that allowed any federal law, regulation or executive order to be vetoed if disliked by three-fifths of the states, a metric that could allow the Clean Air Act, the Affordable Care Act or the national immigration system to be toppled by a group of states constituting just over a third of the nation's population. Two other measures required a two-thirds majority in each House of Congress to increase the debt or impose taxes, but not to cut spending or taxes, a combination that almost certainly would result in a prompt dismantling of entitlements and social spending. The conventioneers -- whose work has been touted by ALEC and other supporters of the Article V effort -- also repealed the 16th Amendment, which allows the federal government to use income taxes for national priorities, rather than only in the states in which the taxes are collected, and rewrote the Commerce Clause "to its original meaning," limiting congressional regulation to trade between states. "If Maine passes this, then they have more than enough opportunities to get the rest on board, because there are six legislatures still out there that are fully controlled by the GOP," said Jay Riestenberg, a strategist at Common Cause, a Washington-based watchdog group. "And if they can pass it in a purple state like Maine, that would really add fuel to the fire, build the pressure on those other states and be really dangerous." The Maine measures require a two-thirds majority to be approved, so they would require significant bipartisan support. Many constitutional experts have expressed deep concern about anyone ever convening a convention under Article V, primarily because the Constitution offers little guidance about how it would be conducted, including how delegates would be selected and how one would limit the scope of proposed changes once the meeting was convened. In 2014, the late, staunch conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said he would never want to see an Article V convention held. "Whoa!" he explained. "Who knows what would come out of it?" In a 1988 letter to conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, retired Chief Justice Warren Burger also expressed opposition. "There is no effective way to limit or muzzle the actions of a constitutional convention," he wrote. "The convention could make its own rules and set its own agenda. Congress might try to limit the convention to one amendment or to one issue, but there is no way to assure that the convention would obey. ... (and it) could plunge our nation into constitutional confusion and confrontation at every turn, with no assurance that focus would be on the subjects needing attention." Laurence Tribe, professor of constitutional law at Harvard University Law School, agrees. "The Constitution is extremely sketchy on just how an Article V convention would work, how narrow or broad its focus might be, and how radically it might revise the entire Constitution," including even the requirements to ratify their proposed amendments, Tribe said via email. "The upshot is that any state that submits a resolution designed to trigger an Article V convention would be playing with fire in the absence of a fire extinguisher." Richard H. Fallon Jr., a constitutional law professor at Harvard University and alumnus of Augusta's Cony High School, also argues that state resolutions cannot place ironclad restraints on convention delegates. "The Constitution allows for the calling of conventions on a petition of enough states, but not limited conventions of enough states," he said. "If the delegates decide they don't want to be bound by the (state) resolution, they are right that they can't be bound." ALEC's director for international relations and federalism, Karla Jones, disagrees, arguing that if delegates passed amendments that were outside the scope of the states' instructions, they would be illegitimate and subject to rejection by Congress, states and courts. "The scope of an amendments convention is limited to the scope of the applications submitted to call it," Jones said in a written statement. "The runaway convention scenario was conjured up during the early part of the 20th century to dissuade states from bypassing Congress and has been embraced by well-meaning people who have an incomplete understanding of convention history and Article V law." Page 17 Resolutions push for rewriting US Constitution Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. March 2, 2018 Friday

Both of Wadsworth's bills are co-sponsored by a Democrat, Rep. Stephen Stanley of Medway, who also introduced a similar bill in 2017 that called for a open-ended constitutional convention. In an interview, Stanley repeatedly said that because the Founders had included such a provision in the Constitution, it ought to be used to address the country's problems. "Our forefathers drafted the constitution for a purpose down the road: If something happened, you could call a convention and sit down and talk principles," he said. "And we states have lost a lot of power to the federal government, and this provides the states an opportunity to put out what should be out there." Asked whether he was concerned about the possibility of a "runaway convention," Stanley said he was. "That has been a concern, but just like anything else, you can make what you want to make out of it and do what you what to do. Basically the convention can do whatever they want," he said. "There should be some discussion about some of this stuff (to ascertain) what the convention is going to do." Asked how he had come to be a co-sponsor of multiple ALEC bills over the past year, Stanley didn't provide a clear answer. "I don't know. You're asked to sponsor a bill and you do it," he said. While ALEC claims to be a nonpartisan professional association for state legislators, virtually all of its funding comes from its corporate members -- which include major energy, drug, mining, telecommunications and chemical companies -- or private donors. The organization does not disclose the identities of the more than 1,700 state legislators who are members, but documents leaked to Common Cause showed that in 2011 they included Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, who is now president of the Maine Senate; and Sens. James Hamper, R-Oxford, and Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth. Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Newport, a longtime state co-chairman, sits on the organization's national board of directors. Each state has a legislator and a private sector representative who serve as co-chairs. An ALEC spokeswoman, Anna Tarnawski, confirmed that Wadsworth succeeded Cushing as Maine's legislative co-chairman in December 2016 but would not say who the other co-chairperson is. In 2011, that position was occupied by Ann Robinson, a corporate lobbyist who served as Gov. Paul LePage's regulatory reform adviser while simultaneously representing her clients. Credit: By COLIN WOODARD Portland Press Herald TWO CONVENTION DRIVES 'RUNAWAY CONVENTION' A DEMOCRATIC DEFENDER

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Page 18 LePage puts forward $88 million in tax cuts to adapt to federal changes Bangor Daily News (Maine) March 1, 2018 Thursday

Bangor Daily News (Maine)

March 1, 2018 Thursday

LePage puts forward $88 million in tax cuts to adapt to federal changes

BYLINE: Michael Shepherd BDN Staff

LENGTH: 558 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- In a bid to conform Maine's tax code with recent federal changes, Gov. Paul LePage's administration on Thursday proposed $88.2 million in state tax cuts through next year with breaks aimed at parents and businesses.

Democrats are likely to signal opposition to parts of the Republican governor's tax conformity plan. It may be a key issue of the 2018 legislative session, just as it was two years ago before a compromise deal mixing tax cuts with additional school funding.

Conformity is arcane, but it gives lawmakers leeway to change the tax code. States regularly move to generally conform to the federal tax code after Congress makes minor changes. But last year, congressional Republicans passed the first major overhaul in a generation.

The LePage administration rolled out its plan on Thursday to the Legislature's budget and tax committees after teasing it for much of this year. A January report from the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services said the new tax bill will provide a $1 billion economic benefit to Maine taxpayers in 2019.

However, the report also said that full conformity would amount to a $250 million state tax hike. That's largely due to the federal elimination of a personal exemption that is still in Maine law that would be difficult to continue to administer without federal enforcement.

The LePage administration's plan would replace it with a new zero percent tax bracket for the first $4,150 of an individual's earnings and $8,300 for a married couple. It would add a non-refundable child and dependent tax credit and double Maine's estate tax exemption, matching the federal package.

It also contains several business tax cuts that the LePage administration says would be neutral, adding bonus depreciation, which gives businesses up-front deductions on certain purchases to replacing the similar Maine Capital Investment Tax Credit. Maine also would get $31 million in one-time revenue from repatriation of foreign profits.

Another element of the proposal would lower Maine's top corporate income tax rate from 8.93 percent to 8.33 percent to offset tax hikes that the administration said would come if the state conformed fully.

The $88.2 million cost of the bill relies heavily on rosy revenue projections. Maine's Revenue Forecasting Committee said the state will see $128 million more than previously expected through the end of the current budget cycle in 2019.

That surplus could provide a partisan flashpoint around conformity. On Wednesday, House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, said it should "strengthen middle class families." House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, said it would allow Maine to "drive down taxes."

Page 19 LePage puts forward $88 million in tax cuts to adapt to federal changes Bangor Daily News (Maine) March 1, 2018 Thursday

Rep. Ryan Tipping, D-Orono, the co-chairman of the Legislature's taxation committee, called the package "mixed," saying while some changes help small businesses, others help "folks who don't need the help right now" who benefited from federal corporate tax cuts.

But Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, the co-chairman of the budget committee, said he agreed with the bill in concept, calling it "returning money to taxpayers."

For a roundup of Maine political news, click here for the Daily Brief. Click here to get Maine's only newsletter on state politics via email on weekday mornings.

Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.

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Kennebec Journal

January 29, 2018 Monday

Bill aims to allow internet expansion

BYLINE: COLIN WOODARD

SECTION: Pg. 2.B ISSN: 07452039

LENGTH: 1036 words

DATELINE: Augusta, Me.

FULL TEXT Last year a legislative panel unanimously rejected a bill drafted by a secretive group that would have made it nearly impossible for communities to build their own high-speed internet networks, even when cable and telephone companies declined to do so. Now, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree is co-sponsoring legislation in Congress that aims to make sure there isn't a repeat of the measure and to overturn laws passed in recent years in 17 other states. "We should be rolling out the red carpet to communities that are trying to meet the big challenge of having high-speed internet, rather than have the state try to restrict them on behalf of the big utilities and cable companies," said Pingree, a Democrat who represents Maine's 1st District. "It seems very anti-American and anti-entrepreneurial spirit." Page 20 Bill aims to allow internet expansion Kennebec Journal January 29, 2018 Monday

"It's very likely that this kind of (state) bill could get introduced in Maine again, and the sooner we have federal protection against that happening, the better off we will be," she added. The Maine bill rejected by lawmakers last May was modeled on one that's been advanced in state houses across the country by the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a group that claims to be a nonpartisan professional association for legislators but is funded almost entirely by member corporations, which use it to write laws member lawmakers can call their own. It was introduced by ALEC's Maine state co-chairman, Rep. Nate Wadsworth, R-Hiram, and mirrored a model bill created by ALEC's telecom committee, whose members include Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, Cox and Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum). The bill -- which would have imposed numerous funding, reporting, and legal restrictions and obligations on municipalities that tried to create or partner with private companies to create their own network -- was opposed by a range of towns and the Maine Municipal Association, and was voted down 12-0 by a legislative panel. Fletcher Kittredge, founder and CEO of Biddeford-based internet provider GWI, opposed the bill and says its defeat reflected "the understanding in Maine on both sides of the aisle that such restrictions on the freedom of towns is a bad idea." But he has little doubt a similar one might come back. "There are municipal networks operating in Maine now, and those efforts could put those investments at risk." Maine ranked 49th of the 50 states in a 2014 Gizmodo survey of internet quality, better only than Montana. Using data from consultants McKinsey and Company, US News & World Report ranks Maine 44th in terms of download speeds, far behind Massachusetts (rank No. 1) and New Hampshire (No. 7). The congressional legislation, the Community Broadband Act of 2018, prohibits states from adopting laws, regulations and requirements that prohibit or effectively prohibit public providers from creating high-speed telecommunications capabilities. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., it is co-sponsored by Pingree and six other lawmakers, all of them Democrats. Mary Bottari, deputy director of the Center for Media and Democracy in Madison, Wisconsin, a watchdog group that's focused on ALEC, says the bill is a reasonable reaction to the agenda of the organization's major corporate telecommunications members. "These companies are relentless and they will come back and back and back again because they want to make sure every neighborhood is available for a monopoly-based operation," she said. "There's no principle behind ALEC's position. They are for whatever the corporations want." An official at ALEC defended its model bill in a written response to the Press Herald on the grounds that state governments had to protect municipal ones from harming themselves and taxpayers, but condemned Pingree's bill because it "interferes with the relationship between state and local government and with the relationship between the local government officials and the citizens who elect state leadership." The official, Director of Communications and Technology Jonathon Hauenschild, said: "A municipality should realize that it does not have the institutional knowledge, or experience, necessary to run an advanced communications service" and that the decision to invest in one is "complex." "The state has the responsibility to ensure a municipality has tried all other options before launching a municipal network including public-private partnerships," Hauenschild added. "When a municipal network is the only way an unserved community will be connected, the state has the responsibility to ensure transparency and that taxpayer funds are used in the most responsible manner possible." Wadsworth -- who ultimately voted against his own legislation in committee -- did not respond to an interview request. The organization has solid ties in Maine. State Sen. Andre Cushing of Newport, who was Republican whip when the Maine bill was introduced, sits on ALEC's national board, and Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, and Sen. James Hamper of Hiram served on the telecom committee as recently as 2011, the year the nonprofit Common Cause obtained and published a list of the organization's member lawmakers, information ALEC doesn't disclose. The new congressional bill's prospects are unclear, Pingree says. On one had, it has only Democratic sponsors, but on the other she says many of her Republican colleagues from rural and agricultural districts Page 21 Bill aims to allow internet expansion Kennebec Journal January 29, 2018 Monday are extremely concerned about broadband access, which is becoming increasingly essential to the operation of farms, small businesses, and everyday commerce. A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, a Republican representing Maine's 2nd District, said the congressman had not yet studied the measure, but noted he was a member of the bipartisan rural broadband caucus and had signed on to a letter with Pingree and others asking President Trump to include funding for rural broadband expansion in any future infrastructure proposal. "Access to quality and affordable broadband is a top priority of Congressman Poliquin and he is ready to work with anyone to expand broadband access in rural Maine," spokesman Brendan Conley said via email. Colin Woodard [email protected] Credit: By COLIN WOODARD Portland Press Herald

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Kennebec Journal

December 9, 2017 Saturday

Legislature gears up for Medicaid debate

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE

SECTION: Pg. 1.A ISSN: 07452039

LENGTH: 954 words

DATELINE: Augusta, Me.

FULL TEXT LePage stresses opposition to new taxes or reducing surplus to fund program expansion AUGUSTA -- The Legislature is gearing up for a debate and potential showdown with Gov. Paul LePage over how it will pay for the state's share of Medicaid expansion, projected at up to $60 million a year. Page 22 Legislature gears up for Medicaid debate Kennebec Journal December 9, 2017 Saturday

The Appropriations Committee, which develops the state budget, meets Wednesday to receive revenue forecasts and begin its review of how the state can fund the expansion, which voters passed at the ballot box in November. Expansion of MaineCare, the state's version of the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income people, would extend eligibility to an estimated 80,000 Mainers -- childless adults who earn less than 138 percent of the federal poverty limit. That's about $17,000 a year for an individual or $22,412 for a two-person household "We need to figure out how much we are going to need and when we are going to need it," said Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, the committee's House chairman. The expansion law goes into effect 45 days after the Legislature convenes on Jan. 3, but those who are newly eligible for Medicaid coverage probably will not start enrolling in the program until mid-August 2018. That means the state's initial costs will have to be accounted for in the current two-year budget, which runs until June 2019. Federal law would require the state to cover 10 percent of the cost of the expansion by 2020. The state would have to come up with an estimated $54.5 million a year for its share, according to the Legislature's nonpartisan Office of Fiscal and Program Review. The OFPR report also shows the annual amount the federal government would pay for the expansion in Maine would be an estimated $525 million. The report shows the state would have to add 103 employees to the Department of Health and Human Services to administer the expansion and that the federal government would cover 75 percent of that expense for 79 of the new positions while covering only 50 percent of the costs for the remaining 24 new positions. Each new worker would be expected to handle about 700 cases a year, the report shows. The state's current two-year budget is $7.1 billion. The state's current share of Medicaid costs is about $950 million, while the federal government's share is $1.9 billion, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Gattine said he does envision the committee's meeting next week devolving into a partisan debate over expansion, although LePage and other Republican critics continue to make the same arguments about damage to the state budget that they made in their failed efforts to defeat the ballot question. The governor has not offered a proposal for how to fund expansion. LePage has vetoed Medicaid expansion legislation passed by bipartisan majorities in the Legislature five times since 2013, and he repeatedly rails about the cost of expansion in his weekly radio addresses. LePage's vetoes were sustained consistently with support from expansion opponents in the House's minority Republican caucus. Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, the Senate chairman of the Appropriations Committee, consistently voted against expansion bills and supported LePage's vetoes. He said his intent for Wednesday's meeting is to gather information; but like LePage, he suggested it would be up to expansion proponents, mainly Democrats, to figure out how to fund it. Hamper said he doesn't believe all of the expansion costs will be funded at the 90 percent match rate and some probably will be at the 60 percent rate that applies to the existing program. Hamper said he also wants to know how many people DHHS thinks will enroll in the program. Cost calculations done by the Legislature's nonpartisan staff use a conservative figure of 89,000 new Medicaid recipients, according to Gattine. "I don't expect a plan to be revealed on Wednesday," Hamper said. LePage continues to say that expansion must not increase taxes or tap into funds from the state's emergency reserve. The governor also has said that wait lists for health-related services for the elderly and disabled resident must be eliminated before the state begins offering health care to single adults without children. "I look forward to expanding Medicaid," LePage said in his radio address this week. "I just want the Legislature to fund it in a fiscally responsible manner. These politicians like to talk the talk; now they have to walk the walk. Show me the money." Page 23 Legislature gears up for Medicaid debate Kennebec Journal December 9, 2017 Saturday

Gattine said LePage and other expansion opponents need to move past the political debate now it's been settled by the voters. "It sounds like the governor is still in campaign mode," Gattine said. "All the things he is saying now are things he went around the state saying all summer and all fall." Five of LePage's last nine weekly radio addresses have been on Medicaid expansion. Gattine also said the ballot measure was decisive, having captured 59 percent of the vote in November, and that LePage and the Legislature now are legally obligated to move forward. He said if LePage truly was looking forward to expanding Medicaid, as he said in this week's radio address, then he would have prepared a supplemental budget proposal to submit to the Legislature to account for the expansion. "This whole idea that this is not his obligation, to participate and to work with us, is part of the problem that got us here in the first place," Gattine said. Gattine and Hamper both said they invited the LePage administration, specifically representatives from DHHS, to participate in the meeting next week; but the governor's office declined and instructed lawmakers to submit any questions they had for the department in writing. Credit: By SCOTT THISTLE Portland Press Herald

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Portland Press Herald

December 9, 2017 Saturday

Clash nears over paying; Lawmakers must contend with Gov. LePage's condition that the forthcoming law not raise taxes.

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE

SECTION: Pg. A.1

LENGTH: 1038 words Page 24 Clash nears over paying; Lawmakers must contend with Gov. LePage's condition that the forthcoming law not raise taxes. Portland Press Herald December 9, 2017 Saturday

DATELINE: Portland, Me.

FULL TEXT How the Legislature pays for an expansion of Medicaid under the federal ACA will be the focus of a meeting of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee next week. But Gov. Paul LePage continues to emphasize he won't raise taxes to pay for the expansion that was approved by voters in November. for Medicaid expansion AUGUSTA -- The Legislature is gearing up for a debate and potential showdown with Gov. Paul LePage over how it will pay for the state's share of Medicaid expansion, projected at up to $60 million a year. The Appropriations Committee, which develops the state budget, meets Wednesday to receive revenue forecasts and begin its review of how the state can fund the expansion, which voters passed at the ballot box in November. Expansion of MaineCare, the state's version of the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income people, would extend eligibility to an estimated 80,000 Mainers - childless adults who earn less than 138 percent of the federal poverty limit. That's about $17,000 a year for an individual or $22,412 for a two-person household "We need to figure out how much we are going to need and when we are going to need it," said Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, the House chairman of the committee. The expansion law goes into effect 45 days after the Legislature convenes on Jan. 3, but those who are newly eligible for Medicaid coverage will probably not start enrolling in the program until mid-August of 2018. That means the state's initial costs will have to be accounted for in the current two-year budget, which runs until June of 2019. Federal law would require the state to cover 10 percent of the cost of the expansion by 2020. The state would have to come up with an estimated $54.5 million a year for its share, according to the Legislature's nonpartisan Office of Fiscal and Program Review. The Fiscal and Program Review report also shows the annual amount the federal government would pay for the expansion in Maine would be an estimated $525 million. The report shows the state would have to add 103 employees to the Department of Health and Human Services to administer the expansion and that the federal government would cover 75 percent of that expense for 79 of the new positions and 50 percent of the costs for the remaining 24 new positions. Each new worker would be expected to handle about 700 cases a year, the report shows. The state's current two-year budget is $7.1 billion. The state's current share of Medicaid costs is about $950 million while the federal government's share is $1.9 billion, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Gattine said the committee's meeting next week could devolve into a partisan debate over expansion. LePage and other Republican critics continue to make the same arguments about damage to the state budget that they made in their failed efforts to defeat the ballot question. The governor has not offered a proposal for how to fund expansion. LePage has vetoed Medicaid expansion legislation passed by bipartisan majorities in the Legislature five times since 2013, and he repeatedly rails about the cost of expansion in his weekly radio addresses. LePage's vetoes were consistently sustained with support from expansion opponents in the House's minority Republican caucus. Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, the Senate chairman of the Appropriations Committee, consistently voted against expansion bills and supported LePage's vetoes. He said his intent for Wednesday's meeting is to gather information, but like LePage, he suggested it would be up to expansion proponents, mainly Democrats, to figure out how to fund it. Hamper said he doesn't believe all of the expansion costs will be funded at the 90 percent match rate and some will likely be at the 60 percent rate that applies to the existing program. Hamper said he also wants to Page 25 Clash nears over paying; Lawmakers must contend with Gov. LePage's condition that the forthcoming law not raise taxes. Portland Press Herald December 9, 2017 Saturday know how many people DHHS believes will enroll in the program. Cost calculations done by the Legislature's nonpartisan staff use a conservative figure of 89,000 new Medicaid recipients, Gattine said. "I don't expect a plan to be revealed on Wednesday," Hamper said. LePage continues to say that expansion must not increase taxes or tap into funds from the state's emergency reserves. The governor also has said that wait lists for health-related services for the elderly and disabled residents must be eliminated before the state begins offering health care to single adults without children. "I look forward to expanding Medicaid," LePage said in his radio address this week. "I just want the Legislature to fund it in a fiscally responsible manner. These politicians like to talk the talk - now they have to walk the walk. Show me the money." Gattine said LePage and other expansion opponents need to move past the political debate now that it's been settled by the voters. "It sounds like the governor is still in campaign mode," Gattine said. "All the things he is saying now are things he went around the state saying all summer and all fall." Five of LePage's last nine weekly radio addresses have been on Medicaid expansion. Gattine also said the ballot measure was decisive, having captured 59 percent of the vote in November, and that LePage and the Legislature were now legally obligated to move forward. He said if LePage is truly was looking forward to expanding Medicaid, as he said in this week's radio address, then he would have prepared a supplemental budget proposal to submit to the Legislature to account for the expansion. "This whole idea that this is not his obligation to participate and to work with us is part of the problem that got us here in the first place," Gattine said. He and Hamper both said they invited the LePage administration, specifically representatives from DHHS, to participate in the meeting next week. But the governor's office declined and instructed lawmakers to submit any questions they had for the department in writing. Scott Thistle can be contacted at 713-6720 or at: [email protected] Twitter: thisdog Credit: By SCOTT THISTLE Staff Writer

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Bangor Daily News (Maine) Page 26 More Republicans jump into races to retain the Maine Senate Bangor Daily News (Maine) November 13, 2017 Monday

November 13, 2017 Monday

More Republicans jump into races to retain the Maine Senate

BYLINE: Michael Shepherd BDN Staff

LENGTH: 1086 words

Good morning from Augusta. Two Republican state representatives filed last week to kick off their 2018 races for the Maine Senate. It will be one of the state's signature battlegrounds that will nevertheless take a back seat to the governor's race next year.

The two new Republican candidates are proven commodities, boding well for the party's chances to hold the two seats. Looking for promotions are Reps. Matthew Pouliot of Augusta and Robert Foley of Wells. They filed last week to succeed two Republicans from the same communities -- Sens. Roger Katz and Ronald Collins, respectively. Pouliot ran unopposed last year in a district with more Democrats than Republicans and will follow the moderate playbook that Katz used to win 77 percent of votes in 2016. Foley's district and the Senate one he's running for are more conservative. He won 62 percent in 2016 and Collins won 55 percent. No Democratic opponents have emerged yet.

These seats are important for Republicans in a year when they'll be hit hard by term limits. Katz and Collins are among the seven Senate Republicans who'll hit term limits in 2018. That also includes Senate President Mike Thibodeau of Winterport and Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason of Lisbon Falls, who are both running for governor. Only one Democrat will hit limits. Thibodeau's Waldo County swing seat is in jeopardy for Republicans with House Majority Leader Erin Herbig, D-Belfast, widely expected to run, though she hasn't commented on that.

Seven other incumbent Republicans have already filed, but one is already facing a primary. Five of those senators -- Andre Cushing of Newport, James Hamper of Oxford, David Woodsome of North Waterboro, Kim Rosen of Bucksport and Lisa Keim¬ of Dixfield¬ -- won comfortably in 2016 and may be safe. But Scott Cyrway of Benton is in an always-competitive seat that includes Waterville and Dana Dow of Waldoboro beat a Democratic incumbent in 2016 and is being primaried from the right by Gordon Colby of Waldoboro. More of these races will start to take shape as 2018 draws closer.

Reading list

Ivanka Trump joined U.S. Sen. Susan Collins for a tax reform 'forum' that often looked more like a Republican unity event. The Friday event in Biddeford "was billed as a forum, but it often functioned as a unity event for Republicans," Maine Public said. Republican leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate must reconcile divergent plans for tax reform. The party is banking on it as a last chance to pass major legislation before the 2018 midterm elections. Collins, a moderate Republican, spoke in favor of tax changes, but she has already said that she won't back two particular tax breaks for the wealthy supported by party leaders.

But U.S. Sen. Angus King said the tax reform process 'stinks.' The independent who caucuses with Democrats noted to Maine Public that Republicans have had "no hearings" and gotten "no public input" on their plans with "very little analysis of what it all means."

Hillary Clinton on LePage's Medicaid expansion stance: 'Who appointed these people king?' It has been a while since Clinton was making Maine-centric headlines, but CNN reported last week that the 2016 Page 27 More Republicans jump into races to retain the Maine Senate Bangor Daily News (Maine) November 13, 2017 Monday

Democratic presidential nominee took aim at Gov. Paul LePage at an event in Pennsylvania over his opposition to implementing Medicaid expansion as it stands after voters backed it overwhelmingly in Tuesday's election. Clinton said, "Who appointed these people king?" and said government "requires these people to compromise."

Maine is seeking an extension to Obamacare signups because of the wind storm. King wants 10 days more time for Mainers to sign up for the Affordable Care Act because of power outages during the first week of the sign-up period. The enrollment window closes Dec. 15.

The biggest U.S. maple sugarbush failed to win Maine conservation funding on Thursday. The Big Six Forest finished last of two dozen projects vying for funding under the Land for Maine's Future program, according to Maine Public. The owner of the Somerset County tract on the Quebec border was seeking $1.25 million to help complete a $5.7 million conservation easement he said was necessary to ensure that he doesn't cut the maple trees. The project gained scrutiny after it won LePage's support despite the governor's past opposition to the program and when two Canadian producers complained about sharp lease increases. The tract was criticized by board members as being inaccessible to the public.

Delivering babies is draining Maine's hospitals. The economics of maternity wards aren't working for many hospitals, including Maine's rural ones. In eastern Maine, three community hospitals have closed their obstetrics units since 2011: Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, Penobscot Valley Hospital and Calais Regional Hospital.

Maine's blueberry harvest is down this year. The harvest was down to below 100 million pounds for the first time in four years, according to the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. Meanwhile, the industry is struggling to find enough buyers.

And you thought baseball was complicated?

We consider ourselves sports fans here at the Daily Brief and at least two of us could probably be considered baseball experts -- or at least when it comes to the Boston Red Sox. As it turns out, we're quickly lost when it comes to some other sports.

Take bowling, for example. Red Sox right-fielder Mookie Betts definitely has it figured out. He's a competitor in the Professional Bowlers Association's World Series of Bowling and made headlines over the weekend for bowling his first perfect game. That means he rolled 12 strikes in a row.

That's quite an accomplishment, but it wasn't easy. We think. Betts, who is known for theatrical catches, didn't do it until the 36th of 40 games in the tournament. Making matters more challenging, we think, is that he did it on "a 42-foot Scorpion lane conditioning pattern," which was the fourth animal pattern of the qualifying stages.

Bowling tournaments are hard. Even with the perfect game, Betts tied in the tournament for a dismal 158th place and didn't advance to the world championships.

Just remember next season, Mookie. We do understand what your career .292 batting average means. If you can bowl a 300 you ought to be able to bat it. Here's your soundtrack.

Page 28 More Republicans jump into races to retain the Maine Senate Bangor Daily News (Maine) November 13, 2017 Monday

Today's Daily Brief was written by Christopher Cousins and Michael Shepherd. If you're reading it on the BDN's website or were forwarded it, click here to get Maine's only newsletter on state politics via email on weekday mornings.

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Portland Press Herald

November 7, 2017 Tuesday

Sen. Volk named assistant majority leader; The Republican from Scarborough replaces Andre Cushing, who resigned last month.

BYLINE: KEVIN MILLER

SECTION: Pg. B.2

LENGTH: 554 words

DATELINE: Portland, Me.

FULL TEXT Sen. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough, was elected assistant majority leader of the Maine Senate on Monday, replacing Sen. Andre Cushing to stepped down last month. AUGUSTA -- Sen. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough, was elected assistant majority leader of the Maine Senate on Monday, replacing Sen. Andre Cushing, who stepped down last month. Volk, who is serving her fourth term in the Legislature, won election as the assistant majority leader in a secret ballot. The other candidate in the race to succeed Cushing was Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, chairman of the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. As majority whip, Volk will be in a position to potentially influence her caucus' policy positions but also Republicans' attempts to retain control of the Senate in 2018. Republicans currently hold a one-seat edge in the Senate, and Volk has a reputation as a strong campaigner and fundraiser. Two other Republican Senate leaders - Senate President Mike Thibodeau of Winterport and Majority Leader Garrett Mason of Lisbon Falls - are running for governor in 2018. Volk stressed her responsiveness to her colleagues as well as her fundraising ability. "I look forward to, as I said, spreading myself out around the state and helping us maintain our majority and hopefully even a stronger majority than we have right now," Volk, co-chair of the Legislature's busy Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee, said after the election. Page 29 Sen. Volk named assistant majority leader; The Republican from Scarborough replaces Andre Cushing, who resigned last month. Portland Press Herald November 7, 2017 Tuesday

Cushing, R-Hampden, cited family commitments in his announcement last month that he was resigning his leadership position. "As citizen legislators, we must carefully weigh the commitments and duties we have personally and to family against the responsibilities we must carry out in office," Cushing wrote in a letter to his colleagues. "After much reflection, I feel at this time, I do not have the ability to continue the duties incumbent with a leadership role; therefore I feel it best to allow for the orderly transition to another to serve in this position." But Cushing is also involved in a heated familial dispute that is pending in court. His sister, Laura Cushing McIntyre of Hermon, alleges in a lawsuit filed in Penobscot County Superior Court that Cushing transferred more than $1 million from a family business to his campaign and personal accounts. Cushing was also fined $9,000 last August by the Maine Ethics Commission for violating the state's campaign finance laws in 2016 by filing records of campaign contributions nearly five months late in his re-election campaign and by misreporting filings on a leadership political action committee that he leads. Volk declined to comment on Cushing's resignation, apart from calling him "a good friend" and that "he has done a lot for our party and for our caucus." She is serving her second term representing Senate District 30, which includes most of Scarborough and Buxton and all of Gorham, and previously represented House District 127 for two terms. Her husband works as president of the family's business, Volk Packaging Corp., which has 90 employees. Kevin Miller can be contacted at 791-6312 or at: [email protected] Twitter: KevinMillerPPH Credit: By KEVIN MILLER Staff Writer

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The Caledonian-Record (Vermont)

November 6, 2017 Monday

Oxford County administrator: Timing right to close registry

BYLINE: Staff Writer

SECTION: NEWS

LENGTH: 458 words

Page 30 Oxford County administrator: Timing right to close registry The Caledonian-Record (Vermont) November 6, 2017 Monday

FRYEBURG, Maine -- As town officials ponder the possible closure of the Oxford County Registry's western branch, county officials sought to highlight the potential benefits of that move. Fryeburg Town Manager Sharon Jackson recently told selectmen the county and state were thinking about closing the registry located in Fryeburg, and she wasn't pleased, especially since state legislators were notified first. Selectman Kimberly Clarke, a Realtor, said she frequently uses the Fryeburg branch at 38 Portland St., as the other branch is in South Paris, Maine, about an hour away. This move comes as longtime Western Oxford County Register of Deeds Jean Watson announced she would retire by year's end. Following Jackson's announcement, Oxford County Administrator Scott Cole shared a letter with the Sun he had sent to lawmakers asking them to support the closure. "The Fryeburg registry was established in the mid-1800s though enactment of MRSA 33/702 in an era of bad roads and slow travel," said Cole. "Today's methods for electronically handling property records and other recorded information have made continued operation of the Fryeburg registry unnecessary." The letter was sent to state Sens. Jim Hamper and Lisa Kiem, and state Reps. Phyllis Ginzler, Nathan Wadsworth, Tom Winsor, Kathleen Dillingham, Skip Herrick, John Madigan, Richard Pickett and Fran Head. Cole asked the legislators to support repeal of 33/702, which would close the Fryeburg registry. He said it made sense to do it now due to Watson's impending retirement. "If no action is taken at this time, a new register will be elected to a four-year term in November 2018, and the closure will then become far more complicated," Cole wrote. A bill to close the registry filed by Winsor (R-Norway) could be heard after New Year's Day. Cole said the Sept. 29 legislative cloture date for filing bills drove the timetable for notice to the lawmakers. He said there is still time for public input to commissioners in November and December. He said the timetable for closure is unclear. The western registry handles Stoneham, Stow, Sweden, Lovell, Fryeburg, Brownfield, Denmark, Porter and Hiram, Maine. County commissioners are Chairman Timothy Turner of Buckfield, Steven Merrill of Norway and David Duguay of Byron. Cole said he gave the notice to lawmakers before the town officials because they have to make the decision. He said it took another week before he could get another letter out to the towns. "I did intend to copy the towns at the same time with a thoughtful message -- of course being thoughtful took another week, and I do apologize for the delay," said Cole. "But just sending copies of legislative packets to the towns without a few words would have been crass."

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Portland Press Herald Page 31 State budget error costs map agency its funding; Officials scramble to restore money to run the office, which produces data used by towns, individuals and Google Maps. Portland Press Herald August 4, 2017 Friday

August 4, 2017 Friday

State budget error costs map agency its funding; Officials scramble to restore money to run the office, which produces data used by towns, individuals and Google Maps.

BYLINE: COLIN WOODARD

SECTION: Pg. A.1

LENGTH: 1042 words

DATELINE: Portland, Me.

FULL TEXT The state office that manages, updates, and coordinates digital maps and other geospatial data and services was completely defunded in the new state budget. The Maine Office of Geographical Information Services, or MEGIS, appears to have lost its funding as the result of budget-making accident, threatening services widely used by towns, other state agencies, real estate professionals, developers, conservationists, foresters, planners, and surveyors. The data it produces helps power Google Maps, Google Earth, and other familiar consumer products. The state office that manages, updates and coordinates digital maps and other geospatial data and services lost its funding in the recent budget-making process, leaving the LePage administration and lawmakers squabbling over who is at fault and scrambling to rectify the oversight. The accidental defunding of the Maine Office of Geographical Information Systems, or MEGIS, threatens services widely used by towns and cities, other state agencies, real estate professionals, developers, conservationists, foresters, planners and surveyors. The data produced by the office helps power Google Maps, Google Earth and other familiar consumer products. Legislative leaders learned of the situation July 28, alerted by a letter from Jon Giles, a land surveyor who chairs a related body, the Maine Library of Geographic Information, asking them to take action to restore funding. "The worst-case scenario would be increasingly out-of-date data, which would impact everything from town web-mapping and municipal tax maps to 911 addressing support systems," Giles said. "MEGIS' services and data are essential to Maine's economy and citizens." Exactly what happened is in dispute. Administration officials said the defunding of the office, which has an annual budget of about $1.1 million, was accidental, an unintended consequence of Gov. Paul LePage's failed effort to create a new Department of Technology Services. MEGIS has been funded via budget items at other state agencies that use its services. But under the governor's budget request, the agency would have received general fund support via the new department, so state agencies were told not to include their usual MEGIS service fee requests in their budgets. But the budget passed by legislators July 3 to end the brief state government shutdown did not create the new department or restore the service fee funding eliminated by each agency, according to an Aug. 2 email sent to House Speaker Sara Gideon's chief budget aide by David Heidrich Jr., communications director at the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, which oversees MEGIS. "Since the budget passed, GIS has been operating on funds that were carried forward from the previous fiscal year," Heidrich said in the email. He did not respond to an interview request. Page 32 State budget error costs map agency its funding; Officials scramble to restore money to run the office, which produces data used by towns, individuals and Google Maps. Portland Press Herald August 4, 2017 Friday

TRYING TO PINPOINT PROBLEM But the House co-chair of the legislature's appropriations committee, Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, says the administration's explanation doesn't make sense. The funds to support the office are still there, part of a $48 million fund in the new budget that supports the state's information services. "For them to say it's been defunded, I don't think is accurate at all," Gattine said. "What they are saying is the way they collect the money to put in the fund is to charge all the state agencies back, and they made a big mistake to tell the agencies not to build that into their budget. But the funding for the program still exists." Gattine said he has tried repeatedly this week to contact senior administration officials to determine what is going on, hoping to be able to fix the problem before the Legislature adjourned Wednesday night. His efforts were unsuccessful, and Gattine said he was told by LePage aide Aaron Chadbourne on Thursday that he would have to make his request for information to the governor himself, in writing. "It seems to me that this is all unnecessary," Gattine said. "The way they have characterized it in the community in the last few days has caused a lot of stress." Joseph Young, administrative director for MEGIS, said in an email to stakeholders Thursday that state funds were being provided temporarily until a solution could be found. "Fortunately, because of the outpouring of support from the GIS community, leadership has become more acutely aware of the critical need for GIS services and is working to find a solution," Young wrote. "I have been assured that a solution will be found and MEGIS will continue to provide services." DIGITAL DATA HAS MANY USES MEGIS maintains an extensive online digital library of geospatial data used regularly by state agencies, private companies and academics, including overlays of everything from the locations of deer wintering areas and floodplains to cell towers, seismic faults, soil types and parcel boundaries. "These layers can be used by all sorts of people in their work," said William Hanson, a Bangor real estate attorney who uses the office's data to familiarize himself with properties his clients are looking to purchase. "People say they can just go to Google Earth, but in a lot of instances, if others like MEGIS aren't producing this information for Google, you are not going to get it that way." Two state senators who sit on committees with oversight responsibilities for MEGIS, Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, and James Hamper, R-Oxford, declined to comment, saying they didn't have enough information. Giles said he knows legislators and administration officials are aware of the problem, but that he hasn't heard of a specific fix. "My understanding is that it's everything from somehow finding a way to take care of it now, to maybe taking care of it in the supplemental budget process in the coming months," he said. "I know a lot of folks in Maine's geospatial community have reached out to their elected officials to alert them to the seriousness of this." Colin Woodard can be contacted at 791-6317 or at: [email protected] Credit: By COLIN WOODARD Staff Writer Caption: TRYING TO PINPOINT PROBLEM

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

July 7, 2017 Friday

More than 130 Maine bills passed this year could die for lack of funding

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 1069 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- The fanfare and tumult of enacting the state's biennial budget is over, but there are decisions worth potentially tens or hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars left to make when the Legislature returns for its last two days of this year's session.

There were 137 bills enacted by the Legislature this year which are in danger of slow deaths if lawmakers can't find funding for them. According to the Legislature's Office of Fiscal and Program Review, funding all of those bills would cost more than $486 million over the biennium. And according to the chairmen of the Legislature's budget committee, the amount of money available to fund the bills is somewhere close to $0.

There are also 36 general obligation bond proposals brought forward by lawmakers and state departments worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It's unclear what amount, if any, the Legislature and governor are willing to support but it's certain that the number is far closer to zero than it is 36.

Here's a rundown of some of the bills still pending:

The special appropriations table

This concept is steeped in bureaucratic weeds but it's often said at the State House that this is where good bills go to die. Just about any bill that costs money and doesn't identify or establish a funding source ends up on the table (there's no real table) and after the budget is settled, any money left over funds some of the bills.

"I don't expect that we'll have much if any funding available in order to actually provide funding for things that need money," said Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, who co-chairs the budget committee. "I imagine that we'll be looking at those bills to possibly carry over until next session."

Committee co-chairman Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, agreed that there is no money for more bills.

That means the bills will remain alive, if only barely, until 2018 but the prospect that there will be any more money available then than there is now is slim.

Page 34 More than 130 Maine bills passed this year could die for lack of funding Bangor Daily News (Maine) July 7, 2017 Friday

There's no money for more bills because of a decision made Monday to enact a budget and end the partial state government shutdown. When LePage and House Republicans finally forced Democrats and Senate Republicans to eliminate a proposed increase in the lodging tax, which was worth around $20 million a year, it tightened up the estimated gap between projected revenues and spending over the next two years, known as the fund balance, to just $10 million, according to Gattine. That's a pittance compared with the $7.1 billion budget, and any slight variance in either spending or revenues could make that vanish in a flash.

There are some high-profile bills on the list. The Office of Fiscal and Program Review has published the list of bills and their fiscal impacts on its website, but here are a few highlights:

-- LD 8, An Act To Provide Training for Forest Rangers To Carry Firearms. This bill, which was hotly debated during the legislative session, would cost around $140,000.

-- LD 31, A Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Require That Signatures on a Direct Initiative of Legislation Come from Each Congressional District. The cost to the General Fund would be to conduct a referendum. This bill was seen by some as necessary to make ballot access more difficult in the wake of five citizen-initiated referendums in 2016.

-- There are a number of bills on the table that would exempt certain groups from paying taxes, including teachers, senior citizens and disabled veterans.

-- There are several bills that would expand taxpayer-funded Medicaid for various medical conditions.

-- LD 89, An Act To Provide Emergency Repair Funding for the Restoration of the Official State Vessel, the Schooner Bowdoin. The cost is $500,000.

-- LD 173, An Act To Reduce Food Insecurity. The $5 million price tag on this one makes it impossible this year.

-- LD 952, An Act To Ensure Access to Opiate Addiction Treatment in Maine. It's a concept that most people can agree on, but with a $573,000-a-year fiscal note.

-- LD 1089, An Act To Prohibit the Use of Handheld Phones and Devices While Driving. This bill received a lot of attention during the legislative session but the fiscal office projects that it could actually generate revenue. We'll see whether it's put on hold.

-- LD 1170, An Act To Reduce Youth Access to Tobacco Products. This was another high-profile bill that would raise the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. There was some dispute over the fiscal impact, which by some measures could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars over the biennium from lost tax revenues, so this may or may not make it into law.

-- LD 1399, An Act To Encourage Broadband Coverage in Rural Maine. This would transfer a revenue stream but still cost the state $136,000 or more a year.

-- LD 1490, An Act To Stabilize Funding for the County Jails. It costs $3.8 million a year.

The Appropriations Committee is scheduled to convene July 12 to act on the Special Appropriations Table bills. Page 35 More than 130 Maine bills passed this year could die for lack of funding Bangor Daily News (Maine) July 7, 2017 Friday

The bond bills

There are 36 bond bills which would total hundreds of millions of dollars in savings. That is not abnormal, nor is rejecting most of them, but that doesn't mean lawmakers don't have good justifications for forwarding them. One of the bills, LD 1552, was forwarded by LePage to support the Department of Transportation's work plan for the next three years. It calls for a $100 million referendum in November of this year and another $100 million referendum in November 2018.

There are bonds proposed for research and development, a number of transportation and infrastructure projects, investments in state universities and community colleges, environmental projects, energy infrastructure and several other causes.

The Legislature needs to appropriate money to make bond payments every year. According to Gattine, there is enough of that money in the just-enacted biennial budget to support $150 million in new bonding, but that doesn't mean that's how much to expect. That is a matter that will be negotiated by legislative leaders. When the Appropriations Committee and full Legislature will address that has not been scheduled.

In the past, bonds have been used as leverage in debates over the state budget bill, but that won't come to pass this year with the budget already enacted. However, tough and sometimes bruising negotiations that have defined this year's Legislature over how much taxpayer money to spend are not over.

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

July 5, 2017 Wednesday

Maine's short government shutdown was months in the making

BYLINE: Michael Shepherd BDN Staff

LENGTH: 1222 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine has a two-year budget after a three-day government shutdown and months of stalled negotiations. Those seeking people to blame can look in the mirror all the way back to the last election and plenty of flashpoints along the way.

Page 36 Maine's short government shutdown was months in the making Bangor Daily News (Maine) July 5, 2017 Wednesday

Nov. 8, 2016: Maine votes to raise taxes on high earners as rural voters helped Republican Donald Trump get elected president in a schizophrenic election entrenching a divided Legislature.

The 3 percent surtax on high earners for education funding passed with 51 percent of votes, Democrat Hillary Clinton won Maine's presidential race, but dropped the 2nd Congressional District to Trump and legislative Republicans and Democrats kept their respective Senate and House majorities, but with weaker margins.

Partisans could get a host of mixed messages from the referendum process: Republicans complained that voters didn't know the intricacies of the four of five ballot initiatives that passed. But Democrats held it up as a sign that voters want progressive change.

In legislative elections, Maine picked 94 Democrats, 90 Republicans and two independents. Nobody complained that voters didn't know them well enough, but nobody had a mandate.

Dec. 23: The newly elected House speaker picks a LePage foe to lead the key budget-writing committee, while House and Senate Republicans divide on style.

About a week after House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, was elected as the chamber's leader, she and fellow leaders made their round of committee assignments that set the tone for the 2017 session.

Gideon named Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, who became a Maine household name in August when LePage left him a profane voicemail that set off a damaging controversy, to co-chair the Appropriations Committee. In the last Legislature, Gattine co-chaired the Health and Human Services Committee, fighting LePage on welfare policy.

House and Senate Republicans made differing choices: Sedate co-chairman Sen. James Hamper of Oxford, and Sen. Roger Katz, a centrist LePage enemy, kept seats alongside LePage-aligned Reps. Tom Winsor of Norway, Jeff Timberlake of Turner and Heather Sirocki of Scarborough.

Jan 6, 2017: LePage releases his final two-year budget plan, proposing a flat income tax by 2020 and deep welfare cuts, but it never has a chance.

After the Legislature enacted two straight two-year budgets over LePage vetoes in 2013 and 2015, the governor released a proposal that contained many of his old ideas, including a flat income tax and deep welfare cuts.

Gideon called the ideas "old" and "tired," while Republicans praised the overall focus of the budget but stayed away from many of the details. Then, they all went to work crafting a new budget.

April 6: Democrats roll out a countering plan, while Republicans dismiss it and say they won't accept a budget that does not repeal the voter-approved surtax.

Legislative Democrats' unveiled their "Opportunity Agenda," a plan to spend $265 million in anticipated new revenue using the last budget as the framework. Much of it was directed at property tax relief. Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, called it "a therapy session."

Page 37 Maine's short government shutdown was months in the making Bangor Daily News (Maine) July 5, 2017 Wednesday

Republicans also dug in against the surtax, with Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, saying his party "will accept nothing less than a repeal" in the budget.

June 13: Budget negotiations stall in the Appropriations Committee, so Thibodeau and Gideon convene -- and lead -- a special committee whose work is poisoned from the start, allowing LePage to re-enter the process.

The budget-writing committee voted out four different budgets in early June, then Democrats offered to trim the surtax, angering their base. But it didn't land with Republicans and Maine's budget impasse became dire.

So, Thibodeau and Gideon took their chambers into procedural votes allowing them to send it to a six-person committee. House Republicans weren't on board with that plan and House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, told the Bangor Daily News on the first day the panel met that its work was "doomed to fail."

Rank-and-file Republicans groused that the two presiding officers named themselves to it, and some Democrats didn't like it, either. Days later, the process stalled further in that committee and Gideon blasted House Republicans for holding out.

But that allowed LePage back into the budget process, stretching negotiations into the 10-day window before a shutdown, the period of time that the governor can hold a bill before signing or vetoing it. It effectively meant that any budget deal would have to pass LePage's muster.

July 1: In a show of loyalty to LePage, 60 House Republicans block a Thibodeau-Gideon budget and force a shutdown, then make a counteroffer.

Just more than a day before Maine's Saturday shutdown, Thibodeau and Gideon grew tired of the committee's lack of progress and cut their own budget deal, sending it to the floor on June 30, which angered House Republicans and Senate Democrats alike.

It proposed cutting the surtax but included $162 million in additional education funding, but it left a lodging tax increase in place that LePage had already expressed opposition to earlier in the day. The next day, he held a hastily arranged news conference to say he wouldn't sign it.

But the Thibodeau-Gideon deal moved to the floor anyway and was officially defeated just after the state shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, with 60 House Republicans voting against it to keep it from getting two-thirds support.

Drama under the State House dome heightened after that, when Republicans said LePage had his own plan and a list of his demands circulated in the hallways and lawmakers went home.

About 200 protesters led by the state employees' union descended on the State House after sunrise, chanting "shame" at the holdout Republicans, whose plan was fleshed out by day's end, keeping the framework of the Thibodeau-Gideon budget with the lodging tax increase out and additional education and conservation reforms in.

July 2: The panel mostly ignores that plan and votes out another package defying LePage's no-tax hike warning.

Page 38 Maine's short government shutdown was months in the making Bangor Daily News (Maine) July 5, 2017 Wednesday

In a late-night vote, Thibodeau and Gideon lead the panel into voting for yet another budget that defied LePage by leaving the lodging tax increase in after he issued a Facebook video saying he wouldn't agree to a tax increase. House Republicans signaled that he wouldn't sign it.

July 3: House Republicans again block that deal, but LePage and Gideon hastily negotiate a deal to ax the lodging tax increase and end the shutdown.

When that deal went to the House floor, a smaller group of 54 Republicans again withheld their votes to block a two-thirds majority. But negotiations dragged on in private.

By 9:30 p.m., LePage and Gideon hammered out a deal that eliminated the lodging tax increase in exchange for blocking changes to Maine's behavioral health system and adding federal funds to early childhood education programs.

The Legislature approved it easily and the shutdown ended when LePage signed it just after 1 a.m. on July 4, holding a celebratory signing alongside a group mostly made up of House Republicans and praising them for holding firm to control majority Democrats.

"And once you do that, it's over for the majority," he said, foreshadowing what could be a House Republican strategy next year. "You are now formidable."

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

June 15, 2017 Thursday

Government shutdown clock starts as budget deal eludes Maine lawmakers

BYLINE: Michael Shepherd BDN Staff

LENGTH: 744 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Before adjourning Wednesday night, the special panel of six lawmakers trying to bridge their own gaps on Maine's two-year budget set a deadline of noon Thursday to finish their work.

Page 39 Government shutdown clock starts as budget deal eludes Maine lawmakers Bangor Daily News (Maine) June 15, 2017 Thursday

But like so many other deadlines in the six-month slog toward passing a budget, this one will need to be extended. The panel did not plan to meet again until after noon, and agreement on the major sticking point -- education funding -- remains out of reach.

There was some movement Wednesday, with Democrats and Senate Republicans ceding a bit on past school funding demands. But House Republicans were still holding out for policy changes that may be difficult to build consensus on in the 11th hour of negotiations.

There will be government shutdown if there's no budget by July 1, the start of the next fiscal year. The Legislature has been working under a Friday deadline to pass a budget in both chambers, which takes two-thirds majorities. To get it to the floor in time, the Legislature's budget office has said it needs to begin drafting the document around noon today.

On Wednesday night, Democrats retreated on education funding, saying they would accept a $200 million increase in state aid to schools over the last two-year budget after they made an offer of roughly $250 million last week.

That would bite into the voter-approved surtax on high earners, expected to generate more than $300 million over two year, but Democrats have come down because Republicans have been united in saying they want to repeal the surtax.

Senate Republicans countered by restating an earlier offer of $110 million more in education funding over the last budget cycle without the surtax. However, Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, said that there could be $65 million more available for schools or other needs.

Charitably, you could say that Democrats and Senate Republicans are close on school funding -- $200 million vs. $175 million. But House Republicans aren't playing that game.

Their only member of the panel, Rep. Tom Winsor, R-Norway, said his caucus was reticent to increase spending over current levels of just under $6.9 billion -- which Senate Republicans and Democrats would -- and ticked off a list of school reforms that his fellow members want to see, from addressing "operational overhead" to experimenting with a statewide teacher contract to reducing truancy.

Democrats voted against a bill to implement a statewide teacher contract in a May committee vote. Some of what Republicans have sought around education reform was contained in a 45-page proposal presented Wednesday by Sen. Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth, and Rep. Brian Hubbell, D-Bar Harbor, including expanding the administration's authority to incentivize school regionalization and consolidation, which LePage has begun this year on his own.

But LePage isn't likely to be happy: Spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett called Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, "the $7 billion man" on WGAN on Thursday and Katz, a longtime LePage adversary, presented other ideas that find more than $50 million in savings and transfers in the governor's proposed budget, including axing a $500,000 legal fund for LePage.

More granular disagreements remain. Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, the co-chairman of the Appropriations Committee, told the special panel on Wednesday that four leaders on his committee worked this week to reduce 255 disagreements over other budget line items to 16.

Page 40 Government shutdown clock starts as budget deal eludes Maine lawmakers Bangor Daily News (Maine) June 15, 2017 Thursday

In those cases, three caucuses agree, but one was withholding support. He didn't disclose all the outstanding lines items, but he told the Bangor Daily News that six of those lines have to do with LePage's proposed transfers from the Fund for a Healthy Maine, which uses tobacco settlement money to fund wellness programs.

He said he would "neither confirm nor deny" that House Republicans were the holdout caucus. But whether you think they're right or wrong, they are in this process.

It will only take two House members and two senators to move the budget out of the committee, but House Republicans can withhold a two-thirds majority on the floor, so their movement or lack thereof over the next 24 hours will be crucial.

This item was originally published in Daily Brief, a free political newsletter distributed Monday through Friday by the Bangor Daily News to inform dialogue about Maine politics and government. To read more of today's Daily Brief, click here. To have the Daily Brief delivered daily to your inbox, click here.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

June 14, 2017 Wednesday

Legislators turn to small group of lawmakers for budget deal

LENGTH: 580 words

DATELINE: Lewiston, Me.

FULL TEXT AUGUSTA (AP) -- A small group of lawmakers has the task of coming up with a budget deal over the next few days and averting a government shutdown at the peak of the state's tourism season. Tom Winsor, R-Norway Lawmakers have arrived at a deadlock on education funding after months of deliberation, and negotiations over a final budget deal in the last few weeks have revealed staunch division among legislative leaders and the 13-member appropriations committee. So, legislative leaders have decided to turn to a rarely used tactic Page 41 Legislators turn to small group of lawmakers for budget deal Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 14, 2017 Wednesday of appointing a six-member committee of lawmakers to meet in public and come up with a strongly supported budget deal in the coming days. Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon said the process will be accountable and transparent, and she noted it appears to be the first time lawmakers are resorting to the tactic in budget negotiations. The Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday voted on a swirl of competing budget proposals during a session marked by exasperation and partisan votes. "While there is a lot of anxiety and frustration and some anger in this room today, I believe it's important we do respect the will of the voters," Democratic Sen. Troy Jackson said as he called for property tax relief and increased education funding. Republican Sen. James Hamper, who chairs the appropriations committee, introduced a budget deal that failed to attract strong Democratic support. "There's plenty in this budget to hate and plenty to love," he said. "This is offered in the spirit of compromise." The committee's first meeting was set for Tuesday evening, an hour after legislative leaders announced the committee's membership and the meeting itself. The members are Gideon, Republican Senate President Michael Thibodeau and appropriation committee members Democratic Rep. Aaron Frey, Republican Rep. Tom Winsor, Democratic Sen. Cathy Breen and Republican Sen. Roger Katz. Thibodeau said he's "confident" the committee members "will work tirelessly to find a solution." A two-year budget must be in place by July 1 to avoid government shutdown. Republican Gov. Paul LePage has said the state could use short-term continuing resolutions to delay a shutdown like the U.S. Congress does, a tactic Democratic Attorney General Janet Mills has cast doubt on. The governor said on a radio show on Tuesday he's "ashamed" to be part of Maine government because of lawmakers' laziness. He added he'll veto any budget over $7 billion, though at this time legislative leaders say the budget will need veto-proof majorities regardless. The debate over the budget centers on the state's declining number of public school students and demands by voters that state government finally fulfill its obligation to provide 55 percent of education funding to ease the burden on local communities. Republicans are demanding education reforms and a repeal of the voter-approved additional 3 percent surtax on the portion of individual annual income above $200,000, which they say hurts small businesses and professionals. Meanwhile, Democrats say they won't support any budget that doesn't replace the surtax's estimate revenue of $320 million in additional funding for schools over two years. Senate Republicans' compromise proposal to nix the surtax and increase education funding by $100 million in the second year of the budget is getting pushback from Democrats who say it amounts to a tax cut on the rich that relies on budgetary gimmicks to reach the 55 percent mark.

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Page 42 Legislators turn to small group of lawmakers for budget deal Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 14, 2017 Wednesday

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

June 13, 2017 Tuesday

LePage finance chief resigns as Maine budget fight rages

BYLINE: Michael Shepherd BDN Staff

LENGTH: 416 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine finance chief Richard Rosen resigned on Tuesday, surprising key legislators as they were making a final push to finalize a two-year budget with barely a week to go in the legislative session.

Rosen, a former legislator from Bucksport, was named commissioner of the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services in 2015 after stints as a deputy commissioner in the budget department and directing Republican Gov. Paul LePage's policy office.

His departure is another hurdle for legislators, who have presided over a dysfunctional budget process to date. The Legislature's budget committee failed to produce a consensus budget recommendation amid a standoff between Republicans and Democrats over education funding.

On Tuesday, the Senate moved toward convening a six-member conference committee on the budget after the respective Republican and Democratic majorities passed different budget proposals along party lines.

Lawmakers must effectively pass a budget -- which takes two-thirds votes in each chamber -- by Friday, giving them time to get it to LePage before scheduled adjournment on June 21 and later return to override a likely veto.

In a statement, LePage announced Rosen's resignation and appointed David Lavway, who was the finance bureau's deputy commissioner of operations, as acting commissioner. David Heidrich, a spokesman for the department, said Rosen notified senior staff just before 3 p.m.

LePage spokespeople didn't immediately answer questions about the resignation and Rosen didn't respond to a request for comment through Heidrich.

Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, the co-chairman of the Legislature's Appropriations Committee, said he'd just learned of Rosen's departure while walking into a meeting with Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, just behind Senate Republicans' budget aide Sawin Millett, who was Rosen's predecessor.

Page 43 LePage finance chief resigns as Maine budget fight rages Bangor Daily News (Maine) June 13, 2017 Tuesday

Hamper said he was "still assessing" the impact on the budget process. Two other Republican budget committee members, Reps. Tom Winsor of Norway and Jeff Timberlake of Turner, said they had just learned about it after LePage's announcement.

Senate Minority Leader Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, called Rosen's departure "bad for the Legislature," praising the departing finance chief for sharing accurate information with them and calling him "really, really decent to work with."

"I don't really know how you can replace somebody like that," Jackson said.

BDN writer Christopher Cousins contributed to this report.

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Kennebec Journal

May 25, 2017 Thursday

Senate votes to fund Washington County prison

BYLINE: KEVIN MILLER

SECTION: Pg. 2.B ISSN: 07452039

LENGTH: 1111 words

DATELINE: Augusta, Me.

FULL TEXT AUGUSTA -- The Maine Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to support continued funding for the Downeast Correctional Facility despite Gov. Paul LePage's plan to close the Washington County prison and commute some inmate sentences. The bipartisan, 30-3 vote aimed to send a clear message to Le-Page that lawmakers will fight his plan calling for closing the 150-bed, low-security prison and releasing an unknown number of inmates into the community. The resolution directs the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee to pass a bill that funds the Downeast Correctional Facility for the next two fiscal years. Page 44 Senate votes to fund Washington County prison Kennebec Journal May 25, 2017 Thursday

"This is one of those moments, Mr. President, when I think we need to stand up and assert our authority as the Legislature," said Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, a member of the Appropriations Committee. The Maine House is expected to take up the resolution, which is being spearheaded by the Washington County delegation, during a floor session Thursday. The Senate vote is the latest twist in an unusual debate involving jobs, politics, public safety and the perennial budgetary tensions between the executive and legislative branches. The LePage administration surprised Washington County officials last Friday by announcing that Downeast Correctional would close June 10 despite a legislative committee's vote to keep the Machiasport facility open. Pink slips also were sent to 55 staff members at Downeast Correctional, and rumors circulated that as many as 75 prisoners would be released early after receiving commutations from the governor. Members of the Washington County's legislative delegation angrily accused LePage of pursuing a policy that would eliminate jobs in a region struggling with high unemployment and allowing convicted felons to "walk free because there's no room for them in any other facility." After days of speculation about the fate of the inmates, the Le-Page administration on Tuesday announced that an unspecified number of "lower-risk offenders" would receive "conditional commutations." The department described the commutations as steps to "modernize and improve programs and facilities" while offering the inmates a chance to re-enter the workforce. But the statement made no mention of Downeast Correctional Facility or how many inmates there would have their sentences commuted. On Wednesday, Washington County Sen. Joyce Maker suggested that releasing prisoners would "not only destroy our county but destroy the state of Maine." Maker, R-Calais, also questioned how the governor could somehow create "pathways to employment" for inmates even as he creates more unemployment in her county. Sen. Bill Diamond, a Democrat whose district includes the Maine Correctional Center in South Windham, pointed out that the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to support keeping the Machiasport prison open. Diamond also said the Department of Corrections' own statements suggest there was not enough capacity within the prison system to handle up to 100 prisoners at other facilities. "If we are going to be just releasing these inmates and sending them out into the community, I think that raises a great deal of concern among all of the communities that might be receiving these people," Diamond said. "Releasing somebody is a serious matter, as opposed to this motivation (which) seems to be a budgetary matter." Opened in 1985, Downeast Correctional is a low-security facility that often serves as a last stop for offenders before they are released. Inmates can participate in work-release programs, often filling seasonal jobs in the wreath-making and blueberry industries. The facility has been proposed for elimination numerous times in recent years -- both by Le-Page and his predecessor, Gov. John Baldacci -- but has survived thanks, in part, to the facility's economic importance to the local community. LePage zeroed out the facility's budget in his two-year, $6.8 billion budget proposal released earlier this year, but the unanimous Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee recommendation to keep the facility open probably would have strong sway with legislative budget writers. LePage's spokeswoman, Adrienne Bennett, declined to comment on the Senate vote. Department of Corrections Commission Joseph Fitzpatrick also declined to comment Wednesday. It is unclear what effect, if any, legislative funding for the prison will have on the governor's decision. Chief Deputy Attorney General Linda M. Pistner wrote in April in a nonbinding letter to lawmakers that the Maine Constitution probably prohibits LePage from unilaterally eliminating the prison, because it was created in statute and funded by the Legislature. Likewise, the facility is a "discrete program" within the budget, so LePage cannot eliminate it, Pistner wrote. Page 45 Senate votes to fund Washington County prison Kennebec Journal May 25, 2017 Thursday

But that doesn't mean the governor has to place any inmates there, according to at least one lawmaker. Sen. James Hamper, an Oxford Republican who co-chairs the Appropriations Committee, said last week that while the prison is written into statute, the governor probably still can empty it. And while he understands the "human side" of what closing the facility will mean to Washington County, Hamper has toured all of the state's prisons and said he also sees the reasons behind the governor's decision. "It's time -- the facility, it's location -- it's time," said Hamper, who cast one of the three votes against Maker's resolution to continue funding the prison. Neither the governor's office nor the Department of Corrections responded to a detailed list of questions submitted by the Press Herald. Those questions include which prisoners would be released soon, the selection criteria, where they will be released and whether the state or probation officials are taking any special measures to ensure that those released do not re-offend. There was also no further clarity on any role by the state Department of Labor to help the released prisoners obtain jobs. Maker said she also was awaiting answers to questions on the potential prisoner releases as well as a response to a written request to meet with the governor Wednesday. Maker said that even if her resolution to fund the prison for another two years is approved by both the full House and the Appropriations Committee, the governor still could choose not to house inmates at the facility. "It would be absolutely silly," Maker said. "But so is what's happening now, releasing prisoners. It's unbelievable to the whole state of Maine." Portland Press Herald staff writer Matt Byrne contributed to this report. Credit: By KEVIN MILLER Portland Press Herald

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Portland Press Herald

May 25, 2017 Thursday

Senate votes to fund prison LePage wants to close; Legislators are resisting his plan for the Machiasport facility, which also involves layoffs and freeing inmates.

BYLINE: KEVIN MILLER Page 46 Senate votes to fund prison LePage wants to close; Legislators are resisting his plan for the Machiasport facility, which also involves layoffs and freeing inmates. Portland Press Herald May 25, 2017 Thursday

SECTION: Pg. C.3

LENGTH: 1198 words

DATELINE: Portland, Me.

FULL TEXT The Maine Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in support of continued funding for the Downeast Correctional Facilty as lawmakers push back against Gov. Paul LePage's controversial plan to close the Washington County prison and commute the sentences of some inmates. AUGUSTA -- The Maine Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to support continued funding for the Downeast Correctional Facility despite Gov. Paul LePage's plan to close the Washington County prison and commute some inmate sentences. The bipartisan 30-3 vote aimed to send a clear message to LePage that lawmakers will fight his plan calling for closing the 150-bed, low-security prison and releasing an unknown number of inmates into the community. The resolution directs the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee to pass a bill that funds the Downeast Correctional Facility for the next two fiscal years. "This is one of those moments, Mr. President, when I think we need to stand up and assert our authority as the Legislature," said Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, a member of the Appropriations Committee. The Maine House is expected to take up the resolution, which is being spearheaded by the Washington County delegation, during a floor session Thursday. The Senate vote is the latest twist in an unusual debate involving jobs, politics, public safety and the perennial budgetary tensions between the executive and legislative branches. The LePage administration surprised Washington County officials last Friday by announcing that Downeast Correctional would close June 10 despite a legislative committee's vote to keep the Machiasport facility open. Pink slips were also sent to 55 staff members at Downeast Correctional, and rumors circulated that as many as 75 prisoners would be released early after receiving commutations from the governor. Members of Washington County's legislative delegation angrily accused LePage of pursuing a policy that would eliminate jobs in a region struggling with high unemployment and allowing convicted felons to "walk free because there's no room for them in any other facility." After days of speculation about the fate of the inmates, the LePage administration on Tuesday announced that an unspecified number of "lower-risk offenders" would receive "conditional commutations." The department described the commutations as steps to "modernize and improve programs and facilities" while offering the inmates a chance to re-enter the workforce. But the statement made no mention of Downeast Correctional Facility or how many inmates there would have their sentences commuted. On Wednesday, Washington County state Sen. Joyce Maker suggested that releasing prisoners would "not only destroy our county but destroy the state of Maine." Maker, R-Calais, also questioned why the governor wants to create "pathways to employment" for inmates even as he causes more unemployment in her county. Sen. Bill Diamond, a Democrat whose district includes the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, noted that the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to support keeping the Machiasport prison open. Diamond also said the Department of Corrections' own statements suggest there was not enough capacity within the prison system to handle up to 100 prisoners at other facilities. "If we are going to be just releasing these inmates and sending them out into the community, I think that raises a great deal of concern among all of the communities that might be receiving these people," Diamond Page 47 Senate votes to fund prison LePage wants to close; Legislators are resisting his plan for the Machiasport facility, which also involves layoffs and freeing inmates. Portland Press Herald May 25, 2017 Thursday said. "Releasing somebody is a serious matter, as opposed to this motivation (that) seems to be a budgetary matter." Opened in 1985, Downeast Correctional is a low-security facility that often serves as a last stop for offenders before they are released. Inmates can participate in work-release programs, often filling seasonal jobs in the wreath-making and blueberry industries. The facility has been proposed for elimination numerous times in recent years - both by LePage and his predecessor, Gov. John Baldacci - but has survived, thanks in part to the facility's economic importance to the local community. LePage zeroed-out the facility's funding in his two-year, $6.8 billion budget proposal released in January, but the unanimous Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee recommendation to keep the facility open would likely have strong sway with legislative budget writers. LePage's spokeswoman, Adrienne Bennett, declined to comment on the Senate vote. Department of Corrections Commissioner Joseph Fitzpatrick also declined to comment Wednesday. It is unclear what impact, if any, legislative funding for the prison will have on the governor's decision. Chief Deputy Attorney General Linda M. Pistner wrote in April in a non-binding letter to lawmakers that the Maine Constitution probably prohibits LePage from unilaterally eliminating the prison because it was created in statute and funded by the Legislature. Likewise, the facility is a "discrete program" within the budget, so LePage cannot eliminate it, Pistner wrote. But that doesn't mean the governor has to place any inmates there, according to at least one lawmaker. Sen. James Hamper, an Oxford Republican who co-chairs the Appropriations Committee, said last week that although the prison is written into statute, the governor probably can still empty it. And while he understands the "human side" of what closing the facility will mean to Washington County, Hamper has toured all of the state's prisons and said he also sees the reasons behind the governor's decision. "It's time - the facility, it's location . . . it's time," said Hamper, who cast one of the three votes against Maker's resolution to continue funding the prison. Neither the governor's office nor the Department of Corrections responded to a detailed list of questions submitted by the Portland Press Herald. Those questions include which prisoners would soon be released, the selection criteria, where they will be released and whether the state or probation officials are taking any special measures to ensure that those released do not re-offend. There also was no further clarity on any role by the state Department of Labor to help the released prisoners obtain jobs. Maker said she was awaiting answers to questions on the potential prisoner releases, and a response to a written request to meet with the governor. Maker said that even if her resolution to fund the prison for another two years is approved by both the full House and the Appropriations Committee, the governor could still choose not to house inmates at the facility. "It would be absolutely silly," Maker said. "But so is what's happening now, releasing prisoners. It's unbelievable to the whole state of Maine." Staff Writer Matt Byrne contributed to this report. Kevin Miller can be contacted at 791-6312 or at: [email protected] Twitter: KevinMillerPPH Credit: By KEVIN MILLER Staff Writer

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PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper Page 48 Senate votes to fund prison LePage wants to close; Legislators are resisting his plan for the Machiasport facility, which also involves layoffs and freeing inmates. Portland Press Herald May 25, 2017 Thursday

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Kennebec Journal

May 23, 2017 Tuesday

Plan to rewrite US Constitution mulled

BYLINE: COLIN WOODARD

SECTION: Pg. 1.A ISSN: 07452039

LENGTH: 1355 words

DATELINE: Augusta, Me.

FULL TEXT Legislators will vote on adding Maine to call to force Article V convention AUGUSTA -- A resolution under consideration by the Legislature that lifts most of its wording from a model bill written by a secretive, corporate-funded group could lead to a radical rewriting of the U.S. Constitution. If approved, the resolution would make Maine the 13th state to call for a fairly open-ended constitutional convention of the states under Article V of the Constitution. If 34 states pass such a measure, the United States would convene its first constitutional convention since 1787, and delegates could set about amending or rewriting the Constitution. Aside from the preamble, the text of the resolution closely matches that of a model bill drafted and promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a corporate-funded organization that allows businesses to write legislation and give it to state lawmakers to introduce at home. Some passages are copied word for word from the ALEC document. A competing measure that claims to limit the convention's proceedings to the passing of a balanced budget provision has been adopted by 27 state legislatures. The one under consideration in Maine is far more radical -- limited, it proclaims, to measures "that impose fiscal restraints" or "limit the power and jurisdiction" of the federal government, while imposing term limits on congressional representatives. "These are three sweeping areas that amount to a rewrite of the constitution," says Arn Peterson, general counsel for the Center for Media and Democracy, a Wisconsin-based organization that closely tracks ALEC. "I really see it as a return to the Confederacy. They want the ability for states to override Supreme Court rulings and any federal law they don't like." The lawmaker who introduced the resolution, Rep. Steve Stanley, D-Medway, did not respond to interview requests last week and said via a legislative spokeswoman that he was unavailable to speak about it Monday. A legislative panel charged with evaluating the merits of HP 987 voted 7-6 to recommend that the resolution not pass. It will go to a full floor vote, likely this week. Page 49 Plan to rewrite US Constitution mulled Kennebec Journal May 23, 2017 Tuesday

The only lawmaker who testified on its behalf at a May 17 public hearing was Rep. Matthew Harrington, R-Sanford, who said he was inspired to do so after serving as a delegate at a simulated Article V convention at Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg last September, along with Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, and former Rep. Randy Greenwood, R-Wales. He said the event was "a complete success and a great experience." The event Harrington mentioned simulated discussion of the same three issue areas in the Maine resolution and was promoted by ALEC and sponsored by Citizens for Self-Governance, a Texas-based nonprofit that's championing the measure across the country and is headed by Mark Meckler, founder of the Tea Party Patriots movement and a friend of Maine tea party activist Andrew Ian Dodge, who died from cancer in 2014. "As a participant, I can tell you that the process works," Harrington told legislators at the hearing. "Many of us wished it was a real convention because the proposals that came out of it would help to fix many of the problems we are facing today." In an interview with the Press Herald, Harrington said he'd been skeptical of the convention idea until he attended the Williamsburg simulation and saw the degree of checks and balances that would be in play. "There were like 115 state legislators there who were generally on the same page on a lot of the issues, and even we had a hard time coming together on issues like term limits," he said, noting that in a real convention, any recommended amendments would have to be endorsed by four-fifths of the states' legislatures to be adopted. "There are so many safeguards, it's almost something we should be doing annually," he says. "Congress proposes thousands of amendments that don't pass, so what's wrong with the states being more involved in the process?" Many constitutional experts, past and present, have expressed deep concerns about anyone ever convening a convention under Article V, primarily because the Constitution offers little guidance as to how it would be conducted, including how delegates would be selected and how one would limit the scope of proposed changes once the meeting was convened. In 2014, the late, staunch conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said he would never want to see an Article V convention held. "Whoa!" he explained. "Who knows what would come out of it?" In a 1988 letter to conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, retired Chief Justice Warren Burger also expressed opposition. "There is no effective way to limit or muzzle the actions of a constitutional convention," he explained. "The convention could make its own rules and set its own agenda. Congress might try to limit the convention to one amendment or to one issue, but there is no way to assure that the convention would obey. After a convention is convened, it will be too late to stop the convention if we don't like its agenda. "Whatever gain might be hoped for from a new constitutional convention could not be worth the risks involved," Burger continued. "A new convention could plunge our nation into constitutional confusion and confrontation at every turn, with no assurance that focus would be on the subjects needing attention." Other experts agree. "I think it's a bad idea not because I think our constitution is perfect or anything like that," says constitutional law expert Richard Fallon, a law professor at Harvard University and a graduate of Cony High School in Augusta. "It would be a miracle if people hadn't found a better way to write constitutions than would have been imaginable to anyone in 1789," when the Constitution was ratified. "It shows a kind of lack of faith in the current state of American democracy to say this, but I do think it would be a deeply bad idea because of where we are at," Fallon added. The involvement of corporate groups like ALEC has the government watchdog group Common Cause alarmed about the current effort. "This is a way for Republican donors and the extremists on the right to put their radical agenda into the Constitution as opposed to simply passing it in the Congress and state legislatures," says Jay Riestenberg, a campaign strategist at the Washington-based group. "It's crazy to think that this is the right time to call a convention, when you have a president who is under likely FBI investigation for colluding with a foreign government to win an election and Congress looking likely not to do their constitutional duties and investigate this." Page 50 Plan to rewrite US Constitution mulled Kennebec Journal May 23, 2017 Tuesday

ALEC has pushed for Article V conventions at its meetings and publishes a guide for how to promote and conduct one written by one of its scholars. While ALEC claims to be a nonpartisan professional association for state legislators, virtually all of its funding comes from its corporate members, which include major energy, drug, mining, telecommunications and chemical companies. The organization does not disclose the identities of the more than 1,700 state legislators who are members, but documents leaked to Common Cause showed that in 2011 members included Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, who is now president of the Maine Senate, and state senators James Hamper, R-Oxford, and Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth. Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Newport, a longtime state co-chairman, sits on the organization's board of directors. Lobbyist Ann Robinson, an adviser to Gov. Paul LePage, was ALEC's corporate co-chairwoman for Maine in 2011. This session, LePage introduced an ALEC-inspired bill that would have stopped towns from passing their own pesticide ordinances. Rep. Nate Wadsworth, R-Hiram, who introduced another ALEC-modeled bill that sought to prevent towns from building broadband networks, is a current state co-chairman. Both bills were unanimously rejected by legislative panels. Harrington said Monday afternoon that he thought the resolution would likely go to a floor vote Thursday. Credit: By COLIN WOODARD Portland Press Herald JUSTICES OPPOSED 'CRAZY' TIMING

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Portland Press Herald

May 23, 2017 Tuesday

Maine resolution would aid push to rewrite Constitution; It closely mirrors a secretive group's model bill and calls for a controversial convention of the states, the first since 1787.

BYLINE: COLIN WOODARD

SECTION: Pg. A.1

Page 51 Maine resolution would aid push to rewrite Constitution; It closely mirrors a secretive group's model bill and calls for a controversial convention of the states, the first since 1787. Portland Press Herald May 23, 2017 Tuesday LENGTH: 1543 words

DATELINE: Portland, Me.

FULL TEXT A resolution currently under consideration at the Maine legislature that critics say could help lead to a radical rewriting of the US Constitution lifts most of its wording from a model bill written by a secretive, corporate-funded group. If passed, the resolution would make Maine the 13th state to officially call for a fairly open ended constitutional convention of the states under Article V of the constitution, an effort that requires 34 states to become binding. Aside from the preamble, the text of the bill closely matches that of a model bill drafted and promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a corporate-funded organization that allows businesses to write legislation and give it to state lawmakers introduce at home. Some passages are copied word for word from the ALEC document. AUGUSTA -- A resolution under consideration by the Legislature that lifts most of its wording from a model bill written by a secretive, corporate-funded group could lead to a radical rewriting of the U.S. Constitution. If approved, the resolution would make Maine the 13th state to call for a fairly open-ended constitutional convention of the states under Article V of the Constitution. If 34 states pass such a measure, the United States would convene its first constitutional convention since 1787, and delegates could set about amending or rewriting the Constitution. Aside from the preamble, the text of the bill resolution closely mirrors that of a model bill drafted and promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a corporate-funded organization that allows businesses to write legislation and give it to state lawmakers to introduce at home. Some passages are copied word for word from the ALEC document. FLOOR VOTE ON RESOLUTION SOON A competing measure that claims to limit the convention's proceedings to the passing of a balanced-budget provision has been adopted by 27 state legislatures. The one under consideration in Maine is far more radical - limited, it proclaims, to measures "that impose fiscal restraints" or "limit the power and jurisdiction" of the federal government, while imposing term limits on congressional representatives. "These are three sweeping areas that amount to a rewrite of the Constitution," said Arn Peterson, general counsel for the Center for Media and Democracy, a Wisconsin-based organization that closely tracks ALEC. "I really see it as a return to the Confederacy. They want the ability for states to override Supreme Court rulings and any federal law they don't like." The lawmaker who introduced the resolution, Rep. Steve Stanley, D-Medway, did not respond to interview requests last week and said via a legislative spokeswoman that he was unavailable to speak about it Monday. A legislative panel charged with evaluating the merits of H.P. 987 voted 7-6 to recommend that the resolution not pass. It will go to a full floor vote, probably this week. The only lawmaker who testified on its behalf at a May 17 public hearing was Rep. Matthew Harrington, R-Sanford. He said he was inspired to do so after serving as a delegate at a simulated Article V convention at Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg last September, along with Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, and former Rep. Randy Greenwood, R-Wales. Harrington said the event was "a complete success and a great experience." The event simulated discussion of the same three issue areas in the Maine resolution. It was promoted by ALEC and sponsored by Citizens for Self-Governance, a Texas-based nonprofit that's championing the measure across the country and is headed by Mark Meckler, founder of the Tea Party Patriots movement and a friend of Maine tea party activist Andrew Ian Dodge, who died of cancer in 2014. "As a participant, I can tell you that the process works," Harrington told legislators at the May 17 public hearing. "Many of us wished it was a real convention because the proposals that came out of it would help to fix many of the problems we are facing today." Page 52 Maine resolution would aid push to rewrite Constitution; It closely mirrors a secretive group's model bill and calls for a controversial convention of the states, the first since 1787. Portland Press Herald May 23, 2017 Tuesday In an interview with the Portland Press Herald, Harrington said he'd been skeptical of the convention idea until he attended the Williamsburg simulation and saw the degree of checks and balances that would be in play. "There were like 115 state legislators there who were generally on the same page on a lot of the issues, and even we had a hard time coming together on issues like term limits," he said. Harrington noted that in a real convention, any recommended amendments would have to be endorsed by four-fifths of the states' legislatures to be adopted. "There are so many safeguards, it's almost something we should be doing annually," he said. "Congress proposes thousands of amendments that don't pass, so what's wrong with the states being more involved in the process?" Justices Scalia, Burger opposed Many constitutional experts, past and present, have expressed deep concerns about anyone ever convening a convention under Article V, primarily because the Constitution offers little guidance as to how it would be conducted, including how delegates would be selected and how one would limit the scope of proposed changes once the meeting was convened. In 2014, the late, staunch conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said he would never want to see an Article V convention held. "Whoa!" he explained. "Who knows what would come out of it?" In a 1988 letter to conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, retired Chief Justice Warren Burger also expressed opposition. "There is no effective way to limit or muzzle the actions of a constitutional convention," he wrote. "The convention could make its own rules and set its own agenda. Congress might try to limit the convention to one amendment or to one issue, but there is no way to assure that the convention would obey. After a convention is convened, it will be too late to stop the convention if we don't like its agenda. "Whatever gain might be hoped for from a new constitutional convention could not be worth the risks involved," Burger continued. "A new convention could plunge our nation into constitutional confusion and confrontation at every turn, with no assurance that focus would be on the subjects needing attention." Other experts agreed. "I think it's a bad idea, not because I think our Constitution is perfect or anything like that," said constitutional law expert Richard Fallon, a law professor at Harvard University and a graduate of Cony High School in Augusta. "It would be a miracle if people hadn't found a better way to write constitutions than would have been imaginable to anyone in 1789," when the Constitution was ratified. "It shows a kind of lack of faith in the current state of American democracy to say this, but I do think it would be a deeply bad idea because of where we are at," Fallon said. 'CrazY' time to call convention The involvement of corporate groups like ALEC has the good-government watchdog group Common Cause alarmed about the current effort. "This is a way for Republican donors and the extremists on the right to put their radical agenda into the Constitution, as opposed to simply passing it in the Congress and state legislatures," said Jay Riestenberg, a campaign strategist at the Washington-based group. "It's crazy to think that this is the right time to call a convention, when you have a president who is under likely FBI investigation for colluding with a foreign government to win an election and Congress looking likely not to do their constitutional duties and investigate this." ALEC has pushed for Article V conventions at its meetings and publishes a guide written by one of its scholars on how to promote and conduct one. While ALEC claims to be a nonpartisan professional association for state legislators, virtually all of its funding comes from its corporate members, which include major energy, drug, mining, telecommunications and chemical companies. The organization does not disclose the identities of the more than 1,700 state legislators who are members, but documents leaked to Common Cause showed that in 2011, members included Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, who is now president of the Maine Senate, and state Sens. James Hamper, R-Oxford, and Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth. Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Newport, a longtime state co-chairman, sits on the organization's board of directors. Page 53 Maine resolution would aid push to rewrite Constitution; It closely mirrors a secretive group's model bill and calls for a controversial convention of the states, the first since 1787. Portland Press Herald May 23, 2017 Tuesday Lobbyist Ann Robinson, an adviser to Gov. Paul LePage, was ALEC's corporate co-chairwoman for Maine in 2011. This session, LePage introduced an ALEC-inspired bill that would have stopped towns from passing their own pesticide ordinances. Rep. Nate Wadsworth, R-Hiram, who introduced another ALEC-modeled bill that sought to prevent towns from building broadband networks, is a current state co-chairman. Both bills were unanimously rejected by legislative panels. Harrington said Monday afternoon that he thought the resolution would likely go to a floor vote Thursday. Colin Woodard can be contacted at: [email protected] Credit: By COLIN WOODARD Staff Writer Caption: FLOOR VOTE ON RESOLUTION SOON

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Portland Press Herald

May 23, 2017 Tuesday

Panel seeks answers on plan to close prison

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE

SECTION: Pg. B.2

LENGTH: 630 words

DATELINE: Portland, Me.

FULL TEXT Lawmakers on the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations Committee want a special work session to hear from the LePage administration on its decision to shutter a state prison in Washington County. AUGUSTA -- The Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations Committee on Monday decided that it wanted more information from Gov. Paul LePage on his decision to close a state prison in rural Washington County. The panel agreed to ask corrections officials to appear and respond to questions about the proposed closure. Page 54 Panel seeks answers on plan to close prison Portland Press Herald May 23, 2017 Tuesday

LePage made his plans known last week when he issued layoff notices to 55 workers at the Downeast Correctional Facility in Machiasport, a minimum-security prison that houses about 100 low-security inmates who have been convicted of a variety of major felonies and are nearing the end of their incarceration, including some sex offenders, according to lawmakers. Lawmakers from Washington County also voiced concerns that LePage was "rumored to be commuting the sentences of 75 prisoners" at the facility. LePage's layoff notices came on the heels of a vote by the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee rejecting a state budget proposal by LePage that stripped funding for the prison. Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, told fellow members of the Appropriations Committee on Monday that prisoners at the facility knew more about LePage's plan for the prison than the Legislature did. Others on the committee, including Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, said Martin was dealing in "hearsay." However, Martin said he had heard from both prison guards and prisoners that LePage intended to commute sentences for all inmates who had fewer than seven months left to serve on their terms. Martin also challenged the secrecy surrounding administrative decisions on the state's correctional system, saying there should be more public discussion of matters that were now being handled behind "closed doors." Department of Corrections Commissioner Dr. Joseph Fitzpatrick wouldn't address the possibility of commutations last week but said that inmates would be relocated to Maine's other prisons in Windham and Warren. The co-chairmen of the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, and Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, agreed that the committee could write a letter asking officials from the Department of Corrections and LePage's administration to come before the panel to answer questions. But Gattine said he was stopping short of calling for a full public hearing on the matter. Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, also noted that a law authorizing a $150 million bond issue approved by lawmakers in 2016 to pay for improvements and an expansion at the state's prison in Windham also included language establishing a pre-release center in Washington County. Hamper, meanwhile, warned committee members they needed to remain focused on a nearly $7 billion state budget plan, a draft of which is technically due to the Legislature's Office of Fiscal and Program Review on Friday. "Let us not be distracted from the fact we have to get a budget out of here," he said. The Legislature needs to enact a budget by June 30 to avoid a state government shutdown. But LePage also has 10 days to decide whether he will sign, veto or allow the budget to go into law without his signature, meaning that lawmakers really need to get a budget on LePage's desk by June 19. It can take as long as week for the Legislature's Revisor's Office to actually write the budget law, which frequently exceeds 600 pages. Scott Thistle can be contacted at 791-6330 or at: [email protected] Twitter: thisdog Credit: By SCOTT THISTLE Staff Writer

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Page 55 Panel seeks answers on plan to close prison Portland Press Herald May 23, 2017 Tuesday

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Kennebec Journal

May 3, 2017 Wednesday

Towns say bill curbs internet growth

BYLINE: COLIN WOODARD

SECTION: Pg. 1.A ISSN: 07452039

LENGTH: 1567 words

DATELINE: Augusta, Me.

FULL TEXT Proposal aims to block broadband build-outs in network black holes AUGUSTA -- Frustrated by a lack of high-speed internet access, dozens of Maine municipalities are working to build their own networks to attract business and spur economic development. However, a bill under consideration in Augusta would make it difficult for them to do so. The bill, introduced by Rep. Nate Wadsworth, a Hiram Republican, would impose stringent conditions that critics say would make it all but impossible for Maine towns and cities to build their own high-speed networks when cable and telephone companies decline to provide upgraded service. It is modeled on a bill that's been advanced in statehouses across the country by a secretive, controversial organization called the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. Wadsworth is a state co-chairman for the group alongside Sen. Andre Cushing, a Republican from Newport who also serves on the organization's national board. "The reason we started building our own network is because the providers just didn't have any interest in doing it out here," said Islesboro resident Page Clason, who has helped oversee the island community's ongoing deployment of a publicly financed network that would boost most residents' internet speeds more than 300-fold in the hopes of spurring economic development and boosting the year-round population. "This bill would prohibit smaller communities from doing this, essentially condemning them to a slow death." Municipal broadband projects can take a variety of forms, but typically a town puts out a request for proposals to build a network of fiber cables, then pays the winning contractor to do it. Sometimes the town owns the network afterward; sometimes there's a partnership in which the contractor will own and operate it, granting the town a long-term lease. The intended result is usually for the community to have access to far faster internet service at an affordable price. Christopher Mitchell, director of community broadband networks at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Minneapolis, said the Maine bill and others like it across the country are designed to stifle competition. "The very large providers recognize that they compete not on service, but on being the only game in town," he said. Page 56 Towns say bill curbs internet growth Kennebec Journal May 3, 2017 Wednesday

Neither Wadsworth nor the bill's three Republican sponsors -- Rep. Lance Harvell of Farmington, Rep. Beth O'Connor of Berwick and Rep. Jeffrey Hanley of Pittston -- responded to interview requests. ALEC and FairPoint Communications, the state's second-largest broadband provider, also did not respond to requests for comment; while Comcast, which provides service in 11 towns in the Brunswick area, and Charter Communications -- the largest provider, which owns what until recently was called Time Warner Cable and is now called Spectrum -- declined to speak about the bill. At a public hearing Tuesday, Wadsworth said the bill was modeled after similar legislation passed in other states and is an effort to ensure best practices by municipalities. He said to say the bill "contains 'broadband restrictions' is akin to saying that banks shouldn't worry about business plans when giving out business loans." Asked directly by committee Senate Chairman David Woodsome, R-Waterboro, about the genesis of his bill, Wadsworth said it was his idea. "This is the way my brain thinks, and I was thinking about government-owned networks," he said. The bill also was supported by Mike Quatrano of the conservative Maine Heritage Policy Center. Though he argued that it was about protecting municipalities from making bad investment decisions, he also said that if there was a bill that banned municipal networks outright, the center probably would support its passage. The Telecommunications Association of Maine, which represents Maine's 21 independent phone companies, also testified in favor. The Maine Municipal Association and Biddeford-based internet provider GWI testified in opposition to the bill, which members of the energy, utilities and technology committee will take up in a working session today, when they could recommend that the full Legislature pass or reject it. Critics see the bill as an effort to stymie competition. "It's a pretty bald exercise of power to prevent municipalities from being able to provide the kind of service their citizens want," Arn Pearson, general counsel for the Center for Media and Democracy, a Madison, Wisconsin-based organization that closely tracks ALEC, said in an interview. "The reason why municipalities do broadband is typically because the private sector doesn't see enough money-making opportunity in that community to provide the service people need." The Maine bill -- L.D. 1516 -- mirrors the ALEC bill in imposing numerous restrictions on municipalities that want to invest in their own network or to form a public-private partnership to build one they can lease. These include mandatory feasibility studies and public referendum provisions, prohibitions on using municipal funds, and restrictions on using funds through a bond issue or setting rates, and the removal of anti-trust liability protections for towns that offer broadband. "It pretty much says, 'You can't pay for this out of your municipality, but also we're going to require you go have a referendum vote and a municipal vote to see if your citizens want this,'" said Chris Dumais. An information technology director for South Portland, Dumais has been overseeing a city-funded project that's bringing 9 miles of fiber optic lines to the city via a public-private partnership with GWI. "This bill is aimed to strongly deter private companies from coming in and doing business with a municipality to create a municipal network." The major national firms appear ultimately to be behind the effort, via their past or present membership in ALEC. While ALEC claims to be a nonpartisan professional association for state legislators, critics say it is a corporate-funded conduit allowing businesses to write legislation for compliant lawmakers. Virtually all of its funding comes from its corporate members, and its telecom committee -- which created the organization's anti-municipal broadband bill -- has counted many of the major cable and telephone companies as members, including Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Verizon, AT&T and Cox. A vice president of their industry association, Rick Cimerman, is the committee's current corporate chairman. ALEC does not disclose its rank-and-file members, but documents leaked to the group Common Cause showed that in 2011 the legislative members of its telecom committee included Mike Thibodeau, Page 57 Towns say bill curbs internet growth Kennebec Journal May 3, 2017 Wednesday

R-Winterport, who is now president of the Maine Senate; and James Hamper of Hiram, now a Republican state senator. A statement on ALEC's website says "free market policies provide the best answer for the provision of broadband to the greatest number of people in the greatest number of places. In many cases government needs to get out of the way and let the market be free to provide demanded services." At Tuesday's hearing, Dumais said South Portland's program wouldn't have happened if L.D. 1516 had been law. When completed in August, the $257,000 project will link municipal buildings in a 1-gigabyte-per-second network while providing connection opportunities for 600 homes and dozens of businesses. It is an open-access network, so other companies can lease access to the network from the city and its partner, GWI. "This allows businesses from outside the state to know that if they go to South Portland, they can have high-speed, open-access internet available to them," Dumais told the Press Herald. Sanford, the Cranberry Islands, Rockport and other communities are in the midst of building their own high-speed networks. The towns argue having adequate internet speeds is an economic development imperative. Briana Warner, economic development director at the Rockland-based Island Institute, has been providing technical assistance to 33 island and coastal communities in improving their broadband service. She said municipalities enter into broadband efforts only as a last resort, when companies don't provide adequate service. "The business models for most existing service providers don't allow for any adequate speed and service increases in areas where they don't see it as commercially feasible to expand," she said. As a result, of the 15 year-round island communities in Maine, only part of one -- Peaks -- has broadband that meets the minimum requirements set by the Federal Communications Commission. Tim Schnieder, Maine's outgoing public advocate, said Maine's problem is that few towns are demographically attractive enough to prompt major high-speed internet investments by existing service providers, which is why towns are collaborating with service providers to build their own networks. "To have a state law that said a town can't do a thing isn't likely to get anywhere," he predicted. Clason, of Islesboro, agreed. "I can guarantee you if this bill moves forward, they will hear from an awful lot of very angry people," he said. "Maine people are self-reliant, but island people are very self-reliant. When the boat stops at the end of the day, we take care of each other; and if somebody comes in from the outside and says we can't take care of ourselves, that message won't go over well." Credit: By COLIN WOODARD Portland Press Herald

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Page 58 Sen. Hamper stifles woman's voice at hearing Kennebec Journal February 23, 2017 Thursday

Kennebec Journal

February 23, 2017 Thursday

Sen. Hamper stifles woman's voice at hearing

SECTION: Pg. 1.A ISSN: 07452039

LENGTH: 300 words

DATELINE: Augusta, Me.

FULL TEXT This package will contain all letters to the editor that are awaiting editing and headlines. I was dismayed to read in the article on Feb. 11 that a citizen had been ejected from a legislative public hearing by Sen. James Hamper, chairman of the Appropriations Committee ("Panel hears testimony on budget"). According to the article, the hearing became heated at times and apparently unruly with some members of the audience cheering, laughing and jeering. Hamper stated he could clear the room. Instead he chose to order one person from the room, our family friend Mary, a 20-year-old honor student from University of Maine, for allegedly "making a face." He stated, "You out, go good-bye, see you later, not welcome here. I won't take faces and I won't take the comments back here, got it? You're an example. Out." The need to maintain order in a public hearing is a given so that all can have their voices heard. However, it is dismaying and concerning that within that unruly crowd Hamper chose to make "an example" of only a young woman and tell her she was "not welcome" in our legislative process for having the alleged audacity to "make a face." Mary made the effort to draft testimony, missed a day of school, traveled to Augusta from Orono, and sat for five hours waiting for an opportunity to speak her concerns to our elected representatives. Mary is an example -- she is an example of the millions of women who are choosing to become more engaged in our political process to ensure that their voices are heard at a time when angry and ignorant men have taken over the Blaine House and the White House. Hamper's comments to, and focus on, one young woman is an example of why millions of women, and men, around the world took to the streets recently. Credit: Theresa Kavanah Readfield

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Page 59 Appropriations panel hearing becomes testy Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. February 12, 2017 Sunday

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Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me.

February 12, 2017 Sunday

Appropriations panel hearing becomes testy

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE

SECTION: Pg. 2.B

LENGTH: 1100 words

DATELINE: Waterville, Me.

FULL TEXT AUGUSTA -- A joint panel of the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations Committee and revenue-raising Taxation Committee took hours of testimony Friday on parts of Gov. Paul LePage's current budget proposal, which would revamp the state's tax system. LePage is hoping to offset or undo the effect of a voter-approved ballot question that would increase the state income tax on households earning more than $200,000 a year. The shift would push Maine's top income tax rate to 10.15 percent, the second-highest in the nation behind California, according to LePage's finance commissioner, Richard Rosen, who presented the proposed tax changes to the joint committee. Voters in November narrowly approved a citizens' initiative that adds a 3 percent surcharge on the state's highest-wage earners, with the new revenue being earmarked for public schools. LePage also is hoping lawmakers will adopt his tax reforms, which would move Maine to a single flat income tax rate of 5.75 percent for all wage earners by 2020. LePage's plan is similar to earlier proposals and includes provisions to expand the Maine sales tax to a broader range of goods and services, most notably applying it to entertainment and recreational services that are exempt now, including movie and concert tickets, golfing greens fees and ski lift tickets. LePage also is looking to eliminate the state's estate tax and exempt the pensions of retirees from state income taxes. Dozens of lobbyists, advocates for public schools and the poor, as well as citizens, turned out to offer their views Friday. Many said they were opposed to rolling back a decision by Maine voters and urged lawmakers to keep the new tax law in place. But several agreed with LePage, saying a top tax rate of 10.15 percent was making it hard to recruit and retain professionally trained workers such as doctors, dentists and engineers. The hearing became heated at times, and at one point the Senate chairman of the Appropriations Committee, James Hamper, R-Oxford, ejected one audience member from the room, saying he intended to maintain decorum. During the exchange, Hamper accused University of Maine student Mary Manley of making a face after some audience members appeared to cheer and support statements by another witness who was urging lawmakers not to overturn the ballot question. "Well, I could clear the room," Hamper said as some audience members seemed to be laughing and cheering and at least one made a whistling noise. Hamper's statement drew additional laughter and jeers. Then he stood and ordered Manley from the room. Page 60 Appropriations panel hearing becomes testy Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. February 12, 2017 Sunday

"You out, go goodbye, see you later, not welcome here," Hamper said. "I won't take faces and I won't take the comments back here, got it? You're an example. Out." A visibly upset and crying Manley declined to speak to reporters immediately after the exchange, but others in the room sitting with her said they don't believe she said or did anything wrong. They said they believed Hamper was making a joke, so that's why some were laughing. A Manchester resident, Manley had intended to testify against LePage's tax proposals. Her written testimony, which was left for the committees, indicated she is a junior at the Orono campus. Upon leaving the hearing she told Hamper, "I am a student and I missed class today to come here." After his outburst, Hamper called a five-minute break before returning to take additional public testimony. Earlier in the hearing, Rosen, the finance commissioner, made his presentation and took questions from the two committees for nearly two hours before members of the public offered their views. Rosen said LePage's proposal was meant to erase a long-failed tax system in Maine that is hurting the economy, holding back job growth and keeping higher-wage earners from moving to the state and retirees from staying here. "We are all familiar with the current tax system and its place as (an) impediment to our future economic growth," Rosen said. "It is a system built on carve-outs and loopholes for special interests and is designed for an economic model that doesn't have a future in the 21st century economy. It punishes the work of individuals, a lifetime of savings and a career of investment. It is unnecessarily complicated and extremely uncompetitive." LePage previously has tried to lower Maine's income tax by broadening and increasing the sales tax. He has said his goal is to move the state toward eliminating the income tax completely, but lawmakers largely have rejected the move. In 2009 voters repealed a similar sales tax expansion with a so-called people's veto. LePage and others who support the move say expanding the sales tax would shift much of the state's finances to the 40 million tourists who visit Maine each year. The governor's proposal also would increase the sales tax on hotel and motel lodging, bumping it from 9 percent to 10 percent. But those in the tourism trades said the shifts would make Maine less competitive with neighboring New England states. They suggested the changes would force small and family-owned tourism businesses to cut their own profits to keep prices competitive with the increased sales tax. "We would be higher than New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts, and Maine would have the third-highest lodging tax rate in the United States," said Chris Fogg, chief executive officer of the Maine Tourism Association. The largest opposition to LePage's efforts to undo the voter-approved ballot question comes from the Maine People's Alliance, a progressive nonprofit group that advocates for the poor; and the Maine Education Association, the statewide teachers union. Retired teacher MaryEllen Banton, of Brunswick, who taught school for 38 years, said the Legislature for years had ignored the law to fund public schools fully, and voters finally took matters into their own hands. "I urge you to abide by the voice of the people who spoke by voting for Question 2," Banton said. "While our governor and the Legislature drag their feet, withhold funds or just plain don't fund -- children's lives are impacted." Both committees will continue their work on LePage's tax and budget proposals in the weeks ahead. Under the Maine Constitution, the Legislature must enact a balanced budget by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30 in order to avoid a state government shutdown. LePage, meanwhile, has been pitching his budget proposal and tax reform to citizens in a series of town hall-style meetings. The next is scheduled for Wednesday in Yarmouth. Credit: By SCOTT THISTLE Maine Sunday Telegram TESTY EXCHANGES Page 61 Appropriations panel hearing becomes testy Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. February 12, 2017 Sunday

SALES TAX PROPOSAL

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The Associated Press

December 30, 2016 Friday 11:19 PM GMT

1-sentence draft bills criticized for lack of transparency

BYLINE: By MARINA VILLENEUVE, Associated Press

SECTION: DOMESTIC NEWS

LENGTH: 747 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - With the annual return of legislators to the Statehouse comes the predictable pile of one-sentence draft bills that give an idea of what legislators want to do but not how they're going to do it. Take the one-sentence draft to reform Maine's highly complex school funding formula. Or the brief proposal to amend Maine's constitution to exempt lobster traps from property taxes. Some lawmakers and advocacy groups are critical of the vague drafts, saying they can shut out the public from important policy discussions, be used as a bait-and-switch tactic or lead to unintended consequences. Several lawmakers said that after drafts have an initial hearing and get fleshed out into formal bills during the committee process, the finished product doesn't always get another public hearing. "The troubling part for those who advocate is the old adage that the devil is the details," said lobbyist Kate Dufour, of the Maine Municipal Association, which represents nearly 500 cities and towns. "It's very difficult to state a position on a concept." The Maine Legislature started allowing so-called concept drafts nearly two decades ago. Since then, lawmakers have submitted 100 or so during each legislative session, according to a review by The Associated Press of public databases of state legislation. Democratic Rep. John Martin said many are fully drafted by the time they make it to committee. Page 62 1-sentence draft bills criticized for lack of transparency The Associated Press December 30, 2016 Friday 11:19 PM GMT

The deadline for all bills was Friday, and lawmakers return Wednesday. The National Conference of State Legislatures criticized such skeleton bills decades ago and in 1996 identified a dozen or so states that allowed such drafts. Last December, Nevada's Senate adopted a temporary rule prohibiting skeleton bills. In Maine, the governor, state agencies and specific committees can't submit draft bills, which are put together by bill revisers and sent to committees, which can then make the drafts into bills. "Obviously there are people who submit concept bills as a way of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing if it sticks," said Democratic Rep. Michael Devin, who last session submitted a draft on combating Maine's marine debris that eventually became law and plans to submit another draft on the issue. He said it's possible he could have worked on the legislation with experts last year but was worried about being re-elected. Republican Sen. James Hamper, who chairs the Legislature's appropriations committee, said it's normal for his committee to have some bill drafts just in case. But he's not a fan. "To me, it says the legislator has not taken any time to research and make any suggestions," he said. In 2014, Republican Sen. Roger Katz, who chairs the government oversight committee, suggested and withdrew a motion to require fleshed-out concept drafts to get a public hearing and work session. Dufour, of the Maine Municipal Association, said she'd support such a solution. Former Democratic Rep. Sharon Treat sponsored an unsuccessful rule change in 2011 to eliminate concept drafts, which she says waste time and inhibit transparency. "It encouraged people to have vague ideas about doing something without having to think through the process," said Treat, who helped create the Senate committee that reviews internal rules. "And I don't know what the benefit of it is." One example of a one-sentence draft turning into a big, complex bill is a 2012 law calling for new mining rules. The sentence went to a committee in March, and a month of work sessions and two public hearings later, it became a 23-page law paving the way for conglomerate J.D. Irving to mine in northern Maine. "These are big issues. To have those cloaked within a concept draft was, we believe, an intentional and deceptive and misuse of legislative process," said lobbyist Pete Didisheim of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. "Clearly, they had been working months on a rewrite of the law." Didisheim said because it was an after-deadline bill, it wasn't required to have the normal public notice. Martin, who sponsored the law, called Didisheim's criticisms "misinformed" and said the act was to help spur northern Maine's economy. "It started as a concept draft because we didn't have time to do a complete draft changing the law," Martin said. Martin, an early supporter of the drafts, said that turnover rates can be high in the Maine Legislature and that newly elected legislators may "just not have the time" for drafting a complete bill on a complex issue by the Dec. 30 deadline.

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Page 63 Gattine, a noted LePage foe, to share leadership of budget panel Bangor Daily News (Maine) December 23, 2016 Friday

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

December 23, 2016 Friday

Gattine, a noted LePage foe, to share leadership of budget panel

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 621 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Legislative leaders on Friday released committee assignments for the incoming 128th Legislature, a development that sets the stage for lawmaking in Maine for the next two years.

With Republicans controlling the Senate by one vote (18-17) and Democrats with a 77-72 House majority (with two independents), the makeup and leadership of the 17 joint oversight committees gives an early indication of who might be key players in the committee trench work that guides state government's policy and budget priorities.

Lawmakers indicate which committees they want to serve on but not everyone is granted their first choice.

In many cases, particularly in the Senate, veteran lawmakers have been returned to committees they have previously served. One notable exception is Democratic Rep. Drew Gattine of Westbrook, who has been chosen by House Speaker Sara Gideon to co-chair the influential Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. Gattine has been a member of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee, including the last two years as its chairman, and has been his party's point man on a range of health and human services issues.

He will share the Appropriations Committee gavel with Republican Sen. Jim Hamper of Oxford, who played a similar role in the previous Legislature. Gattine, who has clashed often with Republican Gov. Paul LePage over welfare and health care policy and who received an obscenity-laced voice message from the governor earlier this year, will be among the first in line to deal with the two-year budget proposal LePage unveils on Jan. 6.

After early-morning compromises by past Appropriations committees, the previous two legislatures made major changes to LePage's proposed spending plans and passed compromise budgets despite vetoes.

As Appropriations spends months chewing through a budget, which must be in place by July 1, the Health and Human Services Committee is likely to occupy a spot near center stage, deliberating over what is likely to be a new set of welfare reform proposals from LePage, as well as dealing with an ideological shift that will sweep north from Washington after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Democratic Rep. Patricia Hymanson of York, a doctor who has served on the HHS Committee in recent years, will replace Gattine as its co-chairwoman, alongside returning Republican Sen. Eric Brakey of Auburn. Republican Rep. Deborah Sanderson of Chelsea will return to HHS as the ranking House Republican. Also on that committee will be incoming Rep. Dale Denno of Cumberland, a former director of the state's Office of Family Independence, a role in which he oversaw many of the state's social services programs.

Page 64 Gattine, a noted LePage foe, to share leadership of budget panel Bangor Daily News (Maine) December 23, 2016 Friday

Other leadership assignments of note include:

-- Democratic Rep. Seth Berry of Bowdoinham, who was a member of House leadership before being term limited out of office in 2014, won a fifth term this year and has been named chairman of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee alongside Republican Sen. David Woodsome of North Waterboro.

-- First-term Republican Sen. Lisa Keim of Dixfield will chair the Judiciary Committee.

-- Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason of Lisbon will chair the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. Members of legislative leadership usually do not chair policy committees.

-- Democratic Rep. Victoria Kornfield of Bangor and Republican Sen. Brian Langley of Ellsworth again will co-chair the Education Committee.

-- Former Senate President Mark Lawrence of South Berwick will co-chair the Insurance and Financial Services Committee. Lawrence has been out of the Legislature for more than a decade, but his past legislative leadership experience apparently convinced Gideon that he merits a gavel.

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

November 10, 2016 Thursday

Maine Republicans retain House, Senate leadership teams

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 583 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Republican leadership of the Legislature will remain unchanged for the next two years, following caucus elections at the State House on Thursday.

Sen. Mike Thibodeau of Winterport will return as Maine Senate president after his colleagues in the newly seated body elected him unanimously. With the vote, Thibodeau became the first Republican to hold the post for two consecutive terms since 1980.

"We are in for some interesting times, no doubt," Thibodeau said in his acceptance speech. "As a group we will make the decisions and make our way through it."

Page 65 Maine Republicans retain House, Senate leadership teams Bangor Daily News (Maine) November 10, 2016 Thursday

Thibodeau in the past few years has often found himself at odds with some of the most conservative Republicans in Augusta -- most notably Gov. Paul LePage -- but urged his colleagues to work with Democrats and make sure they listen to non-Republicans in their districts.

"There are big differences between Republicans and Democrats on policy," Thibodeau said. "Let's make sure that everything we do in this building is based not on personal gain or partisan politics but on making absolutely sure that the 1.25 million people that we all collectively represent" have better lives because of what the Senate does.

Republicans also unanimously returned Sen. Garrett Mason of Lisbon Falls to the position of Senate majority leader for a second term, but there was a contest for the assistant majority leader post between Sen. Andre Cushing of Newport, who has held the position for two years, and Sen. Brian Langley of Ellsworth.

Cushing's nomination was moved and seconded by Sen. James Hamper of Oxford and seconded by Sen. Kimberly Rosen of Bucksport, respectively. Langley's nomination was moved and seconded by Sen.-elect Joyce Maker of Calais and Sen. Roger Katz of Augusta, respectively.

Although there is unlikely to be any animosity between those senators over the results of Thursday's election -- Cushing said "we're friends, and we'll leave this room as friends no matter the results" -- they do illuminate some internal divisions between moderates and conservatives in the Senate.

Maker, Katz and Sen. Tom Saviello of Wilton, along with Langley, make up a moderate Senate Republican bloc that could assert itself on committees, during tight votes and especially during deliberations on the two-year budget that must be in place by July 1, 2017.

Mason addressed that in his acceptance speech.

"We as Republicans believe in a truly big tent," he said. "We know there are differences of opinion in our caucus and we respect them. We need to create a Republican political machine that goes far beyond termed-out senators. It's important that that operation continues beyond us."

In secret balloting, Cushing was returned to his position.

In other business, the Senate Republicans re-elected Heather Priest as Senate secretary.

In the House late Thursday afternoon, there was some debate about whether House Republicans would be wise to elect first- or second-term members to leadership in order to provide continuity into the next legislative session, when the two current leaders will be termed out of office. Those arguments were rejected.

Rep. Ken Fredette of Newport was re-elected as House minority leader and after besting two challengers, Rep. Ellie Espling of New Gloucester was returned to her post as assistant minority leader. Fredette vowed to help members with any problem.

"I have an open-door policy so each of you should feel free to come see me at any time," he said. "If I don't know about your issues, I can't help."

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Page 66 Maine Republicans retain House, Senate leadership teams Bangor Daily News (Maine) November 10, 2016 Thursday

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Associated Press State & Local

October 19, 2016 Wednesday 10:20 PM GMT

Auditor: State agency improperly managed federal funds

BYLINE: By MARINA VILLENEUVE, Associated Press

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 621 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Republican Gov. Paul LePage's administration is dismissing as politics concerns raised by the Democratic state auditor that a state agency directed millions of federal dollars meant for needy kids to the elderly. Democratic Auditor Pola Buckley this week notified LePage, Democratic Attorney General Janet Mills and several lawmakers that the Department of Health and Human Services "improperly managed" funding by using money earmarked for low-income families with children to fund contracts for the Home Based Care program, which supports seniors and disabled residents. "DHHS had enough information to know that what they were doing was problematic," Buckley said. "It was done anyway." Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew said Wednesday the auditor's report was politically motivated. Mayhew released an August draft of the report that she says shows Buckley removed a statement saying there was no financial impact because the department returned the money to the federal government. The draft does, however, say the original transfer of the money was not allowed under federal law. The department transferred $13.4 million of federal welfare funding to the state Social Services Block Grant program from September 2015 through June. After coverage of the transfer by the Bangor Daily News, the state returned the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families money in July and replaced it with state general fund dollars. In her letter to state leaders Tuesday, Buckley said the Department of Health and Human Services counted on being allowed to return the money if questioned, and that doesn't "represent a valid system of internal control over federal awards." Buckley called changes in her final draft "minor" and meant to provide clarity. The Attorney General's office declined comment. LePage's office didn't respond to request for comment. In a Wednesday interview on WVOM-FM, Mayhew said the administration followed federal law and returned the money after the federal government continued to not provide formal, written clarification. Page 67 Auditor: State agency improperly managed federal funds Associated Press State & Local October 19, 2016 Wednesday 10:20 PM GMT

Mayhew said the department is simply trying to maximize a federal block grant to help the elderly, and described the reversed transfer as "what you do throughout the year in managing" such grants. Department spokeswoman Samantha Edwards declined to share more details about the agency's correspondence with the federal government. She said both were in "constant communication throughout the process." Mayhew criticized the newspaper's "constant attacks" on the LePage administration and said Buckley's report was leaked before an election to deflect attention from ongoing welfare fraud investigations. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services didn't immediately comment. Democratic state Rep. Drew Gattine, chair of the legislature's health and human services committee, said Mayhew's response is "extremely concerning" and suggests a need for tighter controls on government spending. Gattine's fellow chair, Republican Sen. Eric Brakey, called the report "a very clear partisan move" by a Democratic auditor appointed by legislators. Should the state "spend years and years waiting for guidance to come down while we have seniors that are suffering?" Brakey said. Democratic state Rep. Peggy Rotundo, who chairs the appropriations committee, criticized the administration's "mismanagement and arrogance" and said the transfer jeopardized $13 million meant to help children. Rotundo said the "apolitical" auditor's report suggests the matter's seriousness. Rotundo said she hasn't heard from state Sen. James Hamper, her Republican co-chair, about holding a committee meeting after the election. Hamper didn't respond to requests for comment.

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

April 4, 2016 Monday

Maine House Republicans hold firm against spending deal

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 508 words

Page 68 Maine House Republicans hold firm against spending deal Bangor Daily News (Maine) April 4, 2016 Monday

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee on Monday voted out two versions of a supplemental budget, with House Republicans again bucking the rest of the committee on new spending.

The committee voted 8-4 in favor of an approximately $11 million spending plan. The funding would apply to bills that have already won passage.

Legislators have been quietly working on the supplemental budget proposal for weeks, but the process became public last week when Democrats on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee revealed a $43.8 million list of their priorities.

In an initial discussion on Wednesday, House Republicans on the committee said they have little or no appetite for any new spending this year. Republican Rep. Jeff Timberlake of Turner said his caucus would be more amenable to a budget bill if Democrats would consider letting a competing minimum wage measure onto the November 2016 ballot along with one that resulted from a citizen petition process.

The committee-generated budget bill comes as Gov. Paul LePage has declined to offer a supplemental budget amid arguments from lawmakers that there are bills that should be funded this year and a revenue surplus that makes it possible. LePage has said publicly that he will propose a supplemental budget in January 2017, after a new Legislature is elected and seated.

The spending plan endorsed by a majority of the budget committee Monday includes:

-- Raises for employees at two state-run mental health hospitals, Dorothea Dix and Riverview psychiatric centers.

-- Increased reimbursement rates for home- and community-based health services for the elderly and adults with disabilities.

-- Pay increases for state troopers and other state law enforcement officers to help with recruitment and retention.

-- One-time funding to support county jails in the current fiscal year.

-- A reimbursement system for medical service providers to correct a mistake made in last year's biennial budget bill, which increased the service provider tax from 5 percent to 6 percent.

-- Funding for education tax credits to help ease student debt.

The spending package totals about $11 million and proposes to send about $44.5 million of year-end surplus to the state's budget stabilization fund, otherwise known as the rainy day fund.

Republican Sens. Roger Katz and James Hamper of Oxford joined Democrats in supporting the proposal.

House Republicans on the committee didn't support the budget bill and presented one that transfers all $55.5 million of surplus to the rainy day fund.

Page 69 Maine House Republicans hold firm against spending deal Bangor Daily News (Maine) April 4, 2016 Monday

Voting against the compromise amendment were House Republicans Tom Winsor, Jeff Timberlake, Heather Sirocki and Bob Nutting.

"We have already passed a budget eight months ago," said Timberlake. "We're not in a crisis."

House Democrats said the House is not planning a morning session on Tuesday but will convene about 5 p.m. to, among other things, debate the budget bill, which is identified as LD 1606. Because it is an emergency measure, the bill requires a two-thirds vote of both bodies of the Legislature.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

April 4, 2016 Monday

Budget deal makes it out of committee despite GOP resistance

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 460 words

AUGUSTA -- Lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee on Monday voted out two versions of a supplemental budget, with House Republicans again bucking the rest of the committee on new spending. Sun Journal file photo Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner. The committee voted 8-4 in favor of an approximately $11 million spending plan. The funding would apply to bills that have already won passage. Legislators have been quietly working on the supplemental budget proposal for weeks, but the process became public last week when Democrats on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee revealed a $43.8 million list of their priorities. In an initial discussion on Wednesday, House Republicans on the committee said they have little or no appetite for any new spending this year. Republican Rep. Jeff Timberlake of Turner said his caucus would be more amenable to a budget bill if Democrats would consider letting a competing minimum wage measure onto the November 2016 ballot along with one that resulted from a citizen petition process. The committee-generated budget bill comes as Gov. Paul LePage has declined to offer a supplemental budget amid arguments from lawmakers that there are bills that should be funded this year and a revenue Page 70 Budget deal makes it out of committee despite GOP resistance Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) April 4, 2016 Monday surplus that makes it possible. LePage has said publicly that he will propose a supplemental budget in January 2017, after a new Legislature is elected and seated. The spending plan endorsed by a majority of the budget committee Monday includes: -- Raises for employees at two state-run mental health hospitals, Dorothea Dix and Riverview psychiatric centers. -- Increased reimbursement rates for home- and community-based mental health services. -- Pay increases for state troopers and other state law enforcement officers to help with recruitment and retention. -- One-time funding to support county jails in the current fiscal year. -- A reimbursement system for medical service providers to correct a mistake made in last year's biennial budget bill, which increased the service provider tax from 5 percent to 6 percent. -- Funding for education tax credits to help ease student debt. The spending package totals about $11 million and proposes to send about $44.5 million of year-end surplus to the state's budget stabilization fund, otherwise known as the rainy day fund. Republican Sens. Roger Katz and James Hamper of Oxford joined Democrats in supporting the proposal. House Republicans on the committee didn't support the budget bill and presented one that transfers all $55.5 million of surplus to the rainy day fund. Voting against the compromise amendment were House Republicans Tom Winsor, Jeff Timberlake, Heather Sirocki and Bob Nutting. "We have already passed a budget eight months ago," said Timberlake. "We're not in a crisis."

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States News Service

March 2, 2016 Wednesday

CRUZ FOR PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES MAINE LEADERSHIP TEAM GARRETT MASON AND EARL BIERMAN WILL LEAD THE EFFORT AS STATE CHAIRMEN

Page 71 CRUZ FOR PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES MAINE LEADERSHIP TEAM GARRETT MASON AND EARL BIERMAN WILL LEAD THE EFFORT AS STATE CHAIRMEN States News Service March 2, 2016 Wednesday BYLINE: States News Service

LENGTH: 493 words

DATELINE: HOUSTON, Texas

The following information was released by CRUZ FOR PRESIDENT: Today, Ted Cruz continued building a strong, national organization by announcing his Maine leadership team, consisting of some of the state's top conservatives. Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason and former Representative Earl Bierman will serve as Maine chairs for Cruz. "I am encouraged to announce such an outstanding group of courageous conservatives leading our campaign in Maine," said Cruz. "All across this country, we are gaining momentum by coalescing conservatives who are ready for a president that answers to them and not the Washington establishment. I am proud of the team we have put together in Maine and confident that we are positioned to compete for every vote on caucus night." "We need a strong, principled conservative in the White House," said Mason. "I am thrilled to endorse Ted Cruz because I believe he is that man. Ted has demonstrated himself to be a trusted conservative voice in the U.S. Senate and we need that same leadership in our next President." "Throughout Maine, conservatives are uniting behind Ted Cruz," said Bierman. "After the victory in Iowa, it is becoming clear that more and more Republicans are demanding that we choose a Republican nominee who will stay true to our conservative values and the Constitution. Mainers are ready for a president who will defend the Constitution, uphold the rule of law, and honor their word to the American people." The full Cruz for President Maine Leadership Team is: Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, Androscoggin County Senator Paul Davis, Piscataquis County Senator David Burns, Washington County Senator James Hamper, Oxford County Representative Mary Anne Kinney, Knox County Representative Kathleen Dillingham, Oxford County Representative Jeff Timberlake, Androscoggin County Representative Dale Crafts, Androscoggin County Representative Ricky Long, Arostook County Representative Kevin Battle, Cumberland County Former Maine GOP Chairman Rich Cebra, Cumberland County Representative Michael McClellan, Cumberland County Representative Russell J. Black, Franklin County Tea Party Leader Carter Jones, Hancock County Representative Jeffrey Hanley, Kennebec County Dave Corey, Kennebec County Waterville Town Republican Chair Neal Patterson, Kennebec County Representative Dick Campbell, Penobscot County Representative Peter Lyford, Penobscot County Page 72 CRUZ FOR PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES MAINE LEADERSHIP TEAM GARRETT MASON AND EARL BIERMAN WILL LEAD THE EFFORT AS STATE CHAIRMEN States News Service March 2, 2016 Wednesday Representative Stacey Guerin, Penobscot County David Johnson, Penobscot County Pastor Bob Emerich, Penobscot County Pattie Davis, Piscataquis County Representative Joel Stetkis, Somerset County Madison Republican Chairman John Grooms, Somerset County State Committee Member Tim Amadon, Somerset County Anne Amadon, Somerset County Pastor Kevin Brooks, Somerset County State Committee Member Scott Seekins, Somerset County Pastor Brian Hale, Somerset County Christine Alexander, Washington County Representative Jonathan Kinney, York County John Riccardi, York County Bill Gombar, York County

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

February 29, 2016 Monday

Hamper announces re-election bid for Maine Senate

BYLINE: ,

SECTION: OXFORD HILLS

LENGTH: 184 words

OXFORD - Jim Hamper of Oxford has announced his intention to run for re-election to Maine Senate District 19. He recently submitted to the Secretary of State's Office more than the 100 needed signatures to appear on the November ballot. Page 73 Hamper announces re-election bid for Maine Senate Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) February 29, 2016 Monday

Hamper is chairman of the Legislature's Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, which is responsible for writing the state budget. He has also been a member of the Health and Human Services Committee. "Helping to get Maine's fiscal house in order has been one of my top priorities since I first arrived in Augusta," Hamper said in a written statement. "For so long state government spent beyond its means and kicked the can down the road for future generations to deal with. I am proud to say that we've reversed that trend under Republican leadership, but so much more needs to be done to get Maine on the right fiscal track. I want to be part of the solution in Augusta." Hamper is serving his second term in the Maine Senate. Previously, he was a member of the House of Representatives. Maine Senate District 13 includes communities in Oxford and Cumberland counties.

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Associated Press State & Local

February 24, 2016 Wednesday 8:25 PM GMT

Democratic lawmaker says surplus should be used to pay bills

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 143 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - A Democratic state lawmaker says a surplus of nearly $73 million should be used to help cover Maine's bills before it's put in the state's rainy day fund. The Sun Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1p48hE3 ) Rep. Peggy Rotundo joined other Democrats Tuesday in countering legislation put forth by Republican Gov. Paul LePage that would put the surplus in the state's budget stabilization fund. She says the Legislature shouldn't be handcuffed from using the money. Page 74 Democratic lawmaker says surplus should be used to pay bills Associated Press State & Local February 24, 2016 Wednesday 8:25 PM GMT

But Republican state Sen. Jim Hamper says putting money in the fund would help the state if there is another economic downturn. LePage says the state must have a larger sum in the fund to protect the borrowing interest rate from climbing too high. The move would increase the state's rainy day fund to at least $183 million. ___ Information from: Sun-Journal, http://www.sunjournal.com

LOAD-DATE: February 25, 2016

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

DOCUMENT-TYPE: Spot Development

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Portland Press Herald (Maine)

June 17, 2015 Wednesday

Legislature passes budget ; The $6.7 billion compromise plan would lower the income tax but raise others - and passes by majorities big enough to override a threatened veto by LePage.

BYLINE: STEVE MISTLER; Kevin Miller, By STEVE MISTLER and Kevin Miller Staff Writers

SECTION: Pg. 1.A

LENGTH: 1554 words

The Legislature debates and possibly votes Tuesday on a budget agreement negotiated late Monday by top lawmakers. AUGUSTA -- Maine lawmakers approved a new two-year, $6.7 billion budget early Wednesday that would provide $135.4 million in tax cuts by 2017 as part of a compromise hatched in secret by top legislative leaders and kept under tight wraps until just before the voting began. The Democrat-controlled House voted 105-42 to approve the deal endorsed by the Legislature's budget committee June 6, as well as a separate amendment that incorporated the agreement drafted by leaders after weeks of closed-door negotiations. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 31-4 to ratify the deal, but stripped out a provision that would determine whether some asylum seekers can receive General Assistance aid. The decision prompted many members of the Portland delegation to vote against the budget. The budget now goes to Gov. Paul LePage, who indicated again Tuesday that he will veto it. His threatened veto - and his hints that he will take the full 10 days allowed to issue it - puts additional pressure on Page 75 Legislature passes budget ; The $6.7 billion compromise plan would lower the income tax but raise others - and passes by majorities big enough to override a threatened veto by LePage. Portland Press Herald (Maine) June 17, 2015 Wednesday legislative leaders to retain Wednesday's two- thirds majorities in both chambers, which would override the veto and avoid a government shutdown July 1. "There was a lot of give, there was a lot of take. There are benefits to both sides in this," said Rep. Jeff McCabe, D- Skowhegan, the House majority leader. "A true compromise is an example that divided government can work." Sen. Roger Katz, an Augusta Republican who serves on the budget- writing committee, said that "trying to find the right balance has been elusive," and that some political setbacks along the way we're "completely unnecessary." "Although the soup took way too long to cook, we are getting it right," Katz said before the Senate voted 34-1 to send its version of the budget bill back to the House. The sole dissenting vote came from Sen. Anne Haskell, a Portland Democrat who objected to Senate decisions that will likely lead to a loss of welfare benefits for asylum-seeking immigrants. Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, co-chairman of the budget committee, said, "We put together the best budget we possibly could." The budget includes an array of changes to taxes, welfare and nursing home funding that would affect all Mainers. Leaders delivered details of the plan to rank-and-file lawmakers during closed-door caucus meetings Monday night and Tuesday morning. They had announced the framework of a deal late Monday evening, but refused to disclose any specifics until votes were scheduled in the House of Representatives. Some of the details were contained in a budget deal ratified June 6 by a majority of the Legislature's Appropriation and Financial Affairs Committee. But the most contentious items have been negotiated since then by leadership. The budget plan includes an income tax cut paid for with changes to the sales tax and meals and lodging taxes. The current sales tax is 5.5 percent but is set to decrease to 5 percent by July 1. The budget deal retains the current rate to help fund the income tax cut, which would be phased in over the next two fiscal years. Meals and lodging taxes also would increase. The current meals tax is 8 percent and is scheduled to fall to 7 percent on July 1. The budget deal would maintain the current rate of 8 percent for both meals and lodging taxes until Dec. 31, then increase the lodging tax to 9 percent on Jan. 1, in an attempt to capture more revenues from tourists. The deal does not include a major broadening of the sales tax to now-exempt goods and services, as originally proposed by LePage. However, it does eliminate an exemption from the service provider tax for cable and satellite television and radio services. The service provider tax also would increase from 5 percent to 6 percent beginning Jan. 1. The agreement also expands the definition of "prepared foods" in order to capture more groceries currently exempt from the sales tax. For instance, peanut butter would be taxed under the new definition while bread and jelly would remain tax-exempt "grocery staples." INCOME TAX CHANGES Maine income tax brackets would also change under the compromise. Under current law, the top marginal rate is 7.95 percent for people earning $20,900 or more per year, 6.5 percent for people earning from $5,200 to $20,899 and 0 percent for people earning up to $5,199. The budget agreement would lower the top rate to 7.15 percent for a single filer in 2016 and raise the income threshold where that rate kicks in to $37,501 and higher. Those earning from $21,051 to $37,500 would pay 6.75 percent and those earning $0 to $21,050 would pay 5.8 percent. Democrats said that under the revised tax structure, many Mainers earning up to $5,200 would have to start filing income tax forms in order to receive the full tax cuts. That is because the standard deduction is increasing to $11,600, and low-income Mainers will qualify for a fully refundable Earned Income Tax Credit. Page 76 Legislature passes budget ; The $6.7 billion compromise plan would lower the income tax but raise others - and passes by majorities big enough to override a threatened veto by LePage. Portland Press Herald (Maine) June 17, 2015 Wednesday The tax brackets would change in 2017, but the rates would remain the same. The top rate would kick in for those earning $50,001 or more, while the middle rate would cover those earning from $21,400 to $50,000. The income threshold for the bottom rate would remain the same. The budget plan also would eliminate the income tax on military pensions, and it would increase the current homestead property tax exemption from $10,000 to $15,000 in 2016. The secrecy of the agreement underscores its fragility. The budget has come under intense media and interest group scrutiny both because of the deal's impacts and because failure to reach an agreement by July 1 would result in the shutdown of state government. Many of the changes released Tuesday had been rumored at the State House for weeks, drawing opposition from organized groups who have pressured lawmakers to reject them. The tenuousness of the agreement was illustrated when the Senate altered the deal to change a provision that affects emergency benefits for legal non-citizens. The original deal installed a 240- day cap on certain benefits, a compromise designed to curtail LePage's plan to eliminate them altogether. But the change was met with suspicion by the House Democratic caucus prior to the enactment vote, prompting leadership to determine whether it still had the two- thirds support it would eventually need enact the budget as an emergency measure. Overall, 579,567 families would see a tax cut under the plan, while over 117,509 would see an increase, according to an analysis released with the budget agreement. Those figures take into account a number of tax changes, including the income tax, sales tax, property tax and earned income tax credit. WELFARE, GENERAL ASSISTANCE CHANGES The proposal also includes a provision to address the so-called welfare cliff for Temporary Assistance For Needy Families. Details of that change were not immediately available Tuesday, but the initiative is designed to eliminate policies that discourage people from taking a job, or a higher-paying job, because they'd earn too much money to continue getting benefits. The agreement also sets the state General Assistance reimbursement rate for all cities and towns at 70 percent. Most communities are now reimbursed for up to 50 percent of General Assistance payouts. But several larger cities - most notably Portland, Bangor and Lewiston - receive a 90 percent reimbursement rate because they act as service centers for more low-income households. LePage's proposed budget would have flipped the reimbursement formula, paying 90 percent of communities' costs initially but then dropping to a 10 percent reimbursement rate after communities hit a new threshold. The bipartisan compromise is effectively silent on one of the most partisan issues in the budget negotiations: whether asylum- seeking immigrants should qualify for General Assistance. The budget preserves food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Security Income benefits for legal non- citizens who are waiting for work authorization from the federal government or who are elderly, disabled or victims of domestic violence. But there is no language on General Assistance for asylum seekers. The budget agreement also sets state revenue sharing with municipalities at a rate of 2 percent, which translates into $62 million for each year of the two-year budget. That's roughly equal to what cities and towns are getting now. The two-year budget has become the singular focus of a legislative session in which neither the Republican-controlled Senate nor the Democrat-controlled House has been able to claim many policy victories. The same is true of LePage, who won re-election in November but has seen the majority of his conservative policy initiatives fall into the chasm of divided government. The budget stands as the one piece of legislation in which all sides have the chance to claim something of a victory from a legislative session marked by partisan votes, gubernatorial vetoes and abandoned efforts to reach a compromise. Page 77 Legislature passes budget ; The $6.7 billion compromise plan would lower the income tax but raise others - and passes by majorities big enough to override a threatened veto by LePage. Portland Press Herald (Maine) June 17, 2015 Wednesday Compromise on the budget, however, wasn't an option. It's necessary to keep the state running. The Maine Constitution requires the state to have a balanced budget. Steve Mistler can be contacted at 620-7016 or at: [email protected] Twitter: stevemistler

LOAD-DATE: June 17, 2015

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GRAPHIC: Caption: INCOME TAX CHANGES

DOCUMENT-TYPE: News

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: PTPH

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St. John Valley Times (Madawaska, Maine)

June 16, 2015

Legislators conducting public business in private despite state's open meeting law

SECTION: NEWS,HOMETHIRDLEFT

LENGTH: 2239 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- On Wednesday, May 28, the legislature's most powerful committee -- the one that effectively controls the state's $6 billion budget -- was scheduled to meet in Room 228 in the statehouse. The printed calendar posted outside the large chamber said the meeting of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee would start at 1 p.m., but the more up-to-date electronic calendar in the lobby said the meeting would begin at 1:30. But at 1 and at 1:30 the chamber was empty except for a gaggle of middle school students who were getting a lecture on how their state government works. Just after 1:30, they filed out, but no committee members filed in. The government the students had come to see in action wasn't late for the meeting. Its key members were, in fact, meeting -- just not where the civics class or any member of the public could see them. Instead, some appropriations committee members were bypassing the public chamber in which their meetings are traditionally held and going through a private door that leads to a suite of small rooms. One member, state Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, emerged from the back rooms that day and explained that a select subgroup of the committee was meeting there: He called it a "chairs and leads" meeting. In statehouse-speak, that's a subcommittee made of the two chairpersons of a committee and leading members. Page 78 Legislators conducting public business in private despite state's open meeting law St. John Valley Times (Madawaska, Maine) June 16, 2015

I told him I'd like to cover the meeting, and I intended to go through the door where he came out. He told that door was locked, except for legislators and staff. But, there was another way in: In the back of the public meeting room there is a door marked "Legislators and Staff Only." That door is not locked. I went through it to the suite behind and heard voices coming from one of the rooms. I knocked on the door and a voice said, "Come in." Gathered around a desk were five of the 13 members of the appropriations committee -- "chairs and leads." I had brought with me a copy of the state's Freedom of Access Act because I had seen repeated reports in the media of closed-door meetings about the budget. I quoted portions of the act to the legislators, including one that states the public's business, which includes deliberation by committees of more than three, is to "be conducted openly." I asked them how their private meeting was legal given the wording of the Freedom of Access Act (FOAA)."You wouldn't negotiate a labor contract in public, would you," replied one of the committee "leads," Rep. Tom Winsor, R-Norway. I asked him if they were talking about a labor contract, not the state budget, which was the posted topic of the meeting."No, we're not," he said, "but this stuff is sensitive, too." The Senate chair of the committee, Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, said, "I have no response" to why they were meeting in private. He said he would not elaborate because he gives only short answers to the media. The House chair of the committee, Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, said the committee members were not talking about the substance of the budget, but the "process" the committee would follow to finish its work. She said the reason the chairs and leads meet in private is because "sometimes it's difficult to get people talk about the process publically." She invited me to stay at the meeting and said that sometimes reporters have sat in on these meetings when they are aware of them, but she said the meeting would remain in the private back room where the public could not attend. I declined the offer. The "chairs and leads" meeting -- which other committees, not only appropriations, also hold on a regular basis -- is one example of how the public's business at the legislature is done away from the public's eye, despite the strong language of the FOAA. A 1975 "declaration" in that law states: "The Legislature finds and declares that public proceedings exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of the Legislature that their actions be taken openly ..." It adds that the act "shall be liberally construed" -- legalistic language meaning that when in doubt, meetings of elected officials should be open to the public, according to lawyer Sigmund Schutz, an expert on the FOAA and the co-author of "Open Government Guide: Access to Public Records and Meetings in Maine." Yet, Maine legislators meet behind closed doors in at least four different ways: - "Chairs and leads" committee meetings. - Closed-door meetings of a full legislative committee: It has been commonplace in news coverage of the legislature to see such meetings treated as a routine event, such in this June 1 news story by the Bangor Daily News: "After hours of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the Appropriations Committee convened after 11 p.m. Sunday and voted down a range of proposals" from Gov. Paul LePage. While the votes were public, the deliberations were not, despite the FOAA requiring that they be public. And the Portland Press Herald reported on June 2 that most of the appropriations budget negotiations the previous day had been conducted "behind closed doors." - Party caucuses: meetings of just the House or Senate Republicans or Democrats. These are sometimes open to reporters, but they are not publically announced, so citizens would not have a way to know about them. At these meetings, the members of the party discuss and determine their position on key issues, like the budget. - "Corner caucus": These happen in the midst of committee meetings when members of each party will literally go to the corner of the room or the hallway to discuss their position, out of the hearing of the public. Page 79 Legislators conducting public business in private despite state's open meeting law St. John Valley Times (Madawaska, Maine) June 16, 2015

There is no official record of how many of these closed meetings are held. But emails from the appropriations committee clerk obtained by the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting for May and early June -- when the final budget negotiations were being conducted -- reveal that the committee openly admits it is having private meetings, using the insider terminology "off mic." The term means the committee may be meeting, but not in a room with a microphone turned on. Meetings in which the public, lobbyists and press are allowed are "on mic" and can be listened to remotely through a statehouse audio link. On May 28, when the committee was having its chairs and leads meeting, the committee clerk sent out an email to legislators, lobbyists and press on her email list stating the committee "will NOT be going on mike (sic) tonight." And they were not "on mic" at the private meeting I came into uninvited. The emails obtained by the Center show the committee notifying its email list six times in May and once in June that it would hold meetings that would not be "on mic." The emails and interviews with a legal expert and veteran statehouse hands together draw a picture of a growing and accepted practice that contradicts the sweeping opening statement of the Freedom of Access law approved by the legislature in 1975: "The Legislature finds and declares that public proceedings exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business." Mal Leary is both a reporter covering the statehouse, as the political correspondent at Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN), and also a founding member of the state's Right to Know Advisory Committee, which was created by the Legislature to serve as a resource and advisor about Maine's Freedom of Access laws. Leary, whose career dates back to 1975, disputed the claims by Reps. Winsor and Rotundo that they could hold a private meeting because they were discussing sensitive subjects. "There's nothing in the (FOAA) law about sensitivity," Leary said. Attorney Schutz, a partner at the Preti Flaherty law firm, said closed meetings of full committees, subcommittees and the "chairs and leads" are "pretty clearly against the spirit of the (FOAA) act and quite probably against the letter of the act." Like Leary, he said there is no exemption in FOAA for sensitive topics or because lawmakers "are too chicken to do their business in public." When it comes to performing their official duties, Schutz said, "Public officials have no privacy rights." Leary said he recalled the party caucuses have been allowed to be private based on an attorney general's opinion the legislature received "way back" stating they are party functions, not official duties. However, he said the House Democrats almost always open their caucus to the press and the House Republicans do sometimes. But it was rare for either of the Senate party caucuses to be open. Schutz said it is likely that legislators meeting in party caucus are not violating FOAA. Judy Meyer, the managing editor of the Sun Journal in Lewiston and a longtime member of the Right to Know committee, said there is no attorney general opinion that allows caucuses to be closed. "There is a single reference in a letter ... about this, but Schneider and Mills have each said that it was not an 'opinion,'" she said, referring to past AG William Schneider and current AG Janet Mills. Mill's office has not responded to an email and a phone call seeking comment. However, Meyer provided a copy of a Feb. 11, 2010 letter from Linda Pistner, the chief deputy attorney general, to the then-chairs of the legislature's judiciary committee seeking the AG's advice on caucus meetings. The letter states the AG "has not issued any opinion on this issue and this letter should not be cited as one." It goes on to state: "As I understand it, party caucuses are not generally committees or subcommittees of the Legislature. Accordingly, we have said that we could defend a decision to close a caucus ..." Page 80 Legislators conducting public business in private despite state's open meeting law St. John Valley Times (Madawaska, Maine) June 16, 2015

Longtime statehouse hand Geoff Herman, lobbyist for the Maine Municipal Association (MMA), said the problem with the caucuses is that each party "develops their respective positions on each line in the budget outside the public eye." That leaves out the healthy debate between parties that, in his experience, created better legislation and better budgets. Herman has been on the job since the early 1990s, a time, he recalled, when the appropriations committee, for example, would do all of its work in public. "They'd meet for eight, nine hours, into the late night, in public" to iron out disputes over the budget, not in private as they do so often now, he said. "What you had then was a very open legislature ... very different people with very different ideas would each agree with each other. Someone from the far right could say to someone from the far left, 'I can agree with you on that.'" The open meetings "may not have been pretty, but it was as open as open can be," Herman wrote in the MMA's Legislative Bulletin in 2013. He said the mayors, city councilors and selectmen he represents are often held to account on whether they have had a closed meeting, but the same standard isn't applied to the legislature - even though FOAA applies to all levels of Maine government. And when he brings those local officials to the legislature to testify on a bill, they are surprised at the way things are run. "They come up here for a public hearing and in the middle of the hearing they see (legislators) leave the room" to meet in party caucus in a private room off the hallway. As they leave the public meeting, he said, one of the legislators will announce: "We'll let you know when we come to a decision." Herman said, "I feel very bad" asking local officials to come to a hearing because of that sort of treatment. The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting sent questions about the closed meetings to all four leaders of the legislature: Senate President Michael Thibodeau, a Republican; Senate Democratic leader Sen. Justin Alfond; Speaker of the House Rep. Mark Eves, a Democrat; and Republican House leader Rep. Ken Fredette. Only Speaker Eves responded, who drew a distinction between meetings at which votes are taken and those where they are not, although FOAA makes no such distinction in its requirements that deliberations be public, according to attorney Schutz. "All votes and discussions among the full Appropriations Committee have occurred in public and on mic," Eves stated. Regarding the chairs and leads meeting, he said, "The conversations between the chairs and leads of the committee are typically administrative in nature, where workflow and scheduling for the committee is determined. To be clear, no votes or final actions are taken. These can be open to journalists or to the public." However, a review of the publically posted meetings of the appropriations committee for May, when the committee was deep into budget negotiations, shows no mention of a time or place for chairs and leads meetings. Sen. Katz -- a former mayor of Augusta -- said "this is my second legislature serving on the appropriations committee. The culture and practice had been that many discussions trying to find middle ground take place in meetings out back between chairs and leads. That has going on for decades I believe. I don't think we have seen any legal opinion on the subject one way or the other." Schutz, the expert on Maine's open meetings and records law, said, "The legislature meets on public property while being paid by the public to discuss public business." "It's not OK," said Schutz, to go behind closed doors for those discussions. The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news service based in Augusta. Email: [email protected] Web: www.pinetreewatchdog.org.

Page 81 Legislators conducting public business in private despite state's open meeting law St. John Valley Times (Madawaska, Maine) June 16, 2015

LOAD-DATE: June 21, 2015

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

June 9, 2015 Tuesday

Legislators' closed-door meetings likely illegal

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 2267 words

AUGUSTA -- On Wednesday, May 28, the Legislature's most powerful committee -- the one that effectively controls the state's $6 billion budget -- was scheduled to meet in Room 228 of the State House. Naomi Schalit photo The door at the back of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee chamber at the State House in Augusta leads to a suite of private rooms where the committee's "chairs and leads" held a private meeting May 28. The printed calendar posted outside the large chamber said the meeting of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee would start at 1 p.m., but the more up-to-date electronic calendar in the lobby said the meeting would begin at 1:30. But at 1 and at 1:30 the chamber was empty except for a gaggle of middle school students who were getting a lecture on how their state government works. Just after 1:30, they filed out, but no committee members filed in. The government the students had come to see in action wasn't late for the meeting. Its key members were, in fact, meeting -- but not where the civics class or any member of the public could see them. Instead, some committee members were bypassing the public chamber in which their meetings are traditionally held and going through a private door that leads to a suite of small rooms. One member, Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, emerged from the back rooms that day and explained that a select subgroup of the committee was meeting there: He called it a "chairs and leads" meeting. In State House-speak, that's a subcommittee made of the two chairpersons of a committee and leading members. I told him I'd like to cover the meeting, and I intended to go through the door where he came out. He told me that door was locked, except for legislators and staff. But, there was another way in: In the back of the public meeting room there is a door marked "Legislators and Staff Only." That door is not locked. I went through it to the suite behind and heard voices coming from one of the rooms. I knocked on the door and a voice said, "Come in." Gathered around a desk were five of the 13 members of the committee -- "chairs and leads." Page 82 Legislators' closed-door meetings likely illegal Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 9, 2015 Tuesday

I had brought with me a copy of the state's Freedom of Access Act because I had seen repeated reports in the media of closed-door meetings about the budget. I quoted sections of the act to the legislators. One section states the public's business, which includes deliberation by committees of more than three is to "be conducted openly." I asked them how their private meeting was legal given the wording of the Freedom of Access Act. "You wouldn't negotiate a labor contract in public, would you?" replied one of the committee "leads," Rep. Tom Winsor, R-Norway. I asked him if they were talking about a labor contract, not the state budget, which was the posted topic of the meeting. "No, we're not," he said, "but this stuff is sensitive, too." The Senate chairman of the committee, Sen. James Hamper, R- Oxford, said, "I have no response" to why they were meeting in private. He said he would not elaborate because he gives only short answers to the media. The House chairwoman of the committee, Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D- Lewiston, said the committee members were not talking about the substance of the budget, but the "process" the committee would follow to finish its work. She said the reason the chairs and leads meet in private is because "sometimes it's difficult to get people to talk about the process publicly." She invited me to stay at the meeting and said that sometimes reporters have sat in on these meetings when they are aware of them, but she said the meeting would remain in the private back room where the public could not attend. I declined the offer. The "chairs and leads" meeting, which other committees also hold on a regular basis, is one example of how the public's business at the Legislature is done away from the public's eye, despite the strong language of the FOAA. A 1975 "declaration" in that law states: "The Legislature finds and declares that public proceedings exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of the Legislature that their actions be taken openly ... " It adds that the act "shall be liberally construed" -- legalistic language meaning that when in doubt, meetings of elected officials should be open to the public, according to lawyer Sigmund Schutz, an expert on the FOAA and the co-author of "Open Government Guide: Access to Public Records and Meetings in Maine." Yet, Maine legislators meet behind closed doors in at least four ways: * "Chairs and leads" committee meetings. * Closed-door meetings of a full legislative committee. It has been commonplace in news coverage of the Legislature to see such meetings treated as routine events, such as in this June 1 news story by the Bangor Daily News: "After hours of behind-the- scenes negotiations, the Appropriations Committee convened after 11 p.m. Sunday and voted down a range of proposals" from Gov. Paul LePage. While the votes were public, the deliberations were not, despite the FOAA requirement that they be public. And the Portland Press Herald reported on June 2 that most of the Appropriations budget negotiations the previous day had been conducted "behind closed doors." * Party caucuses: meetings of just the House or Senate Republicans or Democrats. These are sometimes open to reporters, but they are not publicly announced, so citizens would not have a way to know about them. At these meetings, the members of the party discuss and determine their positions on key issues, such as the budget. * "Corner caucus:" These happen in the midst of committee meetings when members of each party will go to the corner of the room or the hallway to discuss their position, out of the hearing of the public. There is no official record of how many of these closed meetings are held. But emails from the Appropriations Committee clerk obtained by the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting for May and early Page 83 Legislators' closed-door meetings likely illegal Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 9, 2015 Tuesday

June -- when the final budget negotiations were being conducted -- reveal that the committee openly admits it is having private meetings, using the insider terminology "off mic." The term means the committee may be meeting but not in a room with a microphone turned on. Meetings in which the public, lobbyists and press are allowed are "on mic" and can be listened to remotely through a State House audio link. On May 28, when the committee was having its chairs and leads meeting, the committee clerk sent an email to legislators, lobbyists and press on her email list stating the committee "will NOT be going on mike (sic) tonight." And they were not "on mic" at the private meeting I came into uninvited. The emails obtained by the Center for Public Interest Reporting show the committee notifying its email list six times in May and once in June that it would hold meetings that would not be "on mic." The emails and interviews with a legal expert and veteran State House hands together draw a picture of a growing and accepted practice that contradicts the sweeping opening statement of the Freedom of Access Act approved by the Legislature in 1975: "The Legislature finds and declares that public proceedings exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business." Mal Leary is both a reporter covering the State House as the political correspondent at Maine Public Broadcasting Network and a founding member of the state's Right to Know Advisory Committee, which was created by the Legislature to serve as a resource and adviser about Maine's Freedom of Access laws. Leary, whose career dates back to 1975, disputed the claims by Reps. Winsor and Rotundo that they could hold a private meeting because they were discussing sensitive subjects. "There's nothing in the (FOAA) law about sensitivity," Leary said. Attorney Schutz, a partner at the Preti Flaherty law firm, said closed meetings of full committees, subcommittees and the "chairs and leads" are "pretty clearly against the spirit of the (FOAA) act and quite probably against the letter of the act." Like Leary, he said there is no exemption in FOAA for sensitive topics or because lawmakers "are too chicken to do their business in public." When it comes to performing their official duties, Schutz said, "Public officials have no privacy rights." Leary said he recalled the party caucuses have been allowed to be private based on an attorney general's opinion the Legislature received "way back" stating they are party functions, not official duties. However, he said, the House Democrats almost always open their caucus to the press and the House Republicans sometimes do. But it was rare for either of the Senate party caucuses to be open. Schutz said it is likely that legislators meeting in party caucuses are not violating FOAA. Judy Meyer, managing editor/days at the Sun Journal in Lewiston and a longtime member of the Right to Know committee, said there is no attorney general opinion that allows caucuses to be closed. "There is a single reference in a letter ... about this, but Schneider and Mills have each said that it was not an 'opinion,'" she said, referring to former Attorney General William Schneider and current Attorney General Janet Mills. Mills' office did not respond to an email and a phone call seeking comment. However, Meyer provided a copy of a Feb. 11, 2010, letter from Linda Pistner, the chief deputy attorney general, to the then- chairmen of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee seeking the AG's advice on caucus meetings. The letter states the AG "has not issued any opinion on this issue and this letter should not be cited as one." It goes on to state: "As I understand it, party caucuses are not generally committees or subcommittees of the Legislature. Accordingly, we have said that we could defend a decision to close a caucus ... " Page 84 Legislators' closed-door meetings likely illegal Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 9, 2015 Tuesday

Longtime State House hand Geoff Herman, lobbyist for the Maine Municipal Association, said the problem with the caucuses is that each party "develops their respective positions on each line in the budget outside the public eye." That leaves out the healthy debate between parties that, in his experience, created better legislation and better budgets. Herman has been on the job since the early 1990s, a time, he recalled, when the Appropriations Committee, for example, would do all of its work in public. "They'd meet for eight, nine hours, into the late night, in public" to iron out disputes over the budget, not in private as they do so often now, he said. "What you had then was a very open Legislature ... very different people with very different ideas would each agree with each other," Herman said. "Someone from the far right could say to someone from the far left, 'I can agree with you on that.'" The open meetings "may not have been pretty, but it was as open as open can be," Herman wrote in the MMA's Legislative Bulletin in 2013. He said the mayors, city councilors and selectmen he represents are often held to account on whether they have had a closed meeting, but the same standard isn't applied to the legislature, even though FOAA applies to all levels of Maine government. And when he brings those local officials to the Legislature to testify on a bill, they are surprised at the way things are run. "They come up here for a public hearing and in the middle of the hearing they see (legislators) leave the room" to meet in party caucus in a private room off the hallway. As they leave the public meeting, he said, one of the legislators will announce: "'We'll let you know when we come to a decision.'" Herman said, "I feel very bad" about asking local officials to come to a hearing because of that sort of treatment. The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting sent questions about the closed meetings to all four leaders of the Legislature: Senate President Michael Thibodeau, a Republican; Senate Democratic leader Justin Alfond; Speaker of the House Mark Eves, a Democrat; and Republican House Leader Ken Fredette. Only Eves responded. He drew a distinction between meetings at which votes are taken and those where they are not, although FOAA makes no such distinction in its requirements that deliberations be public, according to attorney Schutz. "All votes and discussions among the full Appropriations Committee have occurred in public and on mic," Eves said. Regarding the chairs and leads meeting, he said, "The conversations between the chairs and leads of the committee are typically administrative in nature, where work flow and scheduling for the committee is determined. To be clear, no votes or final actions are taken. These can be open to journalists or to the public." However, a review of the publicly posted meetings of the Appropriations Committee for May, when the committee was deep into budget negotiations, shows no mention of a time or place for chairs and leads meetings. Sen. Katz, a former mayor of Augusta, said, "This is my second Legislature serving on the Appropriations Committee. The culture and practice had been that many discussions trying to find middle ground take place in meetings out back between chairs and leads. "That has been going on for decades, I believe. I don't think we have seen any legal opinion on the subject one way or the other," Katz said. Schutz, the expert on Maine's open meetings and records law, said, "The Legislature meets on public property while being paid by the public to discuss public business." "It's not OK," Schutz said, to go behind closed doors for those discussions. The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news service based in Augusta. Email: [email protected] Web: www.pinetreewatchdog.org.

Page 85 Legislators' closed-door meetings likely illegal Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 9, 2015 Tuesday

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Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine)

June 7, 2015 Sunday

Battle lines drawn on budget plans

BYLINE: Miller, Kevin; MISTLER, STEVE

SECTION: Pg. 2.B ISSN: 0745-2039

LENGTH: 957 words

ABSTRACT In another key compromise, Senate Republicans and Democrats have agreed to put forward a constitutional amendment that, if approved by two-thirds of the Legislature and then voters by the same margin, would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers of the Legislature to approve future income tax increases.

FULL TEXT AUGUSTA -- The Legislature's budget committee abandoned its quest early Saturday morning for unanimous agreement on a new state budget and, in a break with long-standing tradition, sent two competing spending plans to the House and Senate floors. The lack of consensus sets the stage for intense negotiations and time-consuming debate, heightening the prospect of a government shutdown July 1. The 13-member Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee voted 9-4 just after midnight Friday in support of an agreement that was negotiated last weekend by Thibodeau and Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves, of North Berwick. After 148 days of work on the more than $6 billion spending plan, however, lawmakers from both parties expressed disappointment at their inability to coalesce behind a single proposal. "I don't believe either report will garner two-thirds support in either chamber," said Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, the committee co-chairman who joined with seven Democrats and his Republican Senate colleague in support of the majority proposal. "That concerns me greatly, but the eternal optimist inside of me rallies at the report that the four leaders will gather this weekend ... and I'm confident that in the coming days we will have something that will draw both parties and both chambers together." Page 86 Battle lines drawn on budget plans Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine) June 7, 2015 Sunday

The majority budget would increase funding for kindergarten-through-grade 12 education by $50 million, increase community college funding by $10 million, maintain municipal revenue sharing and increase the popular Homestead property tax credit. In the area of taxation, the proposal would allow Maine's sales tax to fall to 5 percent -- down from the current, temporary increase to 5.5 percent -- and increase the estate tax exemption from $2 million to $5.5 million. But the nine committee members rejected , Gov. Paul LePage's proposals to cut income and corporate taxes. In another key compromise, Senate Republicans and Democrats have agreed to put forward a constitutional amendment that, if approved by two-thirds of the Legislature and then voters by the same margin, would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers of the Legislature to approve future income tax increases. House Republicans on the committee criticized that budget package, however, and were backing an alternate budget that, among other things, would reduce the income tax, maintain the current Homestead exemption and adopt LePage's welfare reforms. Unlike the governor's original proposal, the Republican package would not increase or broaden Maine's sales tax but would keep it at 5.5 percent. House Republicans are also proposing to increase the meals and lodging tax. "I think this is not a good (majority) budget that we are coming out with," said Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, one of the four dissenting votes. "I look forward to coming back and negotiating a better product in a few days." House Minority Leader Rep. Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, said early Saturday his caucus of 68 members is "rock solid" in support of their priorities. But the dispute has raised the prospect that non-essential state operations could shut down at the peak of Maine's tourism season for the first time since 1991 -- a prospect for which both parties are already assigning blame. "If the House Republicans and the Governor choose to shutdown state government, it will be because they insisted on prioritizing tax breaks to the wealthiest," Senate Democratic Leader Justin Alfond, D-Portland, said in a statement. The impasse sets the stage for further negotiations among leadership, or, in the worst case, divisive floor debates during which 151 members of the Legislature could offer amendments to the two-year spending plan. Although state government wouldn't shut down until July 1, the pressure is on because the budget is hundreds of pages of legislation. The budget must be printed, and it includes figures that must be calculated, a time-consuming process. Estimates vary on how long it would take to complete the process, but time is running out. Funding for state government ends June 30. That means lawmakers need to send the budget to LePage by June 17. The governor has 10 days not including Sundays to either sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature. To override a veto, lawmakers need two-thirds majorities in both chambers -- a feat that would not be possible in the House if Republican members hold ranks and vote with LePage. When state government shut down for 17 days in 1991, 10,000 state workers were idled and most state agencies were closed. State parks were closed at the height of the tourist season. There were delays in unemployment checks and permits for businesses. State road projects such as repaving and pothole repair were suspended. Unlike Congress, the Legislature doesn't have the ability to pass the type of "continuing resolutions" that have become routine in Washington, D.C., in order to keep federal offices open without a new budget. That's because, unlike the federal government, Maine must operate on a balanced budget. Even so, some lawmakers have discussed the possibility of passing a "baseline budget" that essentially adopts the current budget with the expectation that lawmakers will make adjustments later. Steve Mistler -- 620-7016: [email protected] Twitter: @stevemistler Credit: By Kevin miller State House Bureau and STEVE MISTLER Maine Sunday Telegram

Page 87 Battle lines drawn on budget plans Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine) June 7, 2015 Sunday

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

June 3, 2015 Wednesday

LePage said he had nothing to do with robocalls targeting GOP senators

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 387 words

PORTLAND, Maine -- Gov. Paul LePage told reporters in Portland on Wednesday that he had nothing to do with robocalls against Republican senators circulated earlier this week by his daughter and her organization, Maine People Before Politics.

Lauren LePage's voice was on robocalls Monday evening that criticized eight lawmakers, including all five members of Senate Democratic and Republican leadership plus all three senators on the Appropriations Committee.

That group includes Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport; Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon; Assistant Senate Majority Leader Andre Cushing, R-Hampden; Senate Minority Leader Justin Alfond, D-Portland; Assistant Senate Minority Leader Dawn Hill, D-Cape Neddick; as well as Republican Sens. James Hamper and Roger Katz and Democratic Sen. Linda Valentino.

In the calls, Lauren LePage said repeatedly that the senators would rather fund welfare than support income tax cuts and are "working behind the scenes with liberal Democrats" to oppose LePage's tax reform proposal.

That statement closely mimics what LePage has been saying since a news conference at the Blaine House on Friday. Mason and Thibodeau have said the governor is twisting the truth about their positions and that they are fully behind not only reducing but eliminating the income tax, as LePage is advocating for.

Page 88 LePage said he had nothing to do with robocalls targeting GOP senators Bangor Daily News (Maine) June 3, 2015 Wednesday

"I have nothing to do with [the robocalls]," said LePage. "I have nothing to do with my daughter. She's a young adult and she can do what she wants. I had nothing to do with it. Am I proud of her? You bet I'm proud of my daughter and I'm proud of my son."

Lauren LePage is executive director of Maine People Before Politics, an organization that works in support of the governor.

Mason, Thibodeau and the rest of the Republicans in the Senate have been criticized often by LePage in recent weeks as it has become evident that they are far from supporting the governor's biennial budget proposal. On Sunday, it became clear that Senate Republicans have struck a budget deal with Democrats which is at odds with House Republicans and LePage.

The budget-writing Appropriations Committee continues to work on the details of its compromise budget, and House Republicans already have said they will offer an alternative, which is likely to align more closely with LePage's.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

June 1, 2015 Monday

Maine Democrats rip GOP leader on forcing state budget standoff

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE; State Politics Editor, SCOTT THISTLE, State Politics Editor

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 1136 words

AUGUSTA - After late-night negotiations Sunday that apparently moved the Legislature's Appropriations Committee closer to a deal on a roughly $6.57 billion two-year state budget that must be in place by July 1 to avoid a government shutdown, the political battle among Republicans over including tax cuts in that budget hardened Monday. Sun Journal file photo Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, defended a compromise that would not include income tax cuts in the two-year budget but would move the state closer to a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote to enact future income tax increases. Page 89 Maine Democrats rip GOP leader on forcing state budget standoff Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 1, 2015 Monday

Breaking with Thibodeau, House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R- Newport, reiterated his commitment to resisting any new two-year state budget plan that does not include welfare reform and income tax cuts, two priorities that Gov. Paul LePage included in his budget proposal. Meanwhile, Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett blasted Fredette for risking a state government shutdown for the cause of giving income tax cuts to the state's "ultrarich." "Rep. Fredette is trying to become the Ted Cruz of the Maine Republican Party, proving he'll do whatever it takes to stand in the way of ensuring a fair budget deal for the people of Maine," Bartlett said in a prepared statement. "His misguided priorities are a perfect example of what's holding back our state's economic growth and a fair budget deal that will grow Maine's middle class." During a meeting with media on Monday, Fredette said his House caucus remains resolute that any budget package include an income tax reduction and spending cuts. "The people of Maine have been tightening their belts, and it's about time we do the same here in state government," Fredette said. He also urged lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee to delay sending a final budget proposal to the House and Senate chambers on Monday. "I would like to see that we don't close this budget tonight, because we think that rushing to close this budget at this point in time will put us in a position where House Republicans will be put in a position, quite frankly, where we won't be able to support this budget," he said. Democrats argue that a budget and tax plan offered by Republicans would actually be a tax increase for all Mainers earning less than $57,000 per year. Citing data from the Maine Center for Economic Policy, a Portland- based liberal think tank, Democrats say the state's top 1 percent of income earners will see an average tax cut of more than $8,300. Fredette said Monday that Republicans were not locked in on a specific reduction for any of Maine's income tax brackets. Instead, he described the GOP's goal as "a meaningful income tax reduction, welfare reform and reduced spending." He said House Republicans also wanted to provide funding to eliminate the waitlists at the Department of Health and Human Services for severely disabled individuals and eliminate hundreds of state jobs that have gone unfilled for two years. Fredette said his minority caucus met Monday and remained united behind that goal. But he also said minority Republicans in the House intended to get a budget deal in place before theof the fiscal year and had no intentions of forcing a state government shutdown. Lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee late Sunday reached preliminary agreement on a tentative budget deal that doesn't include income tax cuts but instead offers voters a chance to make all future legislatures show two-thirds support for any income tax increases. The committee was continuing its work late into Monday evening but Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, the Senate co-chair of the committee, said the panel would not be finishing its final votes on its budget package until later in the week -- at the earliest late Tuesday. While Senate Republicans on the panel have initially approved the plan, House Republicans are resisting it. Fredette said early Monday that his caucus would fight "tooth and nail" against the budget bill if it doesn't include income tax reductions. During a separate meeting with media Monday, Thibodeau said all State House Republicans supported the same goal of lowering and eventually eliminating the income tax. Thibodeau said the proposal to require a two-thirds vote for any future income tax increase was the best plan to protect a reduction, if enacted. "Today we have an historic opportunity to actually get that passed," Thibodeau said. "Constitutional amendments don't come along every day." Page 90 Maine Democrats rip GOP leader on forcing state budget standoff Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 1, 2015 Monday

Fredette said House Republicans had "nothing but respect" for their Republican colleagues in the Senate, but he also seemed dismissive of the Senate Republican proposal for a state constitutional amendment. "The principles in this budget that have been put forward by our governor and those who elected this Republican governor with the largest number of votes in Maine history, brought in a Republican Senate and picking up 10 seats in the House -- that's what we got elected on, not some constitutional amendment that's popped up out of nowhere in the last 24 hours," Fredette said. But Thibodeau said the idea is not a new one and that many Republican candidates included their support for the idea when they were campaigning both in 2012 and 2014. Thibodeau also said he and other Republicans support allowing voters to decide on a constitutional amendment to abolish the income tax, as proposed by LePage. Still, it remained clear Monday that Senate Republicans were steadfast against paying for any income tax reductions with an increase or expansion of the sales tax in Maine, as proposed by LePage. Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon, said he ran and was elected in 2010 opposing a sales tax expansion that was overturned that same year at the ballot box during a citizens referendum on the issue. "In the 2010 election, the same year that Gov. LePage was elected, that same time Maine people voted in Paul LePage and they voted against a large increase and expansion of the sales tax," Mason said. "Senate Republicans are really in no different place than we were in 2010, we are for an income tax reduction." LePage, who has been bringing his budget proposal to public meetings around Maine, has planned a meeting for Lisbon, the heart of Mason's Senate district, on Tuesday night. Mason said while he supports much of what LePage has accomplished during the past few years, including tax reductions, job creation and regulatory reform, he isn't on the same page when it comes to swapping an increased sales tax for a reduced income tax. Mason said he didn't plan to attend LePage's meeting Tuesday. He said the Legislature had double sessions planned for most of the week, including Tuesday. "I plan on being here working," Mason said. "My constitutional duty is to be in my seat voting." [email protected]

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

May 24, 2015 Sunday Page 91 Is a stagnant Maine Legislature turning into Congress Jr.? Bangor Daily News (Maine) May 24, 2015 Sunday

Is a stagnant Maine Legislature turning into Congress Jr.?

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 1377 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- With less than a month until adjournment, "divided reports" has become the theme for the first session of the 127th Legislature. By the time the final gavel drops, that theme may have morphed to "the session of no progress."

"Divided reports" is a term that means little to most Mainers outside the State House. But under the dome, it's a clear sign of partisan discord. The term refers to when the Legislature's policy committees are unable to reach unanimous consensus on proposed legislation.

As of Friday afternoon, that has happened 329 times. Votes at the committee level -- especially when they're divided on party lines -- are often indications of how bills will fare in the full Legislature. While not death sentences, divided reports signal a poor prognosis for any bill's chances of becoming law.

The fact that Democrats hold the majority in the House and Republicans have it in the Senate means any bill that makes it into law will do so with support from both parties. With Republicans and Democrats digging in their ideological heels on issues they have identified as priorities, it's starting to look like neither party will accomplish many of the goals each laid out with optimism at the start of the session.

Sound familiar? That's because it is. The U.S. Congress has been mired in gridlock for years. Though Republicans now control both chambers on Capitol Hill, Barack Obama is Democrats' trump card -- and a sure bet that the most ideologically divisive issues will stagnate.

Here are warning signs that the Maine Legislature is on a path to becoming Congress Jr.

Not many bills have made it through the process. According to recent data from the Office of Policy and Legal Analysis, more than 1,400 bills and resolves were proposed this year. About 111 have become law as of Friday afternoon, according to the Legislature's bill-tracking website. As of the beginning of last week, only 550 bills had seen final disposition, which equates to less than 30 percent.

So far, Republicans and Democrats have refused to budge on some key issues. On Wednesday, Democrats on the Health and Human Services Committee rejected Republican Gov. Paul LePage's bid to drug-test all recipients and applicants in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides a cash benefit for families who fall below certain income thresholds. It was a signal that though both parties are interested in what LePage calls welfare reform, progress on this issue will be as difficult as ever. Mud-slinging over the issue by the two parties has grown more intense.

Conversely, Democrats have put considerable effort into trying to raise Maine's minimum wage, but Republicans are entrenched against it because they say it would hurt businesses and kill jobs. There is zero chance of any adjustment coming out of the Legislature this year. The AFL-CIO and progressive Maine People's Alliance recognize that and have banded together in a citizens initiative that if successful would ask statewide voters in 2016 to raise the wage to $12 an hour by 2020.

There has been some cross-over support. On Thursday, the Senate voted 24-11, with four Democrats joining Republicans in support of a bill to limit the time anyone can collect General Assistance benefits to nine Page 92 Is a stagnant Maine Legislature turning into Congress Jr.? Bangor Daily News (Maine) May 24, 2015 Sunday months in every five-year period. That bill might have problems winning support from enough Democrats in the House to send it to LePage.

Even some bills with near-unanimous support are being held up. One of the controversial bills this session is the so-called $38 million "and" bill, which would fix a typo in 2013 legislation that has a huge impact on funding for energy conservation projects overseen by Efficiency Maine. It was controversial because LePage and House Minority Leader Ken Fredette tried to attach the creation of a Cabinet-level energy commissioner and staff to the typo fix legislation. The House of Representatives ended up voting 138-1 in favor of the simple "and" fix on May 6. Despite the strong bipartisan support in the House, that bill has yet to be brought to a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Meanwhile, Fredette's version of the "and" bill remains in the Democratic-controlled Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee without a recommendation. It appears that Republicans and Democrats are playing a game of which bill is the cart and which is the horse.

If there has been major progress on the budget, it's not obvious. Members of the Appropriations Committee have been debating LePage's biennial budget proposal for weeks but have taken relatively few votes. Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, who co-chairs the committee had said that his goal was to have the budget voted out by Friday, but Friday afternoon, committee staff announced that there would be no work sessions over the weekend or Memorial Day.

Hamper now hopes to have a budget to deliver to the full Legislature by May 29.

The major question around the budget is whether the final version will include any major tax reforms. LePage's original proposal certainly did and since then both Republicans and Democrats have released their own plans. Both parties, however, have drawn lines in the sand that are ideologically miles apart. As recently as Friday, LePage and Republican leaders in the House and Senate issued a statement insisting that "meaningful tax cuts" be included in the new budget.

But the definition of "meaningful" has softened since LePage introduced what supporters called a revolutionary tax reform plan in January.

With state revenues on the upswing and lawmakers predicting a revenue surplus this year in the tens of millions of dollars, pressure is increasing from some quarters to pass a state budget by June 30 that avoids a government shutdown by carving tax reform out of the equation and passing a budget for the next two years that's essentially the same as the current one.

Where does LePage fit into the mix? Having conducted a series of town hall meetings across the state and a pattern of delivering harsh criticisms to lawmakers, LePage couldn't be trying any harder to gain support for his tax reform goals. Despite that, there is no question that lawmakers have mostly abandoned his budget proposal, at least as far as it involves tax reform.

While Democrats are saying a "meaningful" tax reform deal is unlikely, LePage, Fredette and Senate President Mike Thibodeau of Winterport said in a joint statement that they remain committed to eliminating the income tax.

Unless a majority of the rest of the Legislature agrees -- which would have to include some Democrats -- the governor is likely to veto the second biennial budget bill in a row. The pressure will then be on Republicans, who have shown that their initial support of bills often doesn't mean they won't later support LePage's vetoes.

Page 93 Is a stagnant Maine Legislature turning into Congress Jr.? Bangor Daily News (Maine) May 24, 2015 Sunday

Opposition to some of his welfare reform initiatives will also leave the governor disappointed. With two of his priority proposals going up on smoke, it might seem like LePage's influence is waning, but it isn't. He is still the leader of the Republican Party in Maine and he still has the power in the State House and support in the public to cause major problems for his political opponents.

LePage has repeatedly threatened to work against the re-election of legislators, including Republicans, who oppose his tax reform plan and will keep the pressure on for a statewide vote in 2016 to repeal the income tax by 2020.

What's it all mean? This Legislature is unlikely to enact major changes to its own priorities, such as tax reform, welfare reform, broadband Internet expansion, supports for job creation, a raise in the minimum wage, requiring voters to show photo identification and campaign finance reform.

From the outside, that might seem like a failure. On the other hand, the nation's founders designed government to work this way so that whatever does end up in law is presumably more reflective of society's wants and needs than the proposals that come from either side of the ideological spectrum.

During a slow, steady economic recovery and absent fiscal or governance crises, a "do-nothing" Legislature may simply reflect that Mainers have settled into a comfortable zone where fights among partisan politicians have little impact outside the dome.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

May 22, 2015 Friday

Health groups fear lawmakers may shift Maine's anti-smoking stance

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 919 words

AUGUSTA -- Health advocates say that if lawmakers aren't careful, they could undo decades of successful anti-tobacco policy. Elements of Gov. Paul LePage's budget and several bills in the Legislature could each push Maine toward a backslide, they said during a news conference Thursday. Page 94 Health groups fear lawmakers may shift Maine's anti-smoking stance Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) May 22, 2015 Friday

"For over 25 years, we have systematically worked to reverse the upward trend of smoking. ... We are perilously close to seeing that progress disappear" said Karen O'Rourke, an assistant professor of public health at the University of New England and long-time anti- tobacco advocate. O'Rourke was joined by representatives from the American Lung Association, American Medical Association, American Cancer Society and MaineHealth in urging legislators not to de-escalate what one speaker called the "war against tobacco." LePage's budget would cut state spending on anti-tobacco programs at the Healthy Maine Partnerships, a network of community health organizations throughout the state. The roughly $6 million annually in state appropriations would be used, instead, to fund increased primary care reimbursements rates for Medicaid patients. The group's opposition to that budget provision is well-known. But it's not just the budget that has them ringing alarms. They're are also carefully watching three other bills. They support a bill by House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe, D-Skowhegan, to ban the use of nicotine vaporizers or e-cigarettes in all the places that smoking is currently prohibited. And they oppose a bill by Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, to allow certain tobacco shops to operate cigar lounges that can serve alcoholic beverages to cigar smokers. The problem with public vaping and cigar bars is that both could "normalize" tobacco use for a new generation who have come up in a society that otherwise discourages smoking. "Policymakers cannot let big tobacco convince us there is a new reality, where electronic cigarette aerosol is safe and acceptable, or the creation of a cigar bar, which unfairly competes with other bars [where smoking would still be illegal] won't make a difference," O'Rourke said. In the late 1990s, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a survey of smoking in the United States, which indicated that Maine had the highest smoking rates in the country, with roughly four out of 10 young adults reporting they smoked. Policymakers quickly adopted measures to combat tobacco use, including doubling the cigarette excise tax from 37 cents to 74 cents. As the years went on, Maine banned smoking in public places, and a giant annual cash settlement from Big Tobacco was diverted to the new Healthy Maine Partnerships. Today, the cigarette excise tax is $2 per pack -- tied for 12th highest in the nation. The youth smoking rate is just 13 percent and the overall rate is 20 percent, roughly mirroring the rate nationally, according to the MaineHealth Index. For DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew, that's evidence that tobacco cessation and prevention efforts at the Healthy Maine Partnerships aren't working. Because low-income Mainers are more likely to smoke than more affluent ones, diverting funding to Medicaid reimbursements just makes sense, she said. "Despite ranking seventh in the country for tobacco cessation spending, Maine's smoking rate for years has mirrored the national average," Mayhew said in a written statement. "The [Healthy Maine Partnerships] approach simply hasn't worked and it's time for a change." But an epidemiologist with MaineHealth, Tim Cowan, said the overall smoking rate is not the only indicator worth examining to analyze Maine's progress in kicking the tobacco habit. The state has a higher-than-average percentage of people who are more dependent on tobacco, he said. And certain demographics smoke more than others: Adults aged 25 to 34 smoke at a rate of higher than 30 percent. Those who make less than $15,000 per year have a smoking rate of almost 40 percent. There are also geographic factors, Cowan said: In Aroostook, Somerset and Oxford counties, one in four adults smoke. "The war on tobacco is not over yet," said Hillary Schneider, director of government relations for the Maine chapter of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network. "While progress has been made in the battle against addiction, we cannot rest on past success." For now, public health advocates -- the warriors in Schneider's war -- are in lobbying mode. Page 95 Health groups fear lawmakers may shift Maine's anti-smoking stance Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) May 22, 2015 Friday

McCabe's and Hamper's bills are both awaiting votes in the Legislature. Budget negotiators in the Appropriations Committee are working long hours on LePage's budget, and will vote soon on whether to go along with his plan to cut funding to the Healthy Maine Partnerships. Ed Miller, northeast senior vice president for policy for the American Lung Association, said he's hoping the committee's Republicans will continue funding the Healthy Maine Partnerships in exchange for an independent audit of the group's activities. He said the groups could use a "reset," given the radically different look tobacco has today than it did 20 years ago. "If you were developing these entities today, what would their tobacco agenda look like?" he said in an interview. "We don't want to restore the money just for the status quo. We want this program to be changed, to be looked at. I'm hoping that in the budget process there are enough people who see that the infrastructure [of the Healthy Maine Partnerships] has great benefit to a rural state like Maine. This really is our public health infrastructure," he said.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

May 14, 2015 Thursday

Exclusive: State House Republicans offer plan counter to LePage on state budget and taxes

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE; State Politics Editor, SCOTT THISTLE, State Politics Editor

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 1024 words

AUGUSTA -- Gov. Paul LePage has promised he would campaign against any lawmaker who opposes his efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate the state's income tax. But a tax-reform plan being offered by LePage's Republican allies in the State House falls far short of the governor's proposal, setting up the possibility that they will face LePage's ire in 2016. Page 96 Exclusive: State House Republicans offer plan counter to LePage on state budget and taxes Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) May 14, 2015 Thursday

Based on a GOP document obtained by the Sun Journal on Thursday and in contrast to LePage's proposal to reduce the state's top income-tax rate from 7.95 percent to 5.75 percent, the Republican plan would reduce the top rate to 6.95 percent, a number that will likely move upward during negotiations with Democrats. The tax plan is the final and stickiest part of a new two-year state budget that lawmakers on the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations Committee are in the process of negotiating. Lead Republican lawmakers on the panel acknowledge they would be presenting a new proposal to their Democratic colleagues on Friday but would not go into details of the plan. But besides the difference in the income-tax reduction, the Republican plan also deviates from LePage's plan in several other places. LePage's plan eliminates approximately $62.5 million in state revenue-sharing with towns and cities starting in 2017, but the Republican plan looks like it not only maintains revenue-sharing, but increases it by about $2 million in 2017, bringing the total to more than $64 million. Republicans also appear to disagree with LePage's proposal to permanently increase the state's sales tax from 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent and broaden it to include more services and goods. The Republican plan appears to leave most of the current sales-tax exemptions in place. The state sales tax is currently set at 5.5 percent but is scheduled to return to 5.0 percent at theof the state's fiscal year on June 30. The Republican plan leaves the sales tax at 5.5 percent and does expand it to a broader range of goods and services but not to the extent the LePage plan does. Most professional services including those provided by lawyers, doctors and accountants remain sales tax free under the Republican plan. LePage's plan also reduces the sales tax on auto rentals from 10 percent to 8 percent while the Republican plan appears to keep that tax at 10 percent. LePage also seeks to reduce the current tax on meals and lodging from 8 percent to 6.5, percent while the Republican plan suggests increasing that tax to 9 percent. While LePage's proposal allows a sales-tax credit for lower- income individuals and families based on income, the Republican plan does not appear to include the same credit. LePage's plan also seeks to double a property-tax credit for homeowners over 65 while eliminating that program for younger homeowners. The Republican plan appears to keep the current program in place. The Republican plan also leaves in place itemized income tax deductions, which the LePage plan eliminates. The Republican proposal also appears to leave in place Maine's estate tax, which LePage seeks to eliminate. Under the GOP proposal Maine's estate tax would match the federal estate tax policy of exempting the first $5.5 million of an inheritance from taxes. The Republican plan, shared anonymously as a spreadsheet marked confidential, is also dubbed the "TimberNut" plan, presumably for two Republican members of the Appropriations Committee: state Reps. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, and Robert Nutting, R-Oakland. On Thursday, both the House and Senate co-chairs of the committee -- one a Democrat and the other a Republican, said they believed their committee would produce a budget that could garner the two- thirds majority support it needs to become law over a LePage veto. Over the past four months, state lawmakers on the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations Committee have been sorting through LePage's budget proposal. According to the co-chairs of the committee, state Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, and state Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, the panel has done a good job of agreeing on how to spend the $6.57 billion in LePage's proposed budget. What the panel is now going to work on is how to pay for that spending in the form of revenue collections. Page 97 Exclusive: State House Republicans offer plan counter to LePage on state budget and taxes Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) May 14, 2015 Thursday

While Hamper wouldn't discuss details of the soon-to-be released GOP plan, he did say the committee had several options to consider as it worked to produce a final budget between now and theof June. One option, Hamper said, is maintaining the state budget at its current level and with the current tax scheme. Because the state budget is currently operating in the black, lawmakers aren't under pressure to devise a budget that either cuts spending or raises revenue significantly. "As far as the budget process goes, we are in the last 10 days," Hamper said, promising to have the panel's work done by Memorial Day weekend. Rotundo also was optimistic that the committee would get its work done in a timely fashion. She said Democrats have three primary goals for the budget, including property-tax relief, equitable income-tax reductions and paying for all tax cuts and other programs, "not just in this budget, but in outgoing years," Rotundo said. She said that without a long-term plan to pay for the tax cuts being proposed, other important state-funded programs, including public education, would be subject to cuts in the future. "We are at a standstill at this point," Rotundo said Thursday, "waiting to see what our Republican colleagues want to do around tax reform, but we hope we will have that information soon because that's a critical piece to being able to finish this budget." Still, Rotundo said, she believes the panel would get the job done because it has no other option. Adrienne Bennett, a spokeswoman for LePage, said she wouldn't be surprised to see lawmakers take every minute available to them to work out a final deal. "This is a waiting game," Bennett said prior to the details of the GOP plan being released. "The budget always comes down to the last minute, the 11th hour, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it come down on the last day or one of the last days (of the lawmaking session)." [email protected]

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

March 6, 2015 Friday

Rotundo: LePage budget 'shreds' mental health safety net

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE; State Politics Editor, SCOTT THISTLE, State Politics Editor Page 98 Rotundo: LePage budget 'shreds' mental health safety net Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 6, 2015 Friday

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 1092 words

AUGUSTA -- The Democratic House chairwoman of the Legislature's Appropriations Committee says the governor's budget would "shred" Maine's safety net for people with mental illnesses. Sun Journal file photo 2014 State Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston Sun Journal file photo State Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford State Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, said in a statement late Thursday that a proposal by Gov. Paul LePage's administration that would reduce by 10 percent the Medicaid reimbursement rates for outpatient mental health service providers, including counselors and psychologists, holds "grave implications for public health and public safety." "It's beyond irresponsible to play games with people's lives and public safety like this," Rotundo said. "The governor has presented us with a series of false choices. We do not need to pit one group against another." Rotundo said the reimbursement rate cuts, coupled with a shift that would dramatically reduce how much some mental health care providers are paid to manage patient medications, could be a crippling blow to those providers. The results would be untreated mental health patients who could create greater costs and burdens on other public services. Also Thursday, Tom McAdam, the chief executive of Kennebec Behavioral Health, reminded lawmakers of a 1996 tragedy in Waterville where a man with schizophrenia bludgeoned to death two elderly nuns and left two others severely injured. At the time, McAdam said, the case galvanized the state's mental health community and the Legislature. "Frankly, many of us who are in the provider community are confused by some of the initiatives in this budget," McAdam said. "Really, next to housing, for people to be successful, (medication) management -- access to medication management -- is important." Legislative Republicans were swift to respond Friday, saying Democrats and Republicans had an informal agreement to get through all of the public hearings on LePage's two-year budget proposal before taking off their political gloves. State Rep. Deborah Sanderson, R-Chelsea, said Rotundo's comments were "disingenuous as they could possibly be." Sanderson added, "Because a lot of the work DHHS is doing -- maybe they are making reductions to certain areas -- but there is a huge investment being made in this budget for mental health services." She said LePage's budget includes increased spending for people with mental illnesses, including those living in state-run institutions in Bangor and Augusta. "We've got $40 million going toward the wait lists and some of that is certainly for folks with mental health illnesses," Sanderson said. "To say that we are shredding the safety net ... what they are doing, it appears to me, is picking at individual pieces and are saying, 'You are shredding the net,' without looking at the comprehensive wrap-around programs that we are investing in that are going to actually treat the whole individual." State Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, the Senate chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said he was disappointed that attacks on the budget proposal were starting so soon, "because I think I've been pretty quiet and pretty even about the process." Page 99 Rotundo: LePage budget 'shreds' mental health safety net Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 6, 2015 Friday

He countered accusations that LePage and Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew were pitting vulnerable groups of Maine residents against one another. He said Democrats were pitting the variety of services and functions the state is obligated to provide against one another by defending the status quo for a health and human services system that has increasingly consumed more of the state's total budget. "We have watched over the years how much of the state's General Fund budget DHHS has been absorbing," Hamper said. "So you could say you are pitting DHHS and its expansion against everything else that the state budget does: transportation, education, the environment, everything else." LePage's $6.57 billion budget proposal goes well beyond balancing the state's books for the next two years, as required by the Maine Constitution. The proposal includes sweeping reforms for the state's tax system by cutting income taxes and expanding sales taxes. But it also seeks to shift, in some cases dramatically, how the state spends its money. As thick with policy reform as it is with financial reform, Lepage's top staff have said the budget is meant to realign the state's spending priorities with a focus on those with physical and developmental disabilities who have been left behind, stranded on waiting lists for state-funded health care and other support services. Until Rotundo's statement Thursday, lawmakers from both parties, especially those serving on the traditionally cordial Appropriations Committee, have taken diplomatic and wait-and-see positions, neither panning nor praising the proposal overtly. But after a week of testimony from immigrants, doctors, mental health professionals and advocates for the poor, disabled and mentally ill, Rotundo and state Sen. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, issued some of the strongest-worded statements of the budget discussion so far, noting the negative impact they believe the budget would bring if enacted as is. "These drastic cuts would prevent Mainers with mental illnesses from getting needed care and push them toward crisis," Valentino, the top Senate Democrat on the committee, said in a prepared statement. "Providing sufficient services is not only compassionate, it makes economic sense. Severely mentally ill people who cannot access the services they need often wind up in emergency rooms or in jail, much more expensive and traumatic experiences that can be avoided." And while state Rep. Tom Winsor, R-Norway, the ranking House Republican on the budget committee, agreed that the testimony this week may have revealed some of the flaws in LePage's budget proposal, he felt it was premature to start dismantling it. "Our job, I think, is not to send out press releases," Winsor said, "but to sit back and calmly look at what he's trying to do. Am I happy with all of the things in the budget? No. Am I learning a lot by sitting and listening to a lot of people? Yeah." Winsor said the Appropriations Committee would ultimately decide on which of LePage's priorities they agree with and which they disagree with, but until then committee members ought to remain objective in gathering information. "All we can do is make our choices on the best information that we have," Winsor said. "Hopefully, we can come together and do it wisely and with respect for everybody." [email protected]

LOAD-DATE: March 7, 2015

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JOURNAL-CODE: SJLM Page 100 Rotundo: LePage budget 'shreds' mental health safety net Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 6, 2015 Friday

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Associated Press State & Local

February 10, 2015 Tuesday 8:16 PM GMT

GOP Maine lawmakers seek emergency funds for county jails

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 126 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Republican lawmakers have introduced a proposal to provide more than $2 million in emergency funds to county jails. The proposal introduced by Sen. James Hamper and Rep. Tom Winsor Tuesday would fund the five county jails that the Board of Corrections has warned will run out of money before the end of the fiscal year in June. Resignations have brought the five-member board down to two members and Gov. Paul LePage says he won't nominate anyone to the board until lawmakers create a new plan for how to run the jail system. That means the board doesn't have a quorum and can't take action to distribute the funds. The proposal would address that issue by creating a "receiver," who would bypass the board and provide the funds to the jails.

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

January 22, 2015 Thursday

Page 101 There's no answer sheet for questions about how LePage's tax reform plan would affect Maine schools Bangor Daily News (Maine) January 22, 2015 Thursday

There's no answer sheet for questions about how LePage's tax reform plan would affect Maine schools

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 1067 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Will Maine's nine town academies, private schools where at least 60 percent of students are local and publicly funded, be subject to Gov. Paul LePage's proposal to allow towns and cities to tax large nonprofit organizations?

And if they are, does it make sense for a town to pay tuition for local students with one hand and collect a new property tax from the schools with the other?

Even Suzan Beaudoin, the Maine Department of Education's director of school finance and operations, was stumped when asked that question Wednesday by Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, Senate chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

"Oh, good question," she said. "Would that be an eligible cost for the tuition rate? That will be a good question."

It's one of many for which detailed answers have been scarce.

How town academies, such as Fryeburg Academy, Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield and Lincoln Academy in Newcastle -- all of which are nonprofit organizations -- will fit into the school funding mix is one of several unanswered questions related to how the flow of education funding would change if the proposal in LePage's biennial budget to require municipalities to tax large nonprofits becomes law.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and Department of Education officials agree that the ramifications on some school districts could be significant. They also agree that understanding how significant might be weeks, or months, or maybe even years away.

How would taxing large nonprofits affect state education funding for cities or towns with large nonprofit organizations? Maine's school funding formula heavily factors a municipality's overall taxable property value into the calculation to determine how much state aid local school districts receive. Towns and cities with high property values -- such as coastal, urban and industrial communities -- generally receive less state education funding. Adding properties like hospitals and colleges, which are currently untaxed, to a town's assessed value could reduce state funding.

Service centers such as Portland, Bangor and Lewiston could experience significant decreases in state aid to education if the taxable value of hospitals, colleges and museums is added to current overall valuations. Those communities would have to use new tax receipts from nonprofits not only to compensate for LePage's planned elimination of state revenue sharing, but also to cover reduced state aid to local school systems.

Department of Education spokeswoman Samantha Warren said whatever the impact, it will be phased in over three years.

"I don't want to speculate on the impact of this particular tax proposal on education funding, as it is far too early to do so," wrote Warren in response to questions from the BDN. Page 102 There's no answer sheet for questions about how LePage's tax reform plan would affect Maine schools Bangor Daily News (Maine) January 22, 2015 Thursday

Would the new funding levels be fair to all the towns within a single school district? If one town in a given school district experiences a sharp decrease in state funding because its taxable value increases, the percentage of education costs paid by that town would increase relative to surrounding towns. What each town within a district pays and whether that's fair has caused controversy all over Maine, including in Regional School Unit 1, where residents of West Bath voted earlier this month to withdraw from the district over a funding dispute.

Will the revenues gained from new taxes on nonprofit organizations balance the loss in state education funding? Nobody knows. Most of the state's nonprofit organizations have not been assessed for tax value, because they've never been taxed. How much education funding will be available three years from now when the proposal takes full effect is another among myriad moving parts.

How will the proliferation of charter schools affect school funding? LePage has proposed paying for public charter schools out of the pool of all state money earmarked for local schools, as opposed to the current practice of having a charter school student's former school district pay the local cost. It's an approach that has been debated extensively in recent years as a means of minimizing the financial impact on any single district. However, LePage is not proposing new money for charters and wants to essentially flat-fund the overall state budget for local schools at $888 million per year, which is a less than 1 percent increase over the current level. As Maine's seven charter schools increase enrollments, including two virtual schools, and up to three more charter schools are created under Maine law, state funding for all schools will trend downward as long as funding stays flat.

Is this all leading to what lawmakers in Augusta call "spreadsheet politics"? Inevitably, the Department of Education or some other group will crunch some numbers -- hypothetical as they may be. As has happened before, lawmakers will scroll down the spreadsheet to the row with their district's name at the left and see whether the changes will help or hurt their local schools. Will they vote accordingly?

How important is taxing large nonprofits to LePage's overall tax reform vision? Probably not very important. Most of the plan is based on a massive reduction of the income tax rate and increased sales taxes. Forcing the new property taxes on nonprofits is LePage's way of smoothing over other changes he wants to make to municipalities -- chiefly, cutting municipal revenue sharing. Given the potential effect on education funding and the rock-and-a-hard-place situation municipal leaders will find themselves in when levying taxes on their local hospital, for example, this piece of LePage's tax reform might be the one at highest risk of being amended out.

So what's a lawmaker to do?

"Many of us are looking to see some of these answers before speculating," said Republican Sen. Brian Langley of Ellsworth, who co-chairs the Education Committee. "It's why people aren't jumping up and down and ready to comment for or against these proposals. We just don't yet have a good handle on what will happen."

Sen. Rebecca Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth, said past funding debates have shown that changing property valuations for towns and cities trigger drastic impacts on state funding for schools.

"My question is how much has the Department of Education even been able to think about the impact of the nonprofit proposal," said Millett. "I'm not even sure how much that has entered into the realm of their analysis."

Page 103 There's no answer sheet for questions about how LePage's tax reform plan would affect Maine schools Bangor Daily News (Maine) January 22, 2015 Thursday

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

January 8, 2015 Thursday

Democrats leery of LePage's proposal to cut income taxes

BYLINE: SCOTT THISTLE; State Politics Editor, SCOTT THISTLE, State Politics Editor

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 1223 words

AUGUSTA -- Legislative Democrats were hesitant Thursday to embrace a proposal to eliminate Maine's income tax, which could be a key pillar in the next budget proposal from Republican , Gov. Paul LePage. LePage's next two-year budget is due to lawmakers Friday. On Wednesday, the governor was clear that the state's income tax was in his crosshairs. "I'll give you a hint: We are going after the income tax," LePage said during his inauguration address. And while key members of the Legislature's budget-writing Appropriations Committee said they were open to hearing the governor's proposal -- the details of which have been kept under tight wraps -- they were leery of how the state would make up half of its revenue, more than $3 billion, over the two-year budget cycle. The office of Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves of North Berwick issued a media briefing early Thursday warning that income tax cuts and repeals in other states have backfired and damaged those states' economies more than they helped them. "The governor has made clear that he would like to drastically cut or eliminate the income tax, which provides critical funding for our schools, towns, roads and bridges and public safety," the statement read. "Such austerity measures in other states have been bad for the states' economy, undercut fiscal responsibility and slashed critical funding for schools and services that help our workers and businesses." State Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, House chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, said, "Everything is on the table," and she and the committee were "open to all new ideas." Still, Rotundo noted, "The income tax is a huge percentage of the entire state budget." The memo from Eves' office warned of how income tax cuts in Kansas and Georgia in recent years have not helped bolster those states' economics, and have appeared to make them worse. "Republican governors have included deep income tax cuts as part of ideologically driven economic programs that were supposed to result in strong economic growth and job creation," according to the memo. "Yet, the policies have not worked." Page 104 Democrats leery of LePage's proposal to cut income taxes Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) January 8, 2015 Thursday

The memo goes on to point out that sales and corporate income tax cuts in Georgia led the state to one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 7.2 percent, compared to 5.8 percent nationally. Maine's current unemployment rate is 5.8 percent. An income tax-reduction program in Kansas, ushered through by that state's Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, has left the state facing a massive budget shortfall and a downgraded credit rating. The Kansas tax-reduction plan is set to roll out over time and is meant to ease the state to a zero-income tax, but lawmakers there are now pondering rolling back the tax cuts, according to the memo. Maine lawmakers who have worked on tax-reform packages that didn't gain traction in 2014 said a state income-tax reduction would have to be made up in some other way, unless LePage has plans to dramatically reduce spending. State Sen. Nathan Libby, D-Lewiston, a member of the Legislature's Taxation Committee, said he was hopeful LePage's plan would incorporate parts of a plan he helped author in 2014 that would have broadened Maine's sales tax as a way of providing income and property tax relief. Libby's proposal was part of a bipartisan bill that became known as the "Gang of 11" plan, which would have expanded sales taxes during Maine's busy tourist season. "I would be encouraged if the governor proposes a Gang of 11- type bill," Libby said. He said the proposal did not increase taxes but shifted around who paid them. It didn't increase the total amount of tax collected in Maine but changed how they were collected. "It would have exported a large share of tax burden to the tourists who come here and help people pay their property taxes," Libby said. It's a proposal that was often touted by independent candidate for governor Eliot Cutler. Former state Sen. Dick Woodbury, a Yarmouth independent, was also a member of the Gang of 11 and a top Cutler adviser. State Rep. Erik Jorgensen, D-Portland, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said he couldn't easily see how LePage could significantly reduce or eliminate Maine's income tax without finding other revenue to make up for what would be a gaping hole in the state's budget. "I don't want to come out as condemning this until I've heard the plan," Jorgensen said. "I assume they will be presenting this to us as a balanced budget." State Sen. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, also on the committee, said she was keeping an open mind because the budget presented by any governor is only a starting point in the debate over how the Legislature will fund state government for the next two years. Valentino said she expected there to be a fair amount of negotiation over an income tax reduction or elimination proposal that could significantly alter any plan LePage offers Friday. Republican members of the Appropriations Committee seemed equally eager to hear details of LePage's tax proposals and budget plan. They likewise seemed to be keeping their minds open. Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, a newly appointed member of the committee, said he was listening closely to LePage's inauguration address Wednesday and believed the governor gave plenty of clues as to where LePage was looking to find savings. Timberlake said he expects LePage to find budgetary savings in a variety of places, including in some kind of proposal that may look to consolidate public school administrative costs. LePage on Wednesday again noted his dissatisfaction with the large number of school superintendents Maine has for a relatively small number of students when compared to other states. "You heard he wants to change superintendents and there's a savings there in what he's proposing," Timberlake said. He said LePage also wants a unified statewide plan for negotiating teachers' contracts. LePage also hinted strongly that Maine cities and towns should be doing more to consolidate services and find savings at the local level. Page 105 Democrats leery of LePage's proposal to cut income taxes Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) January 8, 2015 Thursday

Some see that as a clear signal that LePage's proposal will again include reductions in the amount of state tax revenue that is passed down to municipalities. "I think all of us are concerned about where you get the money from," said Timberlake, who has also served as town selectman. "How do you do it? We don't know what he's laying on the table yet." LePage's office is expected to roll out its budget proposal in three briefings Friday. The first will be for Republican members of the Appropriations Committee at 1 p.m., followed by a briefing for Democratic members of the committee at 2 p.m., according to state Sen. James Hamper, R- Oxford, Senate chairman of the committee. Hamper said he did not set up the meeting but was only invited to attend, so he had no insight as to why the public and committee members from both caucuses were not being briefed at the same time. A public briefing and news conference with the media is expected to take place at 3:30 p.m., according to a release from LePage's office. The release offered no details of the pending budget proposal but did include a prepared statement from LePage. "My biennial budget proposal advances bold reforms that will make Maine competitive with other states and make it easier for Mainers to live more prosperous lives," LePage said. [email protected]

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DOCUMENT-TYPE: News

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

April 17, 2014 Thursday

House speaker makes final push for Medicaid expansion with plan based on New Hampshire

BYLINE: Mario Moretto BDN Staff

LENGTH: 1185 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- The debate over Medicaid expansion has dominated the 126th Legislature, and it will continue to do so as the session winds down and lawmakers prepare to head back to their districts. Page 106 House speaker makes final push for Medicaid expansion with plan based on New Hampshire Bangor Daily News (Maine) April 17, 2014 Thursday

On Thursday evening, the last scheduled day of session, House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, will present a last-ditch effort based on a plan approved by Republicans in New Hampshire, ensuring lawmakers take one final vote on his party's top priority.

Rather than simply expanding Medicaid permanently to 70,000 low-income Mainers as originally envisioned by the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act, the plan would expand Medicaid to those people for one year, while the state establishes a new system to use the money to buy private insurance plans for those recipients.

Starting in summer 2015, about 55,000 of those newly eligible Mainers -- all of whom are childless adults, would be shifted to the private plan. Another roughly 15,000 parents would remain on Medicaid, known here as MaineCare.

The private-option system would be administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. If the eligible recipient has access to insurance through their employers, they would have to purchase it, and enrollees under the new system would be required to pay co-pays and deductibles on their own.

Gov. Paul LePage, who has opposed all efforts to expand Medicaid, called the last-minute plan "as political as it gets," and many members of the House GOP have pledged continued opposition.

In the Granite State, a GOP-controlled Senate and Democrat-controlled House approved a similar plan to subsidize private insurance plans for roughly 50,000 New Hampshirites. Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan signed the bill into law.

The plan will require a federal waiver, but state officials in New Hampshire are optimistic they'll receive one, hoping that President Barack Obama's administration will keen to see state-funded health insurance expanded as envisioned by his landmark health reform law. A similar waiver has already been granted to Arkansas.

The plan has gained traction with Republicans in New Hampshire because it does not permanently expand the Medicaid rolls. Democrats there accepted the plan as a workaround to GOP opposition -- an acceptable way to win the political muscle necessary to accept federal cash and expand access to health care.

Eves' plan is the third push for Medicaid expansion since January, though he called it "dramatically different" from any plan the Legislature has seen before. He said it represents another effort by Democrats to compromise in an effort to win Republican support.

"We've listened to the debate," he said in an interview Thursday. "We've made modifications and compromised for the last 16 months, and this is the final opportunity to do this together." He also drew similarities between the divided government in New Hampshire and in Maine, saying, "If they can do this in New Hampshire, we should be able to do it here."

Thursday marks the last regular day of the legislative session and is expected to be the last item on the agenda before lawmakers leave Augusta.

A provision of the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare, allows the states to expand Medicaid to every resident who makes less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or just under $16,000 per year for a childless, single adult. The federal government will pay the full cost of expansion through the end of 2016. After that, its share of the cost will drop, incrementally, to 90 percent. Page 107 House speaker makes final push for Medicaid expansion with plan based on New Hampshire Bangor Daily News (Maine) April 17, 2014 Thursday

However, the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 struck down the provision of the law requiring Medicaid expansion, leaving the decision up to each state.

Eves has been the most vocal proponent of expansion since the 126th Legislature began last year. Since then, the Democrat-controlled Legislature has approved expansion three times, only to be thwarted by LePage's veto. Another expansion effort, by Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, was enacted this week and faces a near-certain veto.

LePage railed against Eves' proposal when it was made public Thursday.

"Leave it to liberals to wait until the absolute last minute to try to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. The only problem is we all saw it coming," LePage said in a written statement. "It's disturbing that liberal leadership refuses to listen to the people of Maine when they say they want real welfare reform. Instead, liberals push policies that will cost Maine taxpayers millions of dollars and put the state deeper into debt."

Like the plan sponsored by Republican Sens. Roger Katz of Augusta and Tom Saviello of Wilton, Eves' plan is designed with GOP concerns in mind: If the state is unable to obtain the necessary federal waiver by Aug. 1, 2015, the "bridge" expansion of MaineCare will be repealed. It will also be repealed if the federal fund drops below promised levels. The whole system ends in 2017, when federal funds for expansion dip below 100 percent of cost. At that point, the state will have to decide whether to continue with the private option.

Still, it is unclear whether Eves' plan will have any more traction with Republicans than previous efforts. Rep. Corey Wilson, R-Augusta, said he supported the measure because it would expand access to health care, lead to higher reimbursement rates for hospitals and keep insurance in the private sector.

Many of the most vocal opponents of Medicaid expansion have already started lining up against the plan.

"This is still just Medicaid expansion, with a new name," said Rep. Deborah Sanderson, R-Chelsea, the ranking Republican on the Health and Human Services Committee.

She said the scheme in Arkansas was already running into trouble because its federal waiver capped how much Washington would pay for each beneficiary. When costs went up, the state has been left to pick up the tab.

Other Republican members of the Health and Human Services Committee also said a proposal of this scope should have been analyzed by the committee, not sprung as a last-minute House amendment.

"No legislator in their right mind would vote for this program, where it's had absolutely no time to be vetted," said Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, another committee member.

House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, said that "if Republicans were bringing forward a bill of this significance, at this late a juncture, it would be called a 'political stunt. I do think the Speaker is passionate about this issue, but we have already voted on Medicaid expansion, [a] different version of it, several times."

Eves fought back the claim that his plan was a stunt, saying he couldn't leave Augusta without knowing he'd tried every option available.

Page 108 House speaker makes final push for Medicaid expansion with plan based on New Hampshire Bangor Daily News (Maine) April 17, 2014 Thursday

He said he had held off on his amendment until a compromise proposal by Katz and Saviello had played its course. That plan was nixed by LePage last week, and Democrats this week were unable to win the votes to override his veto.

"We have been in a long effort here to provide life-saving health care to these folks," Eves said. "We've always said we're never going to give up, and we won't."

Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

April 13, 2014 Sunday

Sen. Jim Hamper: Governor, state officials looking to curb EBT fraud

SECTION: GUEST COLUMNISTS

LENGTH: 437 words

Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, commonly known as EBT cards, have been a high profile topic during the current legislative session. I think most Mainers agree that welfare programs such as EBT cards serve an important purpose and, when used appropriately, are an efficient way to provide basic support to Maine families in need. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Food Share, both utilize the EBT card. With that card, families who qualify can buy needed groceries, such as produce, dairy and other essentials for a healthy diet. Sadly, that important benefit is being abused. I am quite certain that strip clubs and liquor stores were not intended for the use of EBT cards under any scenario. In addition, it would appear that Maine recipients of funds through the EBT system have accessed those funds in all 50 states, and also the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Some politicians say that fighting against fraud is nothing more than "kicking people while they are down." Current initiatives, however, are about making sure that the public's tax dollars are being used to provide benefits to needy families instead of being misused. Anything less than that standard is unacceptable. It is the taxpayers who are being kicked while they are down, not the beneficiaries of the welfare programs. Page 109 Sen. Jim Hamper: Governor, state officials looking to curb EBT fraud Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) April 13, 2014 Sunday

I am happy to report that Gov. LePage and the commissioner of the Department of Health and Services, Mary Mayhew, are working hard to make sure that the funds allocated for Maine families to help meet basic needs are being used for that purpose. Right now, the state is preventing the use of the EBT cards in a variety of places, including strip clubs, bars, casinos, liquor stores and smoke shops. In addition, the card also may not be used at a retail establishment where 50 percent of more of the gross revenue of the establishment is derived from the sale of liquor. The accountability efforts continue, with greater scrutiny of accounts and location of withdrawal, increased enforcement of eligibility standards -- including the work requirement (90 percent of all people on TANF need to be working at least 30 hours a week or consistently applying for jobs) -- and an aggressive review of out- of-state activity. An important point to remember is that welfare programs are for those who need help, and the state of Maine is very generous. We need to take every action to make sure the public's tax dollars are going to the people who need it. And that is exactly what we are doing. Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, is a first term senator representing District 13. He is a member of the Health and Human Services Committee.

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States News Service

April 7, 2014 Monday

REPUBLICANS RALLY FOR WELFARE REFORM SPEAKERS CALL ON DEMS TO LISTEN TO MAINERS, PASS REFORM

BYLINE: States News Service

LENGTH: 464 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, ME

The following information was released by the Maine House of Representatives, Republicans: Page 110 REPUBLICANS RALLY FOR WELFARE REFORM SPEAKERS CALL ON DEMS TO LISTEN TO MAINERS, PASS REFORM States News Service April 7, 2014 Monday

Maine House and Senate Republican lawmakers on Friday afternoon rallied outside the State House to urge their Democratic colleagues to listen to their constituents and pass comprehensive welfare reform. They shared their own stories and those of their constituents regarding welfare abuse in Maine. "As a town manager and a former police officer, I have a pretty good finger on the pulse of my community," said Rep. James Gillway (R-Searsport), sponsor of LD 1842, which eliminates exceptions to the TANF work search requirement. "Nearly everybody I encounter, whether a liberal or a conservative, believes we need to tighten up our welfare system. I've never heard anybody say 'we need to make welfare easier to get,' or 'I wish you would oppose the welfare reform measures being discussed in Augusta.'" Rep. Sharri MacDonald (R-Old Orchard Beach) works as a clerk at a local convenience store and she spoke about the welfare abuse she witnesses regularly. She sponsored LD 1822, which would make it illegal to purchase tobacco, alcohol, lottery tickets, or post bail with welfare cash. "Just the other day, a woman approached the cash register with a large bottle of wine and asked me, 'do you take EBT?' I told her 'no,' and the young lady proceeded across the street to another convenience store and came out with a bottle of wine," said Rep. MacDonald. "I'm the first in my community to help those in need, but every welfare dollar spent on a bottle of wine is a dollar stolen from a hungry child." Rep. Mike Nadeau (R-Fort Kent) is the sponsor of LD 1820, which would prohibit the use of cash welfare benefits out of state. Roughly $2 million in TANF cash welfare has been withdrawn outside of Maine in 2011-2013, not including withdrawals in neighboring New Hampshire. "Hardworking taxpayers are understandably upset because they are working extra hours, second jobs, just to make ends meet, and they don't mind helping the needy, but they feel taken advantage of," said Rep. Nadeau. "Most of the folks I know in the County could use a good vacation, but they shouldn't have to pay for someone else's when they can't afford one for themselves." "All I have to do is walk into a small store and here the stories about EBTs and EBT abuse," added Sen. James Hamper (R-Oxford) of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee. "We see the abuses, we all know the abuses, and yet one side is completely unwilling to do anything to take any steps toward changing the system." The entire press conference is available for viewing on YouTube. The four welfare reform bills face further votes in the House and Senate. They were initially rejected along party lines in the House on Thursday afternoon.

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Targeted News Service

April 7, 2014 Monday 1:15 AM EST

Republicans Rally for Welfare Reform

BYLINE: Targeted News Service

Page 111 Republicans Rally for Welfare Reform Targeted News Service April 7, 2014 Monday 1:15 AM EST

LENGTH: 489 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, Maine

The Maine House Republicans issued the following news release: Maine House and Senate Republican lawmakers on Friday afternoon rallied outside the State House to urge their Democratic colleagues to listen to their constituents and pass comprehensive welfare reform. They shared their own stories and those of their constituents regarding welfare abuse in Maine. "As a town manager and a former police officer, I have a pretty good finger on the pulse of my community," said Rep. James Gillway (R-Searsport), sponsor of LD 1842, which eliminates exceptions to the TANF work search requirement. "Nearly everybody I encounter, whether a liberal or a conservative, believes we need to tighten up our welfare system. I've never heard anybody say 'we need to make welfare easier to get,' or 'I wish you would oppose the welfare reform measures being discussed in Augusta.'" Rep. Sharri MacDonald (R-Old Orchard Beach) works as a clerk at a local convenience store and she spoke about the welfare abuse she witnesses regularly. She sponsored LD 1822, which would make it illegal to purchase tobacco, alcohol, lottery tickets, or post bail with welfare cash. "Just the other day, a woman approached the cash register with a large bottle of wine and asked me, 'do you take EBT?' I told her 'no,' and the young lady proceeded across the street to another convenience store and came out with a bottle of wine," said Rep. MacDonald. "I'm the first in my community to help those in need, but every welfare dollar spent on a bottle of wine is a dollar stolen from a hungry child." Rep. Mike Nadeau (R-Fort Kent) is the sponsor of LD 1820, which would prohibit the use of cash welfare benefits out of state. Roughly $2 million in TANF cash welfare has been withdrawn outside of Maine in 2011-2013, not including withdrawals in neighboring New Hampshire. "Hardworking taxpayers are understandably upset because they are working extra hours, second jobs, just to make ends meet, and they don't mind helping the needy, but they feel taken advantage of," said Rep. Nadeau. "Most of the folks I know in the County could use a good vacation, but they shouldn't have to pay for someone else's when they can't afford one for themselves." "All I have to do is walk into a small store and here the stories about EBTs and EBT abuse," added Sen. James Hamper (R-Oxford) of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee. "We see the abuses, we all know the abuses, and yet one side is completely unwilling to do anything to take any steps toward changing the system." The entire press conference is available for viewing on YouTube. The four welfare reform bills face further votes in the House and Senate. They were initially rejected along party lines in the House on Thursday afternoon. Contact: David Sorensen, Maine House Republicans, 207/205-7793, [email protected] Copyright Targeted News Services CC AutoTriage12bkp-140409-30VitinMar-4696768

LOAD-DATE: April 9, 2014

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

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Page 112 D. Whitley: Give constituents the opportunity Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 25, 2014 Tuesday

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

March 25, 2014 Tuesday

D. Whitley: Give constituents the opportunity

SECTION: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LENGTH: 234 words

I write to urge Sen. Jim Hamper, Rep. Tom Winsor and Rep. Roger Jackson, all Republicans, to think about the people in Oxford County that they represent and to vote for the Medicaid expansion when they get the opportunity to do so again. They represent many of the thousands of people in Oxford County who would then receive insurance that could be life-saving for them. As a former employee of the American Heart Association, I know well the health ravages, compromised lifestyles and deaths from heart disease, stroke and diabetes when they are undiagnosed and untreated. When the recent votes were taken, I truly believed that they might have the strength to do the right thing for the health of those they serve and vote for expansion, as Republican Bethel Rep. Jarrod Crockett did by voting "Yea." Practically everyone has heard, many times, about all of the economic and health reasons for accepting Medicaid expansion, but an additional 210 to 230 medically-related jobs and increasing the economic impacts of current and expanded Medicaid dollars in Oxford County, in addition to the individual health benefits, is extremely compelling. Voters in Oxford County elected people to serve and represent them. Again, I plead with those elected officials (who have access to health insurance) that they don't let their constituents lose the opportunity to have health care insurance. Dennise Whitley, Norway

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Kennebec Journal Page 113 Medicaid vote falls short in Senate Kennebec Journal March 13, 2014 Thursday

March 13, 2014 Thursday

Medicaid vote falls short in Senate

BYLINE: STEVE MISTLER

SECTION: Pg. 1.A ISSN: 07452039

LENGTH: 1376 words

DATELINE: Augusta, Me.

ABSTRACT Banners declaring, "We'll remember in November," were carried Wednesday in the State House by activists from the Maine People's Alliance, a liberal activist group that supports Democratic candidates with voter drive efforts. Expansion of Medicaid eligibility was originally mandatory in the federal health-care law but became optional for individual states based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

FULL TEXT Two votes needed to override LePage's certain veto of bill AUGUSTA -- Democratic hopes to extend Medicaid health insurance to more than 60,000 low-income and uninsured Mainers dimmed on Wednesday following a three-hour debate and potentially decisive vote in the state Senate. Senators voted 22-13 to pass a compromise bill co-sponsored by two Republican senators. However, supporters were two votes short of a two-thirds majority -- 24 votes -- that eventually will be needed to overcome a certain veto by Gov. Paul LePage. Additionally, the prolonged debate showed that positions have hardened among Republicans who are backing the governor's high-profile bid to defeat the proposal as he heads into his re-election campaign. The outcome of the expansion debate also will shape the Democrats' attempts to retain control of the Legislature in November and unseat LePage. Although Democrats had hoped that a veto-proof margin in the Senate would create momentum for upcoming votes in the House, some party members already have shifted their rhetoric to the campaign by promising an electoral reckoning for Republicans who don't support the bill. Banners declaring, "We'll remember in November," were carried Wednesday in the State House by activists from the Maine People's Alliance, a liberal activist group that supports Democratic candidates with voter drive efforts. The bill would provide Medicaid health-care coverage for 60,000 to 70,000 people earning as much as 133 percent of the federal poverty level -- about $15,558 a year for an individual. Maine's version of the federal Medicaid program is called MaineCare. If it does pass and survive a veto, Maine would become the 27th state to expand Medicaid using federal subsidies made available by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. With the expansion now in trouble, so, too, is the prospect that Maine hospitals will receive an economic benefit from extension of insurance coverage to people who now receive free "charity care." Expansion of Medicaid eligibility was originally mandatory in the federal health-care law but became optional for individual states based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The expansion was partially designed to offset an estimated $155 billion in Medicare reimbursement cuts to providers, including hospitals. The Maine Hospital Association estimates the Medicare cuts will result in a $870 million loss to state hospitals through 2020. The bill debated Wednesday, L.D. 1487, was sponsored by moderate Republican Sens. Roger Katz, of Augusta, and Thomas Saviello, of Wilton. It was designed to reduce the partisan divide about Medicaid Page 114 Medicaid vote falls short in Senate Kennebec Journal March 13, 2014 Thursday expansion, a debate that has raged in Maine for more than a year and continues to unfold in several statehouses across the country. Katz highlighted the partisan tension during his floor speech. "To mention the word 'expansion' around here is the political equivalent of throwing off your gloves in a hockey game; it's an invitation to brawl," he said. "It's us versus them, man the barricades and pass the ammunition." Katz also noted estimates that expansion would result in a $1 billion stimulus to the state's economy. He said that if lawmakers had swapped the issue of Medicaid -- and its attachment to the Affordable Care Act -- with an equivalent destroyer contract at Bath Iron Works, "we'd be popping the corks on champagne bottles." Katz and Saviello had hoped to attract Republican votes by amending the expansion bill to include provisions that would end coverage for expansion coverage after the three years of full federal reimbursement unless the Legislature reauthorized it. The bill's main component would install a managed-care system to reduce costs in a $2.5 billion state program currently serving 320,000 people. Democrats viewed the managed-care provision as a major concession. However, it failed to attract additional Republican support. Sen. Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth, considered a swing vote on expansion, said he had tried to find a way to support the measure but couldn't reconcile the bill with his core views about government-run health care. Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, noted that many expansion proponents testified against the original version of Katz's managed-care bill last year. Hamper said managed care would endanger current cost savings initiatives that have received grant funding from the federal government. He also challenged the Legislature's nonpartisan budget office analysis that found the bill would save the state $3.4 million in the first year alone during the first of three years of 100 percent federal reimbursement. "The bill before us will have immense ongoing costs," he said. During the Senate floor debate, Democrats attempted to stress the human and economic effects of expansion. However, some acknowledged that their arguments wouldn't change many minds. "Ideology is a very secure prison," said Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston. Sen. Linda Valentino, D-Biddeford, cited estimates that expansion would inject $350 million each year into the Maine economy, including $40 million in York County. "I don't see how anyone can vote against the jobs that will come to their counties," she said. "It's not often that we get to vote on something so critical," said Sen. Colleen Lachowicz, D-Waterville. "This will save lives." Republican opponents also have questioned whether the hospitals truly would benefit from expansion, citing last year's bill that repaid providers the state's $138 million share of backlogged Medicaid reimbursements. The proposal used a new state liquor contract to fund a bond that paid down the hospital debt. "We had to mortgage a lucrative contract to pay for a previous welfare debt," said Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls. Additionally, Republicans countered Democrats' claim that a vote against expansion would deny Mainers an opportunity to gain health-care coverage. They've done so by urging those affected by expansion to purchase private insurance through the Affordable Care Act, a law that Republicans in Congress attempted to repeal on multiple occasions. The move has drawn criticism from expansion advocates, who have noted that Republican lawmakers in Maine have taken steps to delay or burden the implementation of the law, including the setting up of a state-run marketplace where Mainers could go to buy private insurance. Page 115 Medicaid vote falls short in Senate Kennebec Journal March 13, 2014 Thursday

A provision in the Affordable Care Act allows individuals making more than 100 percent of the federal poverty level -- about $11,670 per year -- to qualify for subsidies to buy private insurance for as little as about $5 per week. Republicans have said they don't support the Affordable Care Act, but that they preferred low-income Mainers had "some skin in the game" over Medicaid, a program some argued creates dependency. Democrats have countered that the 36,000 people still would fall into a so-called coverage gap because they make less than 100 percent and do not qualify for subsidized coverage. The Affordable Care Act assumed anyone below 110 percent would be covered by expanded Medicaid programs. They've also accused Republicans of encouraging residents who make less than 100 percent of the poverty level to overstate their earnings to obtain subsidies in the health-care law. The Maine Hospital Association has estimated that without expansion, the state's 38 hospitals will lose $730 million in Medicare reimbursements by 2022 because of a now-obsolete 2009 deal struck by the American Hospital Association and the drafters of the health reform law. The deal unraveled when the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 struck down mandatory Medicaid expansion and made it optional for states. Twenty-six states have chosen to expand Medicaid enrollment, while several others are continuing to debate it. Steve Mistler -- [email protected]: @stevemistler Credit: By STEVE MISTLER State House Bureau

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Portland Press Herald (Maine)

March 13, 2014 Thursday

Medicaid expansion needs CPR ; In a critical vote, the Maine Senate backs a compromise 22-13 but falls just shy of a veto-proof majority, threatening to relegate the issue to campaign fodder.

BYLINE: STEVE MISTLER, By STEVE MISTLER Staff Writer

SECTION: Pg. 1.A Page 116 Medicaid expansion needs CPR ; In a critical vote, the Maine Senate backs a compromise 22-13 but falls just shy of a veto-proof majority, threatening to relegate the issue to campaign fodder. Portland Press Herald (Maine) March 13, 2014 Thursday

LENGTH: 1194 words

The Senate will take its first vote on a compromise bill to expand Medicaid to over 60,000 uninsured Mainers. The bill, co- sponsored by two Republican Senators, confronts in uphill battle amid stiff opposition from Republicans in the House who are standing alongside Gov. Paul LePage. The governor has promised to veto the bill. Tuesday's vote is expected to be definitive, although not final, vote on a propsal that was designed to draw Republican support and survive the governor's veto. If a veto-proof majority shows in the Senate then supporters of expansion are hopeful that could shift the momentum in coming House votes. AUGUSTA -- Democrats' hopes of extending Medicaid health insurance to more than 60,000 low-income and uninsured Mainers dimmed Wednesday after a three-hour debate and potentially decisive vote in the state Senate. Senators voted 22-13 to pass a compromise bill co-sponsored by two Republican senators. However, supporters fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority - 24 votes - that eventually will be needed to override a certain veto by Gov. Paul LePage. The prolonged debate showed that positions have hardened among Republicans who are backing the governor's high-profile bid to defeat the proposal as he heads into his re-election campaign. The outcome also will shape the Democrats' attempts to retain their majorities in the Legislature in November and unseat LePage. Although Democrats hoped that a veto-proof margin in the Senate would create momentum for upcoming votes in the House, some party members have already shifted their rhetoric to the campaign by promising an electoral reckoning for Republicans who don't support the bill. Banners declaring "We'll remember in November" were carried in the State House on Wednesday by activists from the Maine People's Alliance, a liberal activist group that supports Democratic candidates with voter drive efforts. The bill to expand MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program, would provide health care coverage for 60,000 to 70,000 people who earn as much as 138 percent of the federal poverty level - just over $15,856 a year for an individual. Maine would be the 27th state to expand Medicaid using federal subsidies available through the Affordable Care Act. With the expansion now in doubt, so is the prospect that Maine hospitals will receive an economic benefit from extension of insurance to people who now receive free "charity care." Expansion of Medicaid eligibility was originally mandatory in the federal health care law, but became optional for states because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The expansion was partially designed to offset an estimated $155 billion in Medicare reimbursement cuts to providers, including hospitals. The Maine Hospital Association estimates that the Medicare cuts will cause an $870 million loss to the state's hospitals through 2020. The bill that senators debated Wednesday, L.D. 1487, was sponsored by moderate Republican Sens. Roger Katz of Augusta and Thomas Saviello of Wilton, who aimed to reduce the partisan divide over Medicaid expansion. The debate has raged in Maine for over a year and continues in several statehouses across the country. Katz highlighted the partisan tension during his floor speech. "To mention the word 'expansion' around here is the political equivalent of throwing off your gloves in a hockey game; it's an invitation to brawl," he said. "It's us versus them, man the barricades and pass the ammunition." Katz cited estimates that expansion would produce a $1 billion stimulus to the state's economy. Katz and Saviello hoped to attract Republican votes by amending their bill to include provisions tothe expanded coverage after three years of full federal reimbursement unless the Legislature reauthorized it. The Page 117 Medicaid expansion needs CPR ; In a critical vote, the Maine Senate backs a compromise 22-13 but falls just shy of a veto-proof majority, threatening to relegate the issue to campaign fodder. Portland Press Herald (Maine) March 13, 2014 Thursday main component of the bill would install a managed-care system to reduce costs in a $2.5 billion state program that now serves 320,000 people. Democrats viewed the managed-care provision as a major concession, but it failed to persuade other Republicans to vote with Katz and Saviello. Sen. Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth, who was considered a swing vote, said he had tried to find a way to support the measure, but couldn't reconcile the bill with his core views about government-run health care. Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, noted that many proponents of expansion testified last year against the original version of Katz's managed-care bill. Hamper said managed care would endanger current savings initiatives that have received grant funding from the federal government. He also challenged an analysis by the Legislature's nonpartisan budget office, which found that the bill would save the state $3.4 million in the first year alone. "The bill before us will have immense ongoing costs," he said. Democrats stressed the human and economic impacts of expansion, but some acknowledged that their arguments wouldn't change many minds. "Ideology is a very secure prison," said Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston. Sen. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, cited estimates that expansion would inject $350 million each year into Maine's economy, including $40 million in York County. "I don't see how anyone can vote against the jobs that will come to their counties," she said. "It's not often that we get to vote on something so critical," said Sen. Colleen Lachowicz, D-Waterville. "This will save lives." Republican opponents have questioned whether the hospitals would truly benefit from expansion, citing last year's bill that repaid providers the state's $138 million share of backlogged Medicaid reimbursements. The plan used a new state liquor contract to fund a bond that paid down the hospital debt. "We had to mortgage a lucrative contract to pay for a previous welfare debt," said Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls. Republicans countered Democrats' claim that a vote against expansion would deny Mainers an opportunity to gain health care coverage. They have urged people who stand to become eligible under Medicaid expansion to instead buy private insurance through the Affordable Care Act. That has drawn criticism from expansion advocates, who have noted that Republican lawmakers in Maine have taken steps to delay or burden the implementation of the federal law. A provision in the Affordable Care Act allows individuals who earn more than 100 percent of the federal poverty level - about $11,670 per year - to qualify for subsidies to buy private insurance for as little as about $5 per week. Republicans have said they don't support the Affordable Care Act but they prefer that low-income Mainers have "some skin in the game." Democrats have countered that 36,000 people would still fall into a so-called coverage gap because they're below the poverty level and don't qualify for subsidized coverage. The Affordable Care Act assumed that anyone below 110 percent would be covered by expanded Medicaid programs. Democrats also have accused Republicans of encouraging residents with earnings below the poverty level to overstate their projected earnings to obtain subsidized insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Steve Mistler can be contacted at 791-6345 or at: [email protected] Twitter: @stevemistler

LOAD-DATE: September 4, 2014

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

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PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper Page 118 Medicaid expansion needs CPR ; In a critical vote, the Maine Senate backs a compromise 22-13 but falls just shy of a veto-proof majority, threatening to relegate the issue to campaign fodder. Portland Press Herald (Maine) March 13, 2014 Thursday

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

January 14, 2014 Tuesday

$1 million consultant answers questions from Maine HHS lawmakers

BYLINE: Scott Thistle; State Politics Editor, Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 1670 words

AUGUSTA - State lawmakers Tuesday picked apart the first portion of a nearly $1 million report on Maine's welfare programs that's being completed by a private company hired by the administration of Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Joel Page/Associated Press Gary Alexander, a consultant hired by the LePage administration, appears before the Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday in Augusta. * Consultant says expanding Medicaid in Maine could cost $807 million * Democrats dismiss report as 'political' * Overview of findings * Full report * Press release More background: * Lawmakers challenge LePage on contract for Medicaid critic * Maine Republicans defend $1 million no-bid welfare review contract * Lawmakers to review Maine Medicaid study contract * LePage administration withholds consultant's report on welfare reform * LePage defies Maine AG on releasing report; tells AG: 'Sue me' Joel Page/Associated Press Rep. Richard Farnsworth, D-Portland, left, joined by Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, right, questions Gary Alexander, a consultant hired by the LePage administration, during Alexander's appearance before the Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday in Augusta. Page 119 $1 million consultant answers questions from Maine HHS lawmakers Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) January 14, 2014 Tuesday

Joel Page/Associated Press Rep. Drew Gattine, D-Westbrook, left, questions Gary Alexander, right, a consultant hired by the LePage administration, during his appearance before the Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Augusta. Joel Page/Associated Press Mary Mayhew, commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, right, joined by Gary Alexander, a consultant hired by the LePage administration, appears before the Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Augusta. While Republican lawmakers on the Legislature's Health and Human Service Committee were largely complimentary of the work being done by the Rhode Island-based Alexander Group, Democrats said the state was not getting its money's worth. For the first time Gary Alexander, the former commissioner of the state of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare and the CEO of the Alexander Group, appeared before a legislative panel to discuss his work and defend his company's methodology and the outcomes of a recent analysis that shows expanding Medicaid in Maine would cost the state $807 million over the next decade. Lawmakers also quizzed Alexander and Maine DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew, who appeared with Alexander and one of his employees, Eric Randolph, on some of the report's findings, which among other things projects a steep increase in Maine's poverty level over the next 10 years. Alexander also noted that many of the challenges facing Maine's health care situation could not be fully addressed until reforms are made at the federal government that allow states greater flexibility in how they administer their Medicaid programs. Legislative Democrats are again trying to expand the state's Medicaid system to cover about 70,000 additional Mainers under provisions in the federal Affordable Care Act. The first public hearings on a bill that will do just that are set to begin Wednesday. Under the ACA the cost of the expansion during the first three years would be reimbursed by the federal government 100 percent. The reimbursement rate, under the federal law, is gradually winnowed down to 90 percent. Republican argue that 10 percent cost will eventually equate to hundreds of millions of dollars for Maine taxpayers,. Meanwhile Alexander's report suggests thousands more than what Democrats anticipate would sign up for Medicaid, compounding state costs even further. But Democrats have argued the savings from achieving better health outcomes for Maine people and the inflow of nearly $600 million in federal funds will more than balance out an expenses on the state side. That inflow of federal money, coupled with the state's investment in health care coverage, will create jobs and bolster the economy, Democrats argue. The Maine Hospital Association has also weighed in in favor of an expansion and is likely to bring significant political pressure to the debate as it moves forward this year. Hospitals remain among the largest employers in Maine, especially in rural parts of the state, often represented by Republican lawmakers. In 2013 the Legislature fell just a few votes shy of overturning LePage vetoes of bills that would have expanded Medicaid in the Pine Tree State. Both Democrats and Republicans also spoke extensively on the state's MaineCare waiting list of about 3,000 people who are elderly, children or developmentally disabled and without health care. Republicans have argued that before the state expands its general MaineCare rolls it should first eliminate that waiting list. But Democrats said just the money the state is spending on the Alexander Group report could have been used to cover half of the elderly on the wait list. Page 120 $1 million consultant answers questions from Maine HHS lawmakers Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) January 14, 2014 Tuesday

"There's big holes in it," State Sen. Margaret Craven, D- Lewiston, said of the Alexander Group's recently released 131-page report. Craven, the Senate chair of the HHS committee, said the Alexander Group study also did not match up with other studies on a Medicaid expansion in Maine - even those done by conservative think tanks. "Over and over people asked them about items that were not included in the assessment and they gave in, my opinion, some lame answers," Craven said. But Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, the ranking Senate Republican on the committee said he actually took the time to fully read the report and was satisfied with its findings. "I'm staying away from the whole debate about Gary Alexander and Pennsylvania and all that," Hamper said. "I'm taking the report as the report." Alexander has faced withering criticism for his tenure in Pennsylvania, including being the subject of an audit by that state's Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. DePasquale's office found that changes Alexander made to the way contracts were paid for in-home health care providers ended up costing the state more than $7 million a year. DePasquale has been outspoken in his criticism and in warning Maine about the credibility of Alexander's work. Democrats in the Maine Legislature have also taken to calling Alexander a crony of LePage. LePage has said he wanted to hire Alexander to be Maine's DHHS commissioner but was unable to pay him enough money. Hamper said the voting public should try to look at the report before passing judgment on Alexander or the credibility of his work. Hamper said much of the report also depends on federal Congressional Budget Office data. But Democrats said the report was already tainted and clearly concocted to come up with an outcome that supports LePage's position in opposition to a Medicaid expansion. Democrats cut Alexander some slack, noting he was largely working with only the data provided to him from Maine's DHHS. "He kept calling back saying, 'We used information the department gave us,'" Rep. Richard Farnsworth, D-Portland the House chair of the committee said. "Either the department intended to give false information or the department has not got good data." Craven also said that while the committee had hoped to hear more directly from Alexander it was Mayhew, the DHHS commissioner, who answered more than 50 percent of the committee's questions Tuesday. Mayhew also intervened when news media attempted to question Alexander about his background and reputation, when the report was first made public last Friday. Tuesday a DHHS spokesman said target deadlines for subsequent portions of the study to be completed by Alexander's company had been extended indefinitely. The first part of the report, dealing with the impacts of a Medicaid expansion in Maine under the ACA, had a target due date of Dec. 1 under a contract signed with the state by Alexander. State officials refused to publicly release the first installment of the report - which was delivered on Dec. 16, 2013 - until Jan. 10. Also weighing in Tuesday were the candidates challenging LePage in the 2014 governor's race. Independent candidate Eliot Cutler said the report by Alexander showed LePage's economic policies were a failure. He said the forecast that the state's poverty rate would increase by more than 30 percent in the next decade was a case study for why LePage, "should be fired" by voters. "Gov. LePage has held out the Alexander Group report as an example of why Medicaid expansion should not occur, that it would be unsustainable," Cutler said. "In fact, it is his policies that are unsustainable. The Page 121 $1 million consultant answers questions from Maine HHS lawmakers Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) January 14, 2014 Tuesday one contribution that this report has made is to show that Gov. LePage's own policies are a failure and he has no plan, no plan at all to grow Maine's economy to one that generates jobs instead of poverty." Cutler also criticized the LePage administration for withholding the report for weeks after it was delivered to the state. LePage said he had not finished reading the report and would release it when he had. "I think this government is a circus, I think it is non- transparent, I think it's inexcusable this report wasn't released on time, and the excuse that it took him however many weeks it's been to read it - I read it yesterday and last night - the excuse it took him that long to read it, is about the flimsiest excuse I have ever heard." Cutler also challenged LePage and Democratic challenger Mike Michaud, Maine's 2nd District congressman, to an early public debate on the issue of health care. For his part Michaud said he's long supported expanding Medicaid in Maine and LePage's premise that it would hurt the state's economy in the long run was simply unfounded. "It's clear that this was an illegitimate report that was a complete waste of taxpayer funds," Michaud said of the Alexander Group report. "Rather than wasting time with political attacks we should move on, correct the record and focus on the facts: expanding access to Medicaid will provide health care to 70,000 Mainers and save the state hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade. It's the right thing to do." [email protected]

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

January 1, 2014 Wednesday

Maine's political gaffes fetch mea culpas in 2013

BYLINE: Scott Thistle; State Politics Editor, Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 664 words

AUGUSTA -- They put on clown noses in committee, lambasted each other with crude insults on television and spent time thinking with or about their "man brains." Page 122 Maine's political gaffes fetch mea culpas in 2013 Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) January 1, 2014 Wednesday

Maine politicians, both Democratic and Republican, were anything but boring in the things they did or said in 2013. And it wasn't even an election year for most of them, as 2014 will be. Here's a quick look at some of the things that left us scratching our heads or simply shaking them in dismay. Vaseline Republican Gov. Paul LePage's critics found a number of things he said in 2013 offensive, but top among them was his comment to a television reporter in June attacking state Sen. Troy Jackson, D- Allagash. LePage said Jackson, " ... claims to be for the people, but he's the first one to give it to the people without providing Vaseline." LePage also said Jackson, a logger by trade, should return to the forest, "... and let someone with a brain come down here and do some good work." Jackson responded, saying, "He can say whatever he wants; I just think it's inappropriate the way he said it. We can be disagreeable without making nasty comments like that." But LePage wasn't the first at the State House to reference the brand-name petroleum jelly. State Sen. John Patrick, D-Rumford, referred to Vaseline in speaking about the management at Maine's large paper mills, according to a 2011 state Senate transcript LePage's office issued shortly after the governor made his Vaseline remark. Senate Republicans, in the majority at the time, objected to Patrick's reference. LePage later apologized to loggers and others but did not apologize to Jackson personally. The comment and others LePage has made over his three years in office grabbed national media attention more than once, including a New York Times report in August that suggested the cumulative effect of the governor's gaffes could have an impact on the 2014 governor's race. More brains Lower on the political totem poll, state Rep. Brian Bolduc, an Auburn Democrat, in December attacked a segment of Maine's working class -- truck drivers. In an email to his city's Police Department, Bolduc railed about the noise from the trucks passing by his home at all hours of the day and demanded police do something about it. The message, laced with profanity and misspellings, suggested truck drivers, " ... probably dont (sic) have a whole hell of allot (sic) of brains in their heads." Bolduc later apologized for his message. But it was female lawmakers who were offended by state Rep. Ken Fredette, the House minority leader, who made his gaffe about brains during a speech on the House floor. Fredette, making an argument against expanding Medicaid in Maine, referenced the best-selling nonfiction book, "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus," when he said, "My brain, being a man's brain, sort of thinks differently, because I say, well, it's not. If it's free, is it really free? Because I say, in my brain, there's a cost to this." Fredette's comment also made a splash nationally online, and he later apologized to those who were offended by it. Bring in the clowns It wasn't what they said but what state Sen. Margaret Craven, D- Lewiston, and state Sen. Colleen Lachowicz, D-Waterville, did that had Craven apologizing in April. During a meeting of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, which Craven co-chairs, she and Lachowicz donned red foam clown noses. The gesture, Craven said, was meant to provide some stress relief and levity after a long day of hearings on the state budget. But state Sen. James Hamper, an Oxford Republican, also on the committee, found the joke humorless. Page 123 Maine's political gaffes fetch mea culpas in 2013 Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) January 1, 2014 Wednesday

"It was beyond the pale to watch the trust of the Maine people and the process being so disrespected. The people of Maine deserve better," Hamper said. Craven apologized for her actions, saying, "Sometimes we all need a little light moment after a long day of stressful bills and stressful situations. If Sen. Hamper is offended, I apologize." [email protected]

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

September 20, 2013 Friday

Editorial was misquoted in response

SECTION: OUR VIEW

LENGTH: 96 words

Responding to a Sun Journal editorial Sunday, four Maine legislators quoted a Sun Journal editorial several times, but once in error. The editorial in question never said the expansion of Medicaid in Maine would be funded by "free money," as reported by Sen. Jim Hamper and Reps. Richard Malaby, Deb Sanderson and Heather Sirocki. The expansion would be funded with federal tax money, paid in part by Maine citizens. The money we refuse to accept, about $250 million per year, will be used in other states or by other federal programs. The word "free" never appeared in the editorial.

LOAD-DATE: September 21, 2013

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

DOCUMENT-TYPE: Editorial

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JOURNAL-CODE: SJLM Page 124 Editorial was misquoted in response Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) September 20, 2013 Friday

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

September 15, 2013 Sunday

Medicaid expansion anything but 'free money' from the Feds

SECTION: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LENGTH: 663 words

A Sept. 6 editorial in this newspaper suggested that Maine will soon be missing out on "big checks" from the federal government to pay for health insurance in Maine. The piece took Gov. Paul LePage and many Republicans in the Legislature to task for not agreeing to expand MaineCare (Maine's version of Medicaid) to an additional 70,000 Mainers by taking federal dollars to pay for the expansion. For now, we'll put aside the fact that in addition to paying state taxes, we also pay federal taxes which would be the source of this "free money." The editorial ends by stating that had Maine agreed to the expansion, we would be receiving $256 million in federal dollars annually, which is more than the sum the state paid recently to reimburse Maine's hospitals for years of accumulated debt. It's an ironic point considering runaway expansion of Medicaid is the reason why Maine racked up so much debt with the hospitals in the first place. Now we're contemplating a similar expansion on steroids. In the first decade of this century, Maine expanded taxpayer- funded health care (Medicaid) to an unsustainable rate. It grew 78 percent between 2002 and 2009, while the population only increased by 7 percent. Maine's spending on its Medicaid program is more than 30 percent higher than the national average. We would be remiss if we did not mention that the last expansion currently costs Maine $175 million a year in general fund dollars. In addition, the federal reimbursement for MaineCare for a $2.5 billion budget was at a rate just under 75 percent in 2010. As of October 2013, that rate declines to 61.55 percent. That means that Maine taxpayers must fund an additional $320 million annually for the same level of programming. In short, we have already expanded Medicaid while other states haven't, and have paid dearly for it as evidenced by years of never- ending supplemental budgets needed to cover budget shortfalls created by cost overruns in Medicaid spending that continue to grow and cannibalize our state budget. While it is true that many states have recently signed up to take federal dollars for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), they will still be lagging behind Maine's previous expansions resulting in our current and expensive level of government-paid health care. The Medicaid expansion proposal has been sold to us with the promise of Maine receiving 100 percent funding for it from the federal government. But a closer examination reveals this is not a good deal for Maine. While the first three years of the expansion would be "free," the federal reimbursement rate would drop to 90 percent after that. Page 125 Medicaid expansion anything but 'free money' from the Feds Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) September 15, 2013 Sunday

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates Maine would then have to start contributing 75 million additional dollars to Medicaid every year. That means we would have to ask Maine taxpayers to contribute an additional $150 million in every two-year budget going forward. That's $150 million less we would have for education, public safety and other vital state programs. And it turns out, the short-term costs during that "free money" period aren't so free, after all. Maine would have to kick in $10.5 million annually during those first three years for administrative costs of covering the additional 70,000 Mainers. In addition to creating endless debt, Medicaid expansion in Maine has had another unintended consequence over the past 10 years: it has provided an incentive for those able-bodied individuals who were paying for their own health insurance to join the welfare rolls at our expense. After all, why pay for something when you can get it for (here comes that word again) free? So, contrary to what this newspaper editorial states, Maine does not stand to benefit from the "big checks" coming from the federal government. Those big checks come with a price that we simply cannot afford. Sen. Jim Hamper and Reps. Richard Malaby, Deb Sanderson and Heather Sirocki serve on the Health and Human Services Committee.

LOAD-DATE: September 16, 2013

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DOCUMENT-TYPE: Letter

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

June 18, 2013 Tuesday

Democrats advance repeal of 2-year cap on treatments for addicts on Medicaid

BYLINE: Christopher Cousins BDN Staff

LENGTH: 492 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- A bid by Democrats to repeal the 2-year limit on methadone and suboxone treatments that are paid for by Medicaid passed Tuesday night in the Senate but could face a veto by Gov. Paul LePage, who has voiced support for the initiative since his campaign for office.

Page 126 Democrats advance repeal of 2-year cap on treatments for addicts on Medicaid Bangor Daily News (Maine) June 18, 2013 Tuesday

LD 951, An Act to Repeal the 2-year Limit on Methadone and Suboxone Treatments Under MaineCare, would have repealed a 2012 law that went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. Methadone and suboxone are medications used to wean addicts from opiates and opioids. An amendment attached to the bill during the committee process set up exceptions to the lifetime cap for pregnant women, people with mental illness and parents of children under three years of age. It also allowed the prescription of "maintenance doses" of the medications for more than two years without prior authorizations.

While Democrats argued that it isn't the Legislature's place to make medical decisions, Republicans countered by saying the law would save Maine millions of dollars in its Medicaid program and prompt addicts who use the medications to speed up their recovery.

"Does the taxpayer of the state of Maine, those who are footing the bill for the methadone treatment, are they aware of the fact that we're going to just extend this completely, with no limitations?" said Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford.

Sen. Geoffrey Gratwick, D-Bangor, who is a physician, said doctors need the freedom to prescribe the treatments they deem fit.

"Is it appropriate that this body practice medicine?" he asked his Senate colleagues. "I think there has to be significant flexibility as health care providers deal with their patients."

Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting, a retired police officer, said the lifetime limits were already producing results.

"These clinics were out of hand," he said. "People were going to 12, 15, 17 years without any end [to being on methadone or suboxone] in sight. Many people testified to that and we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I believe. This bill finally has people working toward getting off methadone and suboxone. To turn the clock back now will be a disservice to the people who have been addicted."

Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, said he agreed that the Legislature should not put itself between a doctor and a patient, but that he does support putting limits on what Medicaid covers.

"Medicaid, from my perspective, is an insurance plan," he said. "Like any other insurance plan, the insurer can set reasonable limits. The current law made sense when we passed it. It's working and it would not make sense to repeal it."

Gratwick disagreed with Katz. "Some people need this medicine for much longer," he said.

The Senate voted on party lines, 20-15, in support of the bill. That followed a 80-57 vote in the House of Representatives earlier Tuesday. Neither tally is enough to override a gubernatorial veto, which requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.

LOAD-DATE: June 19, 2013

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

Page 127 Senate passes MaineCare expansion amendment The Associated Press State & Local Wire June 6, 2013 Thursday 9:49 PM GMT

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The Associated Press State & Local Wire

June 6, 2013 Thursday 9:49 PM GMT

Senate passes MaineCare expansion amendment

BYLINE: By GLENN ADAMS, Associated Press

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 376 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA Maine

The push for expanding Medicaid to add 70,000 more Mainers gained marginal support Thursday with Senate approval of an amendment to cut off the state's participation in the federal program after three years. By a bipartisan 23-12 vote, the Senate approved the amendment to the bill to expand Medicaid, administered as MaineCare in the state. The legislation was sent to the House. Medicaid expansion under the national Affordable Care Act is among the major issues awaiting resolution as Maine lawmakers work toward a June 19 adjournment. Many states are grappling with the mandates of the new federal health care law. Maine Republicans have been opposed to expanding MaineCare, but assistant Senate Republican leader Roger Katz of Augusta said Thursday, "I think it's time to act." The Katz amendment would repeal the expansion Dec. 31, 2016, but does not say what happens to the thousands covered by the expanded program when that happens. During debate, Sen. Doug Thomas, R-Ripley, said getting people dependent on welfare only to "pull the rug out from under them" is wrong. "This makes a terrible bill worse," he said. The amendment calls for federal confirmation that the state will receive a 100 percent compensation rate for childless adults covered under MaineCare, including those covered as of December 2009. In addition, it calls for larger co-payments to discourage abuse of the program. "Is it what the Democrats want? No. Is it what the Republicans want? No. Is it what the independents want? I'm sure not," said Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall, D-Richmond. "It's time to compromise. It's time to work together. People's lives are on the line." The new federal law requires the government to pay 100 percent of the cost for covering all newly eligible people for the first three years and then gradually lowers the payment to no less than 90 percent of the costs by 2020. Maine Republicans say the law still presents too many financial risks for a state that has grossly overspent what it can afford on social services. The House earlier this week passed a version of the bill including language aimed at getting GOP votes. "We're in financial trouble ... we're in deep trouble financially," said Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford. "We cannot afford this."

LOAD-DATE: June 7, 2013

Page 128 Senate passes MaineCare expansion amendment The Associated Press State & Local Wire June 6, 2013 Thursday 9:49 PM GMT

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

June 4, 2013 Tuesday

Maine Senate defeats measure aimed at arming school staff

BYLINE: Scott Thistle; State Politics Editor, Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 735 words

AUGUSTA -- On a 19-14, party-line vote, the Maine Senate on Tuesday rejected a measure that would have allowed trained and vetted public school employees to carry concealed firearms. How your senator voted on LD 1429 A yes vote was in favor of rejecting the bill. * Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston: Yes * Sen. John Cleveland, D-Auburn: Yes * Sen. John Patrick, D-Rumford: Did not vote * Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford: No * Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls: No * Sen. Thomas Saviello, R-Wilton: No Republicans supported the bill; Democrats voted against it. The bill, LD 1429, was offered by Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting. It would have allowed local school districts to decide by a districtwide referendum and school board approval whether they wanted to arm select staff members. The bill would have required those selected to carry firearms to be willing to do so, to be permitted under the state's concealed- handgun law, undergo a criminal background check and a psychological screen and attend special training offered at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. Burns, a retired state police detective, said he offered the bill because police response times to some of the schools in his rural Senate District 29 in Washington County were longer than an hour. "It may take even longer for a backup officer to arrive, and indeed, a matter of hours for a properly trained tactical response team to get to that location," Burns said during a floor speech Tuesday. "Is that the same for your community? I hope not." Page 129 Maine Senate defeats measure aimed at arming school staff Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 4, 2013 Tuesday

And while the shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December reignited the debate on public school security, Burns said he had been contemplating the legislation for more than two years. He thought the measure was safe, practical and would allow a trained individual to "stand in the gap" when an armed assailant attacked a school, buying time until a trained officer could arrive, he said. "I had no intention of expecting a teacher or a staff member to take the place of a professional police officer, although I have met a lot of those people in that profession that I would have gladly had stood beside me in my law enforcement career," Burns said. Still, he said, even the bravest teachers and other staff who attempted to stop the Sandy Hook shooter had no chance. "The only real response to deadly force is deadly force," Burns said. "Facing an armed killer without a weapon is futile and can only add to the number of lost lives." Democrats opposing the bill said Maine public schools already can have armed police officers inside schools in the form of resource officers. They said the impact of arming teachers or other staff would have a negative psychological impact on students, and guns in schools would increase the chance of a firearms-related incident or accident. Sen. Stan Gerzofsky said school resource officers were "fully trained, not to the minimum standard but to the maximum standard." He said the 18-week course police officers in Maine complete, including training in tactical and active-shooter scenarios, couldn't be replicated in an abbreviated course for school staff. The Legislature approved police officers in schools years ago "to allow our communities to protect our most valuable, which are our children," Gerzofsky said. "This bill I don't believe enhances that at all. The things that are available in this bill are already available under current law." Gerzofysky said any school in Maine could hire a community resource officer regardless of how rural it is. Barring that, he said, schools could contract with county sheriffs for deputies. Burns said the cost of doing that for most schools would be prohibitive and that it could cost a school district between $80,000 and $100,000 with pay and benefits per school to hire fully trained police officers. Sen. Chris Johnson, D-Somerville, said the bill included provisions requiring new liability insurance for schools that chose to arm their staffs. "There's a reason," he said, "because there is the possibility opened up by what this bill allows for adverse outcomes. That's my biggest worry with this. What we are talking about is putting guns in schools in the hands of not fully trained officers." The legislation was opposed by the Maine Education Association, the statewide teachers' union. The state's association of school superintendents remained neutral on the bill. [email protected]

LOAD-DATE: June 5, 2013

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

DOCUMENT-TYPE: News

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Copyright 2013 ProQuest Information and Learning All Rights Reserved ProQuest SuperText Page 130 Maine Senate defeats measure aimed at arming school staff Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) June 4, 2013 Tuesday

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

June 3, 2013 Monday

D. Whitley: It makes no sense

SECTION: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LENGTH: 267 words

I feel strongly about the necessity of the governor accepting the Medicaid expansion, so I am appealing to Sen. James Hamper and Rep. Tom Winsor to do the right thing for the citizens of their districts. Serving the interests of constituents is what legislators are elected to do, not to blindly follow their party's dictates and Gov. LePage -- disregarding the needs of neighbors. Oxford County residents are suffering from the effects of unemployment and poor health status compared with the rest of Maine. I didn't think I would have to remind legislators how bad it is. I found some statistics that point to the dire need to cover as many people as possible, especially if the cost of care is being paid for by the federal government, since everyone pays for that with taxes. Why would we want other states to expand their Medicaid using our tax dollars and refuse to do the same for our own citizens? It makes no sense. The teen birth rate in Oxford County is 27 percent; state average, 24 percent; and national average, 21 percent. Uninsured: Oxford County, 14 percent; Maine, 12 percent; national, 11 percent. Children in poverty: county, 24 percent; Maine, 19 percent; national, 14 percent. Children in single-parent households: county, 31 percent; Maine, 31 percent; national, 20 percent. The governor promised to repay the funding owed hospitals from past MaineCare payments. It makes no sense for him to oppose the opportunity for 70,000 Mainers to be eligible to receive MaineCare, 100 percent paid for by the federal government for three years and then 90 percent after that. Dennise Whitley, Norway

LOAD-DATE: June 4, 2013

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PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: SJLM

66 of 89 DOCUMENTS Page 131 Maine GOP, Democrats argue lawmaker conduct Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) April 30, 2013 Tuesday

Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

April 30, 2013 Tuesday

Maine GOP, Democrats argue lawmaker conduct

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 679 words

AUGUSTA -- The Maine Republican Party called Monday on Senate President Justin Alfond to investigate the recent actions of some Democratic lawmakers. But a spokeswoman for Alfond called the GOP's request for an investigation a distraction and said Monday that no such investigation will happen. Maine Republican Party Chairman Richard Cebra said he wants the Legislature's Conduct and Ethics Committee to look into recent behavior by Democrats during deliberations of the Criminal Justice and Health and Human Services committees, which Cebra defined as "disruptions, irregularities and a lack of professionalism." Among the issues were the way Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick, Senate Chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee, handled work sessions last week on bills related to firearms and an alleged incident on the Health and Human Services Committee last week during which Sens. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, and Colleen Lachowicz, D-Waterville, donned clown noses. "The Legislature currently has some very serious issues to consider that will have a profound impact on all our citizens," said Cebra in a press release. "Maine taxpayers deserve to have their elected representatives act in a professional manner." In the Criminal Justice Committee, legislators from both parties told the Bangor Daily News on Friday that there was growing concern centered around how Gerzofsky has been running the committee. The issue came to a head on Thursday when Gerzofsky wouldn't allow members of the committee to question an official from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce about a pending gun control bill. Gerzofsky told the Bangor Daily News that he limited debate in the committee in an effort to adhere to a schedule, though members of the committee said Gerzofsky's leadership was an ongoing problem. Sen. Gary Plummer, R-Windham, who is a member of the Criminal Justice Committee, said Thursday didn't mark the first time this session that the committee has experienced procedure problems. According to Cebra's press release, Plummer said Gerzofsky has at times demeaned and yelled at committee members and witnesses. "There is a fine line between leadership and authoritarianism, and sometimes it seems as though that line has been crossed," said Plummer. Ericka Dodge, a spokeswoman for Alfond, said he and other legislative leaders have discussed the allegations and that there will not be an ethics committee hearing. "There will not be an ethics committee hearing," wrote Dodge in response to emailed questions. "Nothing happened. This is the chair of the Republican Party making politically incendiary remarks which serve only as a distraction from the good work that is getting done here in Augusta by both Democrats and Republicans." Cebra also asked for an investigation into two senators on the Health and Human Services Committee who wore clown noses last week during public testimony on a bill about nursing homes. "When this happened, I was in disbelief," said Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford, a member of the committee, in Cebra's press release. "I told them they were making a mockery of the public hearing." But Dodge said it was the Maine Republican Party who was stepping out of line and called their news release "blatant garbage" that ignores bipartisan work that is being accomplished at the State House. Page 132 Maine GOP, Democrats argue lawmaker conduct Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) April 30, 2013 Tuesday

Nevertheless, hostility between Republicans and Democrats at the State House seems to be intensifying. On Friday, Gov. Paul LePage accused Democratic legislative leaders of "reneging" on an agreement that repaying Maine's Medicaid debt to the state's hospitals would be a priority of this legislative session. The Maine Republican Party echoed that accusation in social media and news releases. During the weekend, LePage lashed out at Alfond and House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick. On Monday, the governor and House Republican Leader Ken Fredette of Newport called on Democratic legislative leaders to schedule an up-or-down vote on his proposal to use revenue bonds derived from renegotiating the state's wholesale liquor contract to repay the hospitals.

LOAD-DATE: May 1, 2013

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

DOCUMENT-TYPE: News

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: SJLM

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States News Service

April 29, 2013 Monday

MAINE GOP CHAIR CALLS ON CONDUCT AND ETHICS COMMITTEE TO CONVENE

BYLINE: States News Service

LENGTH: 392 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA, ME

The following information was released by the Maine Republican Party: Maine Republican Party Chairman Richard M. Cebra today called on Senate President Justin Alfond to convene the Legislature's Conduct and Ethics Committee in the wake of complaints about disruptions, irregularities, and a lack of professionalism in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety and Health and Human Services Committees. "The Legislature currently has some very serious issues to consider that will have a profound impact on all of our citizens. Maine taxpayers deserve to have their elected representatives act in a professional manner," Cebra said. Senator Gary Plummer, the ranking Republican on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, says committee hearings have been plagued with lapses in proper procedure. In one instance, a Maine State Chamber of Commerce representative was brought in to testify during a work session. During questioning, Page 133 MAINE GOP CHAIR CALLS ON CONDUCT AND ETHICS COMMITTEE TO CONVENE States News Service April 29, 2013 Monday the Committee Chair, Senator Stan Gerzofsky (D-Cumberland) abruptly ruled that time had expired, prompting Representative Corey Wilson (R-Augusta) to state he would likely have more questions for the witness. Senator Gerzofsky replied, "Not in this work session." Senator Plummer says the committee chair has also engaged in yelling at and demeaning other committee members and, in one case, the Commissioner of Public Safety. "There is a fine line between leadership and authoritarianism and sometimes it seems as though that line has been crossed," Senator Plummer said. Chairman Cebra also wants an incident that happened during a Health and Human Services Committee investigated. In that case, two committee members, Senators Margaret Craven and Colleen Lackowitz, reportedly donned "clown noses" as members of the public were testifying on a bill concerning beds for low-income Maine residents in nursing homes. Senator Jim Hamper (R-Oxford) is the ranking Republican on the Committee. "When this happened, I was in disbelief," Senator Hamper said. "I told them they were making a mockery of the public hearing. One individual who was testifying decided to stop because they knew they weren't being taken seriously. People who come to these committee hearings to testify need to be treated with respect, and we failed to measure up to that standard due to the behavior of these two senators," Senator Hamper said. ###

LOAD-DATE: April 30, 2013

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newswire

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

April 24, 2013 Wednesday

Maine Senate endorses bill to seal handgun permit data

BYLINE: Scott Thistle; State Politics Editor, Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 1093 words

AUGUSTA -- State senators on Wednesday agreed with their counterparts in the House of Representatives and passed a bill that will shut down a set of public records that have been open for more than 30 years. Here's how state senators from Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties voted on LD 345, a bill that makes confidential the data on concealed-handgun permits. Voting against: Sens. John Cleveland, D-Auburn; and Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston. Voting for: Sens. James Hamper, D-Oxford; Garrett Mason, R- Lisbon Falls; John Patrick, D-Rumford; and Thomas Saviello, R- Wilton. For a complete listing see the Senate's roll call here. Page 134 Maine Senate endorses bill to seal handgun permit data Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) April 24, 2013 Wednesday

In a 27-8 vote, the Senate approved LD 345, which makes confidential most of the information on concealed-handgun permits in Maine. The Maine House on Tuesday approved the measure 106-40. Both bodies have achieved the two-thirds majority the measure needs to take effect as soon as Gov. Paul LePage signs the bill. The bill faces one more vote each in the House and Senate before it is sent to LePage. He is expected to sign the measure, which pits the public's right to government information against the privacy rights of individuals who have been granted permission to carry concealed handguns. "This is a bill about privacy. This is not a bill about guns," Sen. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, said, introducing the bill. Valentino is the Senate chairwoman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, which crafted the final version of the bill, first offered by Rep. Corey Wilson, R-Augusta. The bill, which arose in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn., was expedited by the Legislature after the Bangor Daily News requested access to handgun-permit data under Maine's open-records law. And while the newspaper maintained it would not publish "wholesale" the information, gun and privacy rights advocates said they worried the release of the information could put some people in danger. They also suggested that the newspaper would replicate a project done by the Journal Tribune, a New York publication, that created an online map that showed concealed-handgun permit-holders' homes. Supporters cited victims of domestic violence as an example of those who might have gun permits and whose identities ought to be protected. The move to seal the records followed a nationwide trend as other states, including North Carolina, New York and Virginia, approved similar measures. During her speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Valentino said the Maine Coalition toDomestic Violence had praised the proposal to seal the records. So had the Maine State Police, a national coalition of social workers and the city of Bangor, which passed a resolve in support of the bill, Valentino said. She noted the bill did two important things: It closes the records to all but law enforcement and it directs Maine State Police to issue a report on permit-holders including age, sex, ZIP code and municipality. State police also would determine the best way to create a statewide database of permit-holders and a uniform permit design, much like a driver's license. State police currently issue about half of the estimated 30,000 permits in Maine, including about 8,000 permits for nonresidents, Valentino said. The others are issued by local police chiefs, town and city councils and boards of selectmen. During testimony on the bill, John Morris, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said permits varied in appearance and what kind of information was on them depending on which agency issued them. Some, Morris quipped, might even be written on a "brown paper bag." Valentino said collecting and consolidating information on the permits was important. State police don't even know how many people have permits "because we have no aggregate data," she said. The report on aggregate data will come back to the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee in January 2014. The committee will decide whether additional legislation is needed to create a statewide database and a uniform permitting system, Valentino said. But opponents of the bill said it reeks of a government- controlled state, without any outside oversight. Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick, detailed a history of Maine's concealed-handgun-permit law and noted that permit data was intentionally left open as a check on government, to ensure applicants were treated fairly and not discriminated against. Page 135 Maine Senate endorses bill to seal handgun permit data Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) April 24, 2013 Wednesday

"At the time, the debate went between the House and the Senate to set up a system that the people were actually going to have a relationship with," Gerzofsky said. "It wasn't going to be just Big Brother, just the government that concealed all these things, and they were the only ones with the information." Gerzofsky said giving all that power to the government was troubling for him. He also noted, despite testimony that state police could do the aggregate study within their existing budget, it was going to be another job for them. "We don't fund them for it. No, we just tell them we want them to do it," Gerzofsky said. He questioned what other police work would not get done because of it. He also noted the irony in keeping a centralized database on concealed weapons, because it seems to contradict the idea of protecting the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. "I thought that something we never wanted to do was get a centralized database of who has a concealed weapon and who doesn't," Gerzofsky said. "So, I find it a little bewildering that we do now." He said the effort to seal the records in Maine was emotional and "knee-jerk." In the 30-plus years that Maine's data was open, there had been no documented problems with the system, Gerzofsky said. "It's a reaction to a reaction to a reaction," Gerzofsky said. "We never really had a problem in our state." Others opposed to closing the records included the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine and the Maine Press Association. David Trahan, a former state senator and now executive director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, said getting the records sealed was his group's top priority for the legislative session. Trahan voiced relief Wednesday that the bill was moving forward, just days prior to the expiration of a temporary law that had sealed the data until April 30. Trahan said the debate for both sides had been emotionally draining. "We hope once this debate is done, we can get back to doing some of the other things that are important to our membership, including protection of our natural resources," he said after the vote. [email protected]

LOAD-DATE: April 25, 2013

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DOCUMENT-TYPE: News

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

April 3, 2013 Wednesday Page 136 Senate replicates House votes on capital gains tax cut, youth tanning ban Bangor Daily News (Maine) April 3, 2013 Wednesday

Senate replicates House votes on capital gains tax cut, youth tanning ban

BYLINE: Matthew Stone BDN Staff

LENGTH: 584 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- State senators on Wednesday followed suit with recent votes cast by their colleagues in the House, splitting largely along party lines to reject a measure that would reduce Maine's capital gains tax and accept a bill that would bar anyone younger than 18 from using commercial tanning beds.

The Senate, controlled by Democrats, voted 21-14 against a bill, LD 65, that would have cut taxes on income from capital gains by more than 50 percent. Sen. Patrick Flood of Winthrop was the only Republican to join all Democrats in opposing the bill. The Senate's sole independent member, Sen. Richard Woodbury of Yarmouth, also voted with Democrats.

Senators voted 19-16 to enact the youth tanning ban, LD 272, sponsored by Sen. Geoffrey Gratwick, D-Bangor. Two Democrats, Sen. Linda Valentino of Saco and Sen. John Cleveland of Auburn, voted with Republicans against the ban.

Debate on both bills largely echoed recent debates on the measures in the House.

Democrats said the state couldn't afford to lower its capital gains tax while Republicans said state government should resist the urge to tax more.

"If we do not have the money, we shouldn't be giving these exemptions," said Sen. John Patrick, D-Rumford. "You need X amount of revenue in order to run your country, your state, your municipality. Could this do some good? There's a possibility it could."

Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Hampden, said the capital gains issue illustrated fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans.

"When we tax an item that someone has sought to improve their lot in life with, what we say in Augusta is, 'We have a better understanding of how to use that money than you do,'" he said. "One party sees every day as April 15 and the other party sees every day as the Fourth of July."

During debate on the tanning bill, Democrats made mention of a decision earlier this week by New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie to sign a similar tanning ban into law. The New Jersey bill will prohibit anyone younger than 17 from using commercial tanning beds.

Republicans, meanwhile, said new state rules that would make tanning off limits to anyone younger than 14 and require parental consent for older teenagers need to take effect first before legislators again change the law. Others said state policymakers should leave decisions up to parents, rather than have the government make decisions for them.

"We will require a photo ID to go tanning, but we won't require a photo ID to vote," quipped Sen. James Hamper, R-Oxford.

Page 137 Senate replicates House votes on capital gains tax cut, youth tanning ban Bangor Daily News (Maine) April 3, 2013 Wednesday

But there's a difference, said Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, the assistant Senate Democratic leader.

"Tanning clearly can kill you. Going to vote doesn't. Maybe the people you vote for do," he said. "I don't think voting rises to the same thing as a child going in and maybe putting themselves at risk of getting cancer."

Maine's new state rules on youth tanning will soon make commercial tanning off limits for anyone younger than 14. In addition, the rules will require that parents accompany their 14- and 15-year-olds to the tanning salon and sign consent forms after being given information about the dangers of tanning. Parents will also have to sign consent forms for 16- and 17-year-olds.

If the bill becomes law, Maine would join California and Vermont in making commercial tanning completely off limits for minors. California and Vermont are the other two states. The tanning bill, however, would first have to clear Gov. Paul LePage, who hasn't publicly taken a position on the bill.

LOAD-DATE: April 3, 2013

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PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

March 28, 2013 Thursday

School districts may be required to meet full share of local costs

BYLINE: Leslie H Dixon, Leslie H. Dixon, Staff Writer

SECTION: OXFORD HILLS

LENGTH: 593 words

AUGUSTA -- The Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee has voted to support a bill that would mandate all school districts meet their required share of local education funding by 2016. The 10-4 vote to recommend passage of LD 667 followed about 90 minutes of discussion on that bill and on LD 367, which asked for a permanent sunset clause that would repeal the repeal of the law that now requires all school districts to meet the full cost of their local education share. Unless it is reconsidered, LD 667 will go back to the House for action. The committee unanimously rejected LD 367, sponsored by Sen. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, on behalf of the Oxford Hills School District. "Make plans to ramp up the budget," Hamper said in an email to Oxford Hills School District Superintendent Rick Colpitts shortly after the Education Committee took its vote at around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Page 138 School districts may be required to meet full share of local costs Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 28, 2013 Thursday

Under LD 667, which must be enacted by the Legislature, each of the 40-plus school districts that currently underfund the local share will be required to meet the required local share by 2016. Those districts include Oxford Hills, Lewiston and Auburn. "I believe that they are sending a message to all schools -- the minimum required local share is necessary to maintain education programming and standards and the Legislature (Education Committee) expects Maine communities to contribute at least this amount to the effort," Colpitts said after hearing the decision. "I believe they understand the impact of their decision may cause some pain to taxpayers, but felt that pain would be outweighed by the importance education plays in the long term survival of communities," he said. Colpitts and Lewiston School Department Superintendent Bill Webster appeared before the Education Committee in the Cross State Office Building two weeks ago to offer testimony on emergency bills, each intended to find taxpayer relief from the local share requirement of the state's Essential Programs and Services program. Webster, with the sponsorship of Rep. Michael Carey, D-Lewiston, had offered up a third bill, LD 1002, which would have adjusted the local contribution based on districts with a disproportionately high property tax burden. That bill has been withdrawn. The Oxford Hills School District is 9 percent below the minimum local share, while Lewiston is 6 percent below. State law obligates the state to fund 55 percent of K-12 education, but it only fulfills about 84 percent of that commitment. In 2010, a law went into effect that allowed districts to fund the local share to the same percentage the state does, excusing them from raising the full amount required by EPS. That measure has been extended one more year, until 2014. Sen. Rebecca Millett, D-Cumberland, who made the motion to recommend favorable action on LD 667, said it would allow the committee time to work on the funding formula and Essential Programs and Services law. "I hope we will address both issues," she said. "That's where a lot of these issues rest." The Education Committee is expected to hear the first steps of a study conducted on the EPS formula next week. Committee members say it is possible that by next year the formula method may be revised. While some Education Committee members said the bill would essentially allow some school districts to continue to under commit education funding, others said they were concerned about the ability of taxpayers to meet the obligation. "How close are we getting to taxpayer capacity failure?" asked Rep. Brian Hubbell, D-Bar Harbor. [email protected]

LOAD-DATE: March 29, 2013

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

DOCUMENT-TYPE: News

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: SJLM

71 of 89 DOCUMENTS Page 139 Lewiston, Oxford Hills school superintendents ask legislators for funding waivers Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 17, 2013 Sunday

Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

March 17, 2013 Sunday

Lewiston, Oxford Hills school superintendents ask legislators for funding waivers

BYLINE: Leslie H Dixon, Leslie H. Dixon, Staff Writer

SECTION: OXFORD HILLS

LENGTH: 840 words

AUGUSTA -- Superintendents from Lewiston and Oxford Hills school districts told the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee on Wednesday that efforts to pay the required minimum local share of educational costs have placed too great a burden on taxpayers. Leslie H. Dixon,Sun Journal SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts, left, and Lewiston Superintendent Bill Webster speak outside the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee hearing room in Augusta on Wednesday. They testified Wednesday about the impact state-required minimum spending for education places on local taxpayers. Lewiston School Superintendent Bill Webster and Oxford Hills School District Superintendent Rick Colpitts appeared before the committee in the Cross State Office Building to offer two different bills, each intended to find taxpayer relief from the 100 percent local share requirement of the state's Essential Programs and Services program. "If I strangle my community in the process we are going backward," Webster told the 14-member committee. Webster testified on a bill sponsored by Rep. Michael Carey, D- Lewiston, that would provide a waiver for communities that have a disproportionate high tax burden under the EPS school funding formula. Colpitts submitted a bill, with the sponsorship of Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, calling for a permanent waiver of the full funding requirement. He also submitted a compromise bill that would give districts four years to meet the full funding requirement. Enactment of some sort of compromise measure may be the best Oxford Hills School District can hope for, Colpitts said. He called the full funding requirement "a noose around our neck." The two superintendents told the committee they support the EPS requirements as a model to meet state learning standards, but the reality of the funding mandate is harsh. The Oxford Hills School District is 9 percent below the minimum local share while Lewiston is 6 percent below. State law obligates the state to fund 55 percent of K-12 education, but it only fulfills about 84 percent of that commitment. Webster is proposing a $58.5 million budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The proposed budget would hike property taxes 8.4 percent. Over the last four years, Colpitts said Oxford Hills' school budget increases have averaged only 1 percent, while municipal governments have been asked to increase their support of education an average of 11 percent over the same period. Last year, voters approved a $35.1 million budget with an overall 6.03 percent increase in local assessments by not raising the full EPS amount. "Our community is supportive of education and values the opportunities it affords, particularly in this economically challenged time," Colpitts testified. "This support does not come without significant sacrifice and challenge." Page 140 Lewiston, Oxford Hills school superintendents ask legislators for funding waivers Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 17, 2013 Sunday

Colpitts said that despite double-digit unemployment, significant substance abuse and a districtwide poverty rate of close to 70 percent, 66 percent of SAD 17 residents supported the school budget in the last referendum. The district includes the towns of Harrison, Hebron, Norway, Oxford, Otisfield, Paris, Waterford and West Paris. Five members of the SAD 17 school board, Chairman Ron Kugell of Oxford, Donald Gouin of Norway, Curtis Cole of Paris, Barry Patrie of Waterford and Jared Cash of Norway, plus Oxford Town Manager Michael Chammings testified for the bill. Since 2004, Maine has used the Essential Programs and Services model to calculate how much money each school district needs to spend to provide an adequate education. Calculations are based on various factors, including staff-to-pupil ratios, with adjustments for characteristics of the student population and geographic factors. The state uses property values to determine how much each community should contribute to the EPS amount, and a state subsidy covers the rest. Colpitts testified that even with some flaws, he supports the state's valuation to determine how much a municipality can contribute to the operation of schools. Following his testimony, Colpitts said outside of the hearing room that he was doubtful the permanent waiver proposal will pass. "I'm not optimistic," he said. His said his hope is that a "ramped up" plan to ease the financial burden over a period of a few years will be enacted. The Education and Cultural Affairs Committee members are residents of cities and towns that fund 100 percent of the EPS requirement and at least one member expressed concern about "habitual underfunders." Both superintendents received good news last week when the supplemental budget for 2013-2014 was approved, including an extension through June 2014 of the waiver requirement that municipalities raise school taxes to fund a minimum level. If that had not been enacted, Lewiston would be $3 million short and Oxford Hills School District would need another $1.8 million for the next fiscal year. The committee is expected to review the Lewiston and Oxford Hills School District bills during a work session Thursday, March 21. ldixon@sunjournal .com

LOAD-DATE: March 18, 2013

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

DOCUMENT-TYPE: News

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: SJLM

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Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me.

Page 141 Parties prepare for battle of Augusta Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. July 25, 2012 Wednesday

July 25, 2012 Wednesday

Parties prepare for battle of Augusta

BYLINE: STEVE MISTLER

SECTION: Pg. A.1

LENGTH: 938 words

DATELINE: Waterville, Me.

FULL TEXT State House Bureau The candidates for the Legislature have been chosen. The races are set. On your marks. Get set. Rhetoric. With a polarizing figure such as Gov. Paul LePage in the Blaine House, the biennial battle for the 186 seats in the Legislature -- and control of state government -- may seem a little louder in 2012 than in previous years, and it's starting early. The final deadline has expired for parties to draft legislative candidates. Democrats failed to draft candidates in 10 races, the Republicans in four. Both parties are claiming they have the upper hand. Officials in both parties said recruitment efforts were at an all-time high. At stake is control of the Legislature and, potentially, the future of LePage's policy agenda. Republicans currently hold a 77-70 lead in the House, which also has two unenrolled members and two seats vacant. The Senate has 19 Republicans, 15 Democrats and one unenrolled member. Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant cautioned against reading into 10 Democratic vacancies, which exceeds the five unfilled spots the party had in 2010 and the two slots in 2008. He said energy in the party is high, thanks to LePage and a Republican majority that overreached with unpopular policies. "I've said from the beginning that Gov. LePage and the agenda that Republicans have pursued in Augusta is a galvanizing force on our side, and that's proving true both in terms of interest and people's willingness to participate," Grant said. Grant said the party was targeting 30 to 40 races in the House of Representatives and about 10 in the Senate. The goal isn't to take back the just House, he said, but the Senate, too. He said Democrats will be competitive "all over the map," including some traditional GOP strongholds. Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster isn't buying it. Webster said Democrats had recruited "far left" candidates who can't relate to Mainers. "They've gone out and recruited a bunch people from Occupy Maine and the Maine People's Alliance (a progressive advocacy group)," Webster said. "Somebody who protests in Occupy Maine probably isn't going to win any district outside of Portland." He added, "We've gone out and recruited a bunch of blue-collar people -- plumbers, waitresses, truck drivers, teachers, hairdressers -- people Mainers can relate to." Officials in the GOP also noted that Democrats failed to draft candidates in 10 districts, including Senate District 12, a seat currently held by Democrat Sen. Bill Diamond, of Windham. The absence of a Democrat would appear to give Republican hopeful James Hamper the inside track to victory. However, Grant said that in some cases, local Democratic county committees made the decision not to put forward a candidate, believing that the unenrolled candidates in the races have a decent chance of winning and would caucus with Democrats if they do. Page 142 Parties prepare for battle of Augusta Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. July 25, 2012 Wednesday

Of the 10 races in which Democrats didn't field a candidate, five feature an independent. Webster said Democrats were trying to fool voters into supporting independents that are actually Democrats. "I think it's a strategy, but I don't think it's a winning strategy," Webster said. In Senate District 12, unenrolled candidate Martin Shuer will take on Hamper. In House District 42, which consists of Waldo and Winterport, former Democratic Rep. Joseph Brooks is running as an independent against Republican contender Leo LaChance. Brooks served three terms as a Democrat between 1997 and 2002. James Campbell, a former Republican, served four terms in House District 138, which consists of Alfred and Limerick. Campbell is running as an independent against Republican Judee Meyer. "Our team is motivated and confident that Maine voters will want to send more Republicans to Augusta to become part of the solution that is working," said House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, adding that "small-business owners, farmers, fishermen, and teachers -- people from every walk of life" -- are among the candidates. Republicans say they're hoping to build on a record of easing state regulations, tax cuts, paring welfare programs and other changes they made during the current two-year session, the first in nearly a half century in which there was a GOP House, Senate and governor at the same time. Webster said the popularity of the Republican agenda was reflected in candidate recruitment efforts. The party's four vacancies matches 2010 and is a vast improvement from 2008, when the GOP failed to run candidates in 16 districts. "It could be one of the best recruitment years we've ever had," Webster said. Both parties scrambled to meet the March 15 deadline to ensure that they had a chance to draft candidates. By July 9, the secretary of state reported 48 candidate withdrawals -- the most in recent history, according to a department spokeswoman. Secretary of state officials can't explain why so many candidates who filed to run in March ultimately bowed out. However, the flurry of activity might reflect the high stakes Democrats and Republicans have assigned to control of the Legislature. It's not uncommon for parties to put forth primary candidates who have no intention of running during the general election. If the parties don't meet the March 15 deadline to get on the primary ballot, they cannot draft a candidate for the general election. So-called placeholders buy county committees more time -- almost four months -- to recruit candidates who have a chance to win. "It's common sense," said Webster, who said that three replacement candidates helped the GOP gain control of the House in 2010. Steve Mistler -- 791-6345 [email protected] Twitter: @stevemistler

LOAD-DATE: April 19, 2016

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

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PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

Page 143 Parties prepare for battle of Augusta Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. July 25, 2012 Wednesday

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Portland Press Herald

July 24, 2012 Tuesday

Democrats without candidates in 10 Maine races; GOP down four ; The Maine GOP says recruitment shows the party is poised to hold a majority, but Democrats say they'll challenge in Republican strongholds.

BYLINE: Steve Mistler, By Steve Mistler [email protected] Staff Writer

SECTION: NEWS

LENGTH: 699 words

Democrats without candidates in 10 Maine races; GOP down four The Maine GOP says recruitment shows the party is poised to hold a majority, but Democrats say they'll challenge in Republican strongholds. By Steve Mistler [email protected] Staff Writer The candidates have been chosen. The races are set. Now comes the battle for the Legislature. With 186 open seats in the Legislature, both parties combined to leave 14 races uncontested. Democrats didn't draft candidates in 10 seats, while Republicans are leaving four spots blank, two in Portland. The deadline has expired to find replacement candidates who withdrew from legislative races after the June primary. According to the Secretary of State Office, the 48 candidates who withdrew this year was the most in recent history. Nonetheless, officials in both parties said recruitment efforts were at an all-time high. At stake is control of the Legislature, and potentially, the future of Gov. Paul LePage's policy agenda. Republicans hold a 77-70 lead in the House, which also has two unenrolled members and two seats vacant. The Senate has 19 Republicans, 15 Democrats and one unenrolled member. Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant said energy within the party is high thanks to an "extreme agenda" advanced by LePage and the current Republican majority. Grant said the party was targeting between 30 to 40 races in the House of Representatives and approximately 10 in the Senate. Assuming control of both chambers is within reach, Grant said. Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster, however, isn't buying it. Webster said Democrats had recruited "far left" candidates that can't relate to Mainers. Page 144 Democrats without candidates in 10 Maine races; GOP down four ; The Maine GOP says recruitment shows the party is poised to hold a majority, but Democrats say they'll challenge in Republican strongholds. Portland Press Herald July 24, 2012 Tuesday "They've gone out and recruited a bunch people from Occupy Maine and the Maine People's Alliance (a progressive advocacy group)," Webster said. "Somebody who protests in Occupy Maine probably isn't going to win any district outside of Portland." He added, "We've gone out and recruited a bunch of blue-collar people, plumbers, waitresses, truck drivers, teachers, hairdressers - - people Mainers can relate to." Officials in the GOP also noted that Democrats failed to draft candidates in 10 districts, including Senate District 12, a seat currently held by Democrat Sen. Bill Diamond, of Windham. The absence of a Democrat would appear to give Republican hopeful James Hamper the inside track to victory. However, Grant said that in some cases local Democratic county committees made the decision not to put forward a candidate, believing that an unenrolled candidate will caucus with Democrats. Of the 10 races that Democrats didn't field a candidate, five races feature an independent. Webster said Democrats were trying to fool voters into supporting independents that are actually Democrats. "I think it's a strategy, but I don't think it's a winning strategy. In Senate District 12, unenrolled candidate Martin Shuer will take on Hamper. In House District 42, which represents Waldo and Winterport, former Democratic representative Joseph Brooks is running as an independent against Republican contender Leo LaChance. Brooks served three terms as a Democrat between 1997 and 2002. James Campbell, a former Republican, served four terms in House District 138, which represents Alfred and Limerick. Campbell is now running as an independent against Republican Judee Meyer. "Our team is motivated and confident that Maine voters will want to send more Republicans to Augusta to become part of the solution that is working," said House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, adding that "small-business owners, farmers, fishermen, and teachers - people from every walk of life" are among the candidates. Legislative campaigns are unusually intense this year, with Democrats hoping to wrest back control from Republicans majorities. Democrats had enjoyed control of Maine for much of the last few decades. Republicans say they're hoping to build on a record of easing state regulations, tax cuts, paring welfare programs and other changes they made during the current two-year session, the first in nearly a half century in which there was a GOP House, Senate and governor at the same time. This story will be updated. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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74 of 89 DOCUMENTS Page 145 Feisty primaries on the horizon Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine) March 19, 2012 Monday

Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine)

March 19, 2012 Monday

Feisty primaries on the horizon

SECTION: LOCAL NEWS; Pg. B.1 ISSN: 0745-2039

LENGTH: 826 words

Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster said he's identified 24 places in Maine where Republicans running for the Legislature can beat incumbent Democrats. The Maine Democratic Party says Webster is full of it. "I've stopped taking him seriously," said Lizzy Reinholt, spokeswoman for the Maine Democratic Party. So begins the 2012 race for control of the Legislature. With both sides already bragging they have the biggest and best field of candidates, voters will be barraged with glossy mailers and eager candidates knocking on doors across the state. All 186 seats are up for grabs, with Republicans wanting to keep control of the House and Senate, and Democrats looking to take one or both chambers. While November promises to be big -- keep an eye on Scarborough and Bangor, we're told -- there will be some feisty primaries on June 12. There are 11 Senate primaries and dozens in the House. Here's a quick look at four Senate races. * In Senate District 5, Rep. Don Pilon, D-Saco, will face Rep. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, for the Democratic nomination. There's already been some bad blood between the two because Valentino opened a constituent office in Pilon's House district, which prompted him to file a complaint with the ethics commission. * Senate District 13 will feature two incumbent House Republicans. Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, will face Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford. * In central Maine, former legislator and former Hallowell Mayor David Bustin will face Priscilla Jenkins, of Winthrop, in a Democratic primary for Senate District 21. * In Senate District 33, three Republicans are vying for the nomination. Assistant House Majority Leader Andre Cushing, of Hampden, Rep. David Richardson, of Carmel, and James Emerson, of Corinna, have all qualified for the ballot. One other interesting name to note is that of Ruth Summers, wife of Secretary of State Charlie Summers, who has filed to run for Senate District 6. Ruth Summers, of Scarborough, is vice chairwoman of the Maine Republican Party, and her husband is competing in the U.S. Senate primary. The full list of candidates can be found at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/2012/primcan2012.htm Forbes: Good news Labor Commissioner Robert Winglass shared a bit of good news about Maine's economy at a town hall meeting last week. He pointed to a recent Forbes Magazine ranking that put Greater Portland sixth on a list of "Best and Worst Cities for Jobs this Spring." The magazine says the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford area is likely to see 19 percent job growth. While job statistics have been debated hotly in recent weeks, the Maine Department of Labor expects further analysis will confirm Maine gained 2,000 to 4,000 private-sector jobs in 2011, spokesman Adam Fisher said. Page 146 Feisty primaries on the horizon Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine) March 19, 2012 Monday

The news from Forbes is much better than it was last fall, when the magazine ranked Maine last on a list of best places to do business. LePage said it was the result of Maine's welfare and energy costs, but editors at the magazine said it was because of business costs, workers who move out of state, and a weak jobs and economic outlook. New court for veterans A new court system that will serve military veterans with substance abuse problems or mental illness earned final passage last week and was signed into law by the governor. Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-Augusta, sponsored the legislation, which directs the chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to establish the new system. Federal funds will be used to pay for the courts, Maloney said. The bill was dedicated to the memory of former Army Ranger Justin Crowley-Smilek, of Farmington, who was killed during a confrontation with police after returning from Afghanistan. King hires staff Kay Rand of Hallowell, former chief of staff for Gov. Angus King, will serve as campaign manager for King's U.S. Senate race, King announced recently. "Kay is a top notch political professional and a close personal friend," King said in a statement. "She will bring good Maine judgment to the campaign, and we have the luxury of having worked together with each other for years." King also hired Crystal Canney, one of Democratic Gov. John Baldacci's spokeswomen, to serve as his campaign communications director. Lottery bill A new bill making its way through the Legislature would allow the state to sell lottery tickets over the Internet -- but not until after Sept. 1, 2013. The bill is the product of a legislative subcommittee that wanted to make sure Maine could take advantage of a new federal ruling that allows states to sell tickets online. The bill requires the director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations to develop the system and report back to lawmakers in December. It's L.D. 1880 and is one of four bills slated for public hearing today at 1 p.m. before the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. On the radio State House reporter Susan Cover will be on NewsRadio 560 WGAN at 8:08 a.m. today to talk about what's going on at the State House.

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Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me.

March 19, 2012 Monday

Election bragging in gear

BYLINE: Anonymous

SECTION: Pg. B.1

LENGTH: 803 words

DATELINE: Waterville, Me.

FULL TEXT Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster said he's identified 24 places in Maine where Republicans running for the Legislature can beat incumbent Democrats. The Maine Democratic Party says Webster is full of it. "I've stopped taking him seriously," said Lizzy Reinholt, spokeswoman for the Maine Democratic Party. So begins the 2012 race for control of the Legislature. With both sides already bragging they have the biggest and best field of candidates, voters will be barraged with glossy mailers and eager candidates knocking on doors across the state. All 186 seats are up for grabs, with Republicans wanting to keep control of the House and Senate, and Democrats looking to take one or both chambers. While November promises to be big - keep an eye on Scarborough and Bangor, we're told - there will be some feisty primaries on June 12. There are 11 Senate primaries and dozens in the House. Here's a quick look at four Senate races. * In Senate District 5, Rep. Don Pilon, D-Saco, will face Rep. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, for the Democratic nomination. There's already been some bad blood between the two because Valentino opened a constituent office in Pilon's House district, which prompted him to file a complaint with the ethics commission. * Senate District 13 will feature two incumbent House Republicans. Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, will face Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford. * In central Maine, former legislator and former Hallowell Mayor David Bustin will face Priscilla Jenkins, of Winthrop, in a Democratic primary for Senate District 21. * In Senate District 33, three Republicans are vying for the nomination. Assistant House Majority Leader Andre Cushing, of Hampden, Rep. David Richardson, of Carmel, and James Emerson, of Corinna, have all qualified for the ballot. One other interesting name to note is that of Ruth Summers, wife of Secretary of State Charlie Summers, who has filed to run for Senate District 6. Ruth Summers, of Scarborough, is vice chairwoman of the Maine Republican Party, and her husband is competing in the U.S. Senate primary. The full list of candidates can be found at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/2012/primcan2012.htm Forbes: Good news Page 148 Election bragging in gear Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. March 19, 2012 Monday

Labor Commissioner Robert Winglass shared a bit of good news about Maine's economy at a town hall meeting last week. He pointed to a recent Forbes Magazine ranking that put Greater Portland sixth on a list of "Best and Worst Cities for Jobs this Spring." The magazine says the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford area is likely to see 19 percent job growth. While job statistics have been debated hotly in recent weeks, the Maine Department of Labor expects further analysis will confirm Maine gained 2,000 to 4,000 private-sector jobs in 2011, spokesman Adam Fisher said. The news from Forbes is much better than it was last fall, when the magazine ranked Maine last on a list of best places to do business. LePage said it was the result of Maine's welfare and energy costs, but editors at the magazine said it was because of business costs, workers who move out of state, and a weak jobs and economic outlook. New court for veterans A new court system that will serve military veterans with substance abuse problems or mental illness earned final passage last week and was signed into law by the governor. Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-Augusta, sponsored the legislation, which directs the chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to establish the new system. Federal funds will be used to pay for the courts, Maloney said. The bill was dedicated to the memory of former Army Ranger Justin Crowley-Smilek, of Farmington, who was killed during a confrontation with police after returning from Afghanistan. King hires staff Kay Rand of Hallowell, former chief of staff for Gov. Angus King, will serve as campaign manager for King's U.S. Senate race, King announced recently. "Kay is a top notch political professional and a close personal friend," King said in a statement. "She will bring good Maine judgment to the campaign, and we have the luxury of having worked together with each other for years." King also hired Crystal Canney, one of Democratic Gov. John Baldacci's spokeswomen, to serve as his campaign communications director. Lottery bill A new bill making its way through the Legislature would allow the state to sell lottery tickets over the Internet - but not until after Sept. 1, 2013. The bill is the product of a legislative subcommittee that wanted to make sure Maine could take advantage of a new federal ruling that allows states to sell tickets online. The bill requires the director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations to develop the system and report back to lawmakers in December. It's L.D. 1880 and is one of four bills slated for public hearing today at 1 p.m. before the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee.

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Portland Press Herald

February 6, 2012 Monday

Democrats, GOP set for big election year ; Control of both houses of the Maine Legislature is once again up for grabs in November's election.

BYLINE: Susan M Cover, By Susan M. Cover [email protected] State House Bureau

SECTION: NEWS

LENGTH: 1091 words

Democrats, GOP set for big election year Control of both houses of the Maine Legislature is once again up for grabs in November's election. By Susan M. Cover [email protected] State House Bureau AUGUSTA - With 10 open seats in the Senate and a close margin in the House, Maine Democrats and Republicans are gearing up for a big election year. Two years ago, Republicans took control of both houses and the governor's office for the first time since 1966. Control of both houses is again up for grabs, said Mark Brewer, political science professor at the University of Maine at Orono. "It's certainly conceivable you could have a change in partisan control in one or both chambers," Brewer said. "Given the fact the governor has pushed a pretty aggressive and controversial agenda, the success or failure of his agenda lies largely with the results of this election, at least after this (legislative) session." This year will see the largest number of state senators -- five from each party -- timed out of office since term limits became law in 1993. That opens the Senate to newcomers, or in many cases, sitting House members. More than 150 have already signed up in advance of the March 15 filing deadline and with 186 seats, more than twice that number are expected to run. Both parties say they expect to field candidates in almost every race, even in districts where they know they have little chance of winning. And both say they are optimistic about their odds in November. "I think what helps us is most people recognize the Legislature has moved the ship of state just slightly closer to the middle," said Charlie Webster, chairman of the Maine Republican Party. "I don't think people are upset with what the Legislature has done." Democrats disagree, pointing out that Republican majorities approved the ban on same-day voter registration, which was later repealed by voters. Democratic Party spokeswoman Lizzy Reinholt cited other examples, including bills that have proposed getting rid of the state's Clean Elections laws. Page 150 Democrats, GOP set for big election year ; Control of both houses of the Maine Legislature is once again up for grabs in November's election. Portland Press Herald February 6, 2012 Monday

"Overall, there have been tons of distractions," she said. "The eye hasn't been kept on the ball -- the economy and jobs." Republicans control the House 77-72-1, with one vacancy following last week's resignation of Rep. David Burns, R-Alfred, pending a possible indictment on ethics violations. In November, the ethics commission found that Burns violated seven parts of state law governing Clean Election funds, including using the money for personal purposes, filing false documents, and reporting expenditures that never occurred. The matter has been referred to the Attorney General's Office, with charges expected to be filed this week. Another House seat might become vacant later this month if Rep. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro, wins the Senate District 20 seat in a Feb. 14 special election. He faces Democrat Christopher Johnson of Somerville. In the Senate, the current margin is 19-14-1. The District 20 seat became vacant when Sen. David Trahan, R-Waldoboro, left the Senate after becoming executive director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine. The November ballot will be full of candidates and issues relevant to Mainers, including the presidential race, Sen. Olympia Snowe's bid for re-election, both congressional elections, and an all-but-certain referendum on gay marriage, as well as the House and Senate races. HOUSE Few predicted a Republican takeover of the House in 2010, and the 151 races are always hard to call. So far, about 110 candidates have filed to run for the seats. Two seats in particular could factor into who controls the chamber next year. Burns' resignation last week opens a seat representing the York County towns of Alfred, Limerick, Newfield and Shapleigh. Once the towns officially notify the governor of the vacancy, he will work with Secretary of State Charlie Summers to set a date for a special election. If Dow wins the District 20 Senate seat, it will open up House District 50, which covers Bremen, Nobleboro, Waldoboro and part of Jefferson. If Republicans retain both seats, they will keep their 78-72-1 majority. But if Democrats win both, it would be 76-74-1, with independent Rep. Ben Chipman of Portland voting with Democrats more often than not. Both parties believe the House is up for grabs. SENATE Among the 10 lawmakers leaving due to term limits are high- powered legislators on both sides. The GOP is losing Senate President Kevin Raye, Senate Majority Leader Jon Courtney, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Debra Plowman, Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Rosen and Judiciary Committee Chairman David Hastings. Of those, only Plowman has filed to run for office again -- she is seeking election to the House. On the Democratic side, Minority Leader Barry Hobbins, former Majority Leader Phil Bartlett, former Appropriations Chairman Bill Diamond, Sen. Nancy Sullivan and Sen. Elizabeth Schneider are all prevented from running for re-election. Sullivan has filed to run for the House. State Senate primaries will be held for at least three Democratic and two Republican seats in June. More are possible, depending on who files to run by the March 15 deadline. Republicans in Senate District 13, which covers 14 towns in Oxford and Cumberland counties, will decide between two sitting House members: Rep. Richard Cebra of Naples and Rep. James Hamper of Oxford. Senate District 33 will also have a Republican primary, with Assistant House Majority Leader Andre Cushing of Hampden facing Rep. David Richardson of Carmel. For the Democrats, former Rep. Stephen Beaudette of Biddeford and David Dutremble of Biddeford will compete for the Senate District 4 nomination. That district covers four towns in York County. Page 151 Democrats, GOP set for big election year ; Control of both houses of the Maine Legislature is once again up for grabs in November's election. Portland Press Herald February 6, 2012 Monday

Nearby Senate District 5, which includes five additional towns in York County, will see Democratic Reps. Don Pilon and Linda Valentino, both of Saco, on the June ballot. And in Waterville, newcomers Dana Hernandez and Colleen Lachowicz will compete for the Democratic nomination to Senate District 25. Two years ago, outside money played a significant role in five Senate races. The Republican State Leadership Committee, based in Virginia, spent nearly $400,000 in the last two weeks of the election. All five Republican candidates who benefited from the independent expenditure won. Brewer said he expects more outside spending this time around. "The days of that not being the case is over," he said. "Outside money is going to continue to flood into Maine." MaineToday Media State House Writer Susan Cover can be contacted at 620-7015 or at: [email protected]

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

April 10, 2011 Sunday

BPA vote a defeat for outside money

BYLINE: Anonymous, By Editorial Board

SECTION: OUR VIEW

LENGTH: 593 words

After weeks of storm and fury, the effort to overturn Maine's ban on bisphenol-A is likely toin a whimper. The Maine House voted overwhelmingly Thursday -- and we mean overwhelmingly -- to phase out BPA when used in children's products. The final tally: 145-3. A similarly lopsided vote is expected in the Maine Senate next week. The veto-proof size of the margin marks a setback for Gov. Paul LePage, who included killing the BPA regulations in his original regulatory reform package. Perhaps sensing a losing cause, the administration testified neither for nor against the ban during a March 25 public hearing. Page 152 BPA vote a defeat for outside money Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) April 10, 2011 Sunday

The vote marks a victory for the Republican Legislature, which showed it was not only willing to ignore the governor, but the U.S. chemical industry and its lobbyists, as well. The companies had spent hundreds of thousands on the last election in Maine, and they have had highly paid lobbyists working the issue for several years. The vote is also a positive sign for bipartisanship in this state. The last Legislature did its committee homework and, after seeing the facts, voted in a bipartisan fashion to phase out BPA, 129-9 in the House and 35-0 in the Senate. Just because the legislative majority switched from one side to the other didn't mean legislators were willing to undo what they had done, especially not based upon instructions from Washington. The short history of this issue is interesting and instructive. Nobody was even talking about BPA until it emerged on a list of red-tape regulations targeted for repeal by the governor's office. The list, the governor's office said, had emerged from listening sessions conducted by businesspeople around the state. But nobody had even raised the BPA issue during those sessions. Some Maine companies had even supported the BPA ban when it was introduced last year. Nobody could identify any Maine jobs threatened by the BPA ban or clearly identify how lifting the ban would create any. So, where did this idea come from? From far, far away, apparently. The governor's office had inadvertently presented its red-tape hit list with something called a tracking number. This is a number in the margin of a document that can be used to identify its source. The number was eventually linked to a computer at the politically connected Maine law firm of Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios. The governor's communications director later explained that the document was compiled by Ann Robinson, a Preti Flaherty lawyer who lobbies on behalf of big drug companies and the Toy Industry Association of America. Robinson also served on the governor's transition team. As it turns out, the industry's lobbyist had compiled the regulatory hit list for the governor's office. Nothing illegal about that, but it shows the extraordinary access to power the chemical industry now has. The BPA fight may already be history, but attention in the Legislature quickly will turn to a proposal sponsored by Rep. James Hamper, R-Oxford, which may more evenly divide the Legislature along traditional lines. Manufacturers and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce are lined up against environmental groups that say Hamper's act will gut the state's Kid-Safe Products Act. It will be a challenge, but we hope legislators can find a middle ground that will encourage manufacturing in the state, yet ensure products used by children are safe. Whatever happens, it should be a law that best serves Maine, not outside interests. [email protected] The opinions expressed in this column reflect the views of the ownership and editorial board.

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH Page 153 BPA vote a defeat for outside money Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) April 10, 2011 Sunday

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Bangor Daily News (Maine)

March 30, 2011 Wednesday All Editions

Bills to reform law protecting kids from chemicals debated

BYLINE: Kevin Miller BDN Staff

SECTION: Pg. B1

LENGTH: 920 words

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Dozens of people testified Tuesday on efforts to rewrite a three-year-old state law that supporters claim protects children from harmful chemicals but critics contend is another example of over-regulation stifling business growth in Maine. Lawmakers are considering two bills that would modify the Kid-Safe Products Act, a 2008 law that enables Maine environmental regulators to recommend bans on potentially hazardous chemicals in consumer products used by children. LD 1129 would -- depending on the viewpoint of the speaker -- either add some flexibility to an over-reaching law that discourages business growth or essentially render toothless a statute that protects Maine children from toxic chemicals. The bill would narrow the scope of the law to only apply to products "made for, marketed for use by or marketed to children under 12 years of age." It would also reduce the list of "chemicals of high concern" and place additional burdens of proof on regulators before they could ban a substance. Another bill, LD 1185, is a less-aggressive approach that would clarify that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection would identify 50 to 100 high-priority chemicals for additional scrutiny. Bill sponsor Sen. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond, said he believed the "candidate list" would help alleviate concerns raised by businesses. Passions were strong on both sides. Rep. James Hamper, R-Oxford, acknowledged that industry representatives wrote LD 1129, the more controversial of the two measures. But Hamper, the bill's sponsor, pointed out he was one of just nine legislators to vote against the original bill in 2008 because he felt it was overly broad, and he said emotion -- not science -- drove the legislative process. Page 154 Bills to reform law protecting kids from chemicals debated Bangor Daily News (Maine) March 30, 2011 Wednesday

"I want to take a more rational approach to this," said Hamper. The Oxford representative then became emotional himself when, responding to the vocal campaign against his bill, he talked about his own family. "I don't consider anything here to put my grandson at risk." Numerous mothers and representatives of environmental and health groups, meanwhile, said Hamper's bill represents little more than an attempt by industry to gut a bill that is nowhere near as restrictive as opponents suggest. "The opposition to this law is having a hard time pointing to specific consequences of the law because there have been none," said Michael Belliveau, executive director the Environmental Health Strategy Center. Tuesday's hearing came just four days after the same committee -- in a deal apparently brokered behind the scenes -- voted unanimously to go along with the Board of Environmental Protection's proposal to ban the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA. A common additive to hardened plastics, BPA was the first chemical to be reviewed and potentially banned under the 2008 Kid-Safe Products Act. After weeks of outcry aimed at Gov. Paul LePage's opposition to banning BPA, members of the GOP-controlled committee split with the Republican governor and voted to endorse the ban. But the vote on BPA -- a chemical many manufacturers have already dropped in response to growing consumer concern -- was viewed by some as a calculated political compromise leading up to the bigger debate about the overarching Kid-Safe Products law. A number of business owners and trade groups urged the committee on Tuesday to revisit the law, arguing that the lengthy list of chemicals that could be targeted by the DEP creates uncertainty. To date, only BPA and two other chemicals have been reviewed under the law. But Ben Gilman, a representative for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, said the existing law goes well beyond children's products and that the chemicals identified for possible action could be discouraging business growth. "Maine needs to position itself to come out of this recession ready to strengthen existing businesses to help them to expand ... and to make Maine attractive for new businesses," Gilman said. "With the 1,751 'chemicals of high concern' list hanging over their heads, why would any business make an investment or take a risk here not knowing when or if the chemicals they use in their products would be next." The Maine State Chamber of Commerce has played a significant -- and controversial -- role in generating support for Hamper's bill. In an "action alert" to members and supporters, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce stated that the definition of a "children's product" in the law encompasses "any item sold for residential or commercial use" in Maine, including packaging or components. But critics accuse the Chamber of intentionally misleading members by leaving out the rest of the definition. Children's products, according to the law, are consumer products "intended for use by children ... and any consumer product containing a chemical of high concern that when used or disposed of will likely result in a child's or a fetus's being exposed to that chemical." Defenders of the Kid-Safe Products Act also accused the Chamber of causing undue concern by suggesting that the law gives the DEP broad powers to ban chemicals when, in actuality, the Legislature has final say on any proposed prohibitions. Additionally, Matt Prindiville with the Natural Resources Council of Maine pointed out that the process to ban BPA began last summer and is still not complete. He said the process is fully transparent. "They [Chamber representatives] are taking to using scare tactics to gin up opposition to common-sense, reasonable and science-based language" in the act, Prindiville said.

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH Page 155 Bills to reform law protecting kids from chemicals debated Bangor Daily News (Maine) March 30, 2011 Wednesday

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Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine)

March 30, 2011 Wednesday

Child-safety product proposals spur debate

BYLINE: METZLER, REBEKAH

SECTION: LOCAL NEWS; Pg. A.1 ISSN: 0745-2039

LENGTH: 848 words

State House Bureau AUGUSTA -- More than 50 people turned out on Tuesday to testify about a pair of bills before the Legislature aimed at narrowing Maine's Kids Safe Product Act, which developed a process to identify and ban dangerous chemicals that children come in contact with. Representatives from the toy and chemical industries, as well as the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the Maine Merchants Association, said current law provides too much uncertainty because the list of chemicals identified as 'high concern' tops 1,700 and includes things such as gasoline, contraceptives and alcohol. "After three years of seeing the law in place, there are some issues that need to be addressed to make the law more workable and to accomplish its intent of protecting children from toxic chemicals," said Ben Gilman of the Maine State Chamber. "The current process as established under the law is written so broadly that it goes well beyond children's products into the realm of consumer products." Members of the environmental community and other consumer groups said while they understand the industries' concerns, the fact that in three years the state has moved to regulate only two chemicals proves the system works. The legislative panel voted unanimously last Friday to ban the sale of sippy cups and similar children's products containing bisphenol A in Maine as the result of the legislation. The Kids Safe Product Act also exempts industries such as manufacturing or forest products, as well as prescriptions, from any chemical bans. "If anything, it's not working fast enough. We recommended 40 priority chemicals being designated, and we only got two," said Mike Belliveau of the Environmental Health Strategy Center. "So the opposition to the law is having a hard time citing a specific unintended consequence to the law, because there have been none. They do have valid anxiety about what might happen about some distant, future date." Nearly everyone who testified cited a willingness to work with lawmakers to refine the Kids Safe Product Act in some way to help provide more clarity for the business community, which was the aim of each proposal. One measure, L.D. 1185, is sponsored by state Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, who was one of nine lawmakers out of 186 who voted against passage of the Kids Safe Product Act in 2008. Hamper's proposal, which he drafted in concert with chemical industry lobbyists, would narrow the current law's scope in terms of the number of chemicals listed as high priorities and the types of products affected by any ban. It also aims to define a "de minimis" threshold of acceptable amounts of banned chemicals in products. Page 156 Child-safety product proposals spur debate Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine) March 30, 2011 Wednesday

"The list of potential chemicals, which is excess of 1,700, needs to be narrowed and focused on those which are truly of high priority and the overall process needs to be more focused on the products which are marketed to be used by children," Hamper said to lawmakers on the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee. "These types of changes in the underlying framework, which is what we're dealing with today, are needed to provide for a far more balanced and predictable regulatory program." Hamper said the 2008 debate was dominated by emotion and encouraged lawmakers to set their emotion aside this time around. "It was pure emotion; let's not do that again. Let's look at what's best to do here," he said. However, when asked by a lawmaker whether his proposal, which has been criticized by supporters of the current law who say it would essentially gut the current law, would still protect children, Hamper himself became overwhelmed with emotion. "I just -- I want to take a more rational approach to this whole issue -- I don't consider anything here to put my grandson at risk," he said, choking up. "Quite honestly, I take offense to emails I receive." An alternative proposal, sponsored by state Sen. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond, would reduce the list of chemicals of high concern, from 1,700 to between 10 and 50. The measure also would grant the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection more flexibility in adding or removing chemicals from the list. Goodall, who worked with environmental advocates to draft his measure, said it was a "reasonable compromise" that balanced business interests with safety concerns. "I believe that we should always put the health of our children and our families first; but at the same time, we have to be realistic about how we implement policy so we don't tie the hands of business and industry," he said. Representatives from Gov. Paul LePage's administration testified in support of both measures. "We believe that both of these bills provide useful approaches that address an unworkable process; namely, we support greater flexibility regarding listing and de-listing priority chemicals," said Carlisle McLean, the natural resources policy adviser for LePage. "We believe we can protect as well as create regulatory certainty." The committee plans to schedule a work session on the proposals in the coming weeks. Rebekah Metzler -- 620-7016 [email protected]

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Page 157 Business groups clash with parents, environmental groups over Kid- Safe law Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 30, 2011 Wednesday

Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

March 30, 2011 Wednesday

Business groups clash with parents, environmental groups over Kid- Safe law

BYLINE: Steve Mistler, By Steve Mistler, Staff Writer

SECTION: STATE

LENGTH: 739 words

AUGUSTA -- Environmentalists, health groups and parents came out in droves Tuesday to oppose a bill that they believe would gut the state's Kid-Safe Products Act. The proposal sponsored by Rep. James Hamper, R-Oxford, is supported by several Maine businesses, the toy industry, the chemical industry and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Each told the Legislature's environmental panel that the law's mechanism for identifying priority chemicals is so broad that it creates an uncertain business climate. An alternative bill proposed by Sen. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond, also addresses the identification process by creating new criteria and limiting the number of chemicals that can be added to the list each year. Goodall's bill was supported by environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Council of Maine. But most businesses and the chemical industry supported Hamper's bill, prompting claims from parents and environmentalists that the proposal doubled as a repeal of the Kid-Safe law. The law was strongly opposed by the chemical and toy industry in 2008, as well as by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Despite that opposition, the measure passed 129-9 in the House and 35-0 in the Senate. Prior to Tuesday's hearing, the Chamber of Commerce issued an action alert telling members that the law "will have serious implications" on Maine's ability to attract new investment and business. Environmental groups said the chamber had misled its members about the chemical review process and the law itself. Matt Prindiville of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said the chamber had "ginned up" opposition to the law. Prindiville told the Environmental Committee that he'd been approached by a boat- builder who worried the law would prevent him from using certain epoxies. The law exempts several industries, including transportation, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, tobacco and forest products and pesticides. It's designed to regulate and disclose the presence of chemicals in children's products. Smith & Wesson Corp., a gun manufacturer in Holden, and Louisiana Pacific, a wood products manufacturer, both testified Tuesday, saying the current law created uncertainty. Advocates for Hamper's bill cited the number of chemicals on the priority list, arguing that the prospect of their inclusion in the Kid-Safe law could be a problem for business. More than 1,750 priority chemicals are on the list, including alcohol and aspirin. The presence of the latter was cited by proponents of Hamper's bill. Opponents argued that those chemicals would never undergo review in the law. Two chemicals are regulated under the Kid-Safe law. One, bisphenol-A, is slated to be banned from certain children's products beginning in 2012, following a lengthy review by the Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Page 158 Business groups clash with parents, environmental groups over Kid- Safe law Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) March 30, 2011 Wednesday

Other chemicals would undergo a similar review. The Environmental Committee voted unanimously last week to regulate BPA. Although the law initially included mandates to identify a certain number of chemicals in 2010, the requirement expired Jan. 1. Citizens can petition the Department of Environmental Protection to review other chemicals. Goodall's proposal would require the Department of Environmental Protection to name two more priority chemicals by 2013. Hamper's bill appears to remove the citizen-petition provision. Tuesday's public hearing drew emotional testimony from parents who claimed Hamper's bill would gut a law designed to minimize children's exposure to harmful chemicals and to disclose their presence in certain products. Hamper, one of nine representatives who voted against the law in 2008, urged the committee not to be persuaded by sentiment. "Emotion drove this process in 2008," he said. "Let's not do that again." Moments later a tearful Hamper said he wouldn't propose legislation that would "put my grandson at risk." Hamper said his bill had been written by "industry people." Goodall said the environmental lobby helped draft his proposal. Committee members hinted that the two bills could be consolidated. However, there could be several sticking points, including which scientific agency would be used to identify priority chemicals and which state agency would take the lead during the review process. A work session had yet to be scheduled. [email protected] Read more stories about:PoliticsMaine Legislature 3Share 2 tweets Retweet Sponsored by

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) Page 159 Colpitts concerned about recording Social Security numbers Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) September 9, 2010 Thursday

September 9, 2010 Thursday

Colpitts concerned about recording Social Security numbers

BYLINE: Leslie H Dixon, By Leslie H. Dixon, Staff Writer

SECTION: OXFORD HILLS

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OXFORD - Oxford Hills School District Superintendent Rick Colpitts said this week that he will comply with a new state law requiring schools to collect students' Social Security numbers, but with reservations. "We'll do what the law says, but I'm worried about the law," Colpitts told the Board of Directors at its Monday night meeting. The request for Social Security numbers, which will be entered into the school district and state's Infinite Campus program, is being made to link data among agencies and institutions, according to Angela Faherty, commissioner of education, in a letter to superintendent and directors across the state. The request is voluntary. Under the law, parents will be asked to report their child's Social Security number which will allow the state to look at a student's educational history, job placement, employment and other items the state uses to measure success of a school district over a long period of time. The information will provide school officials with the tools to evaluate and improve educational programs or to conduct research to improve education services. In a letter to Rep. James Hamper of R-Oxford, Colpitts called the tracking system "invasive" in that it can provide a key to other private information if there was a breach in security. "As a superintendent, I will implement the law as required by statute," Colpitts wrote in an Aug. 30 letter to Hamper. "I will not encourage parents or discourage them from providing Social Security information. I will provide parents with the required consent form and believe they are best able to make decisions about their child. However, I have concerns about the school district's role in the data collection process..." Colpitts said that in addition to the security risk, significant state and local fund cutbacks over the past two years have already put a strain on the technology department's work. Colpitts also said that he questions the value of a partial sample tracking system, when weighed against the personal risks to students. Colpitts further said that the Department of Education has given no direction about what happens to the Social Security numbers when a student transfers or graduates. He said he believes the Department of Education, or others involved in the process, has given no sense of how they will protect the information. Michael Dunn, technology director for the Oxford Hills School District, showed the Board of Directors how the process will work. "We are fulfilling that request in the most secure way we know possible," he said. The numbers are put into the system by the school secretary and the paper is immediately shredded. Within the school, only technology department employees have access to the numbers after they have been entered into the system. The district conferred with its legal counsel, Drummond Woodsum of Portland, who advised school officials to put the line for the Social Security number at the veryof the letter to parents, so that only that section can be torn off and shredded, leaving the district with the parent's permission or lack of permission for the number on record. Because the letters asking for Social Security numbers have already been distributed, Colpitts said that will take place with all future letters. Page 160 Colpitts concerned about recording Social Security numbers Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) September 9, 2010 Thursday

Several school board members have publicly questioned the wisdom of the move to collect Social Security numbers. "I really don't like this at all," Director Elizabeth Swift of Hebron said. [email protected] E-mail Print Save

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Portland Press Herald (Maine)

July 23, 2010 Friday Final Edition

Lawmaker:Avoid new liabilities; GOP Rep. James Hamper says Maine has to change its retirement system for state employees.

BYLINE: SUSAN M. COVER MaineToday Media State House Writer

SECTION: LOCAL & STATE; Pg. B2

LENGTH: 389 words

DATELINE: AUGUSTA

A state lawmaker wants Maine to look at changing its retirement system with the goal of avoiding a new unfunded liability. Rep. James Hamper, R-Oxford, said Thursday that he would like lawmakers to consider switching to a contribution-based system or having the state join Social Security. Changes made now won't help the state cope with its current unfunded actuarial liability, which is debt that began piling up in the 1970s. But Hamper said the state should look toward the future in deciding on retirement benefits to offer new hires. Page 161 Lawmaker:Avoid new liabilities; GOP Rep. James Hamper says Maine has to change its retirement system for state employees. Portland Press Herald (Maine) July 23, 2010 Friday

Hamper's proposal to switch retirement funding was first reported this week in The New York Times. ''My bill is to get the conversation going,'' he said Thursday. ''Let's start talking about this.'' Hamper's bill follows action two years ago to create a task force to study the retirement system. Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville, sponsored the legislation and said his interest continues to be in making the system more responsive to the needs of modern-day workers, who tend to switch jobs frequently. Maine is one of two states in New England that don't participate in Social Security, which means workers who switch from the private sector to state employment - or vice versa - get reduced benefits when they retire. Also, Mills said, the current system doesn't reward lower-paid state workers as much as Social Security does. A task force report released in March showed that changing from the current system to anything else would cost the state more money. The state now pays 5.5 percent of payroll into the retirement system. Social Security would cost the state 6.2 percent, but would continue to benefit workers whether they are employed by the state or not. Under the current system, the state saves money because fewer than half of the employees - who contribute 7.65 percent of their pay to the system - eventually retire from the state and receive a monthly benefit. Maine has a defined benefit plan, which means employees who reach retirement age are guaranteed a fixed monthly amount when they retire. If the state switched to Social Security and a 401(k), the state would have a 9.2 percent annual cost, compared with 5.5 percent of the current plan, according to the retirement system. MaineToday Media State House Reporter Susan Cover can be contacted at 620-7015 or at: [email protected]

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University Wire

April 23, 2009 Thursday

Maine debates gay marriage

BYLINE: By Heather Steeves, The Maine Campus; SOURCE: U. Maine

LENGTH: 1890 words

DATELINE: ORONO, Maine

Page 162 Maine debates gay marriage University Wire April 23, 2009 Thursday

AUGUSTA, Maine-The Maine Judiciary Committee heard more than 11 hours of testimony from ministers, lawyers, students, doctors, gay and lesbian couples as well as dozens of other Maine citizens to discuss two bills. One of the bills would redefine marriage in Maine to include people of any gender, regardless of sexual identity. This would allow gay and lesbian couples in Maine to legally marry. The other bill, L.D. 1118, would expand domestic partnership benefits for gay couples. Approximately 4,000 people sat in the Augusta Civic Center as community members testified in front of the committee - speaking in 30-minute intervals per side. Each person got three minutes to speak. Opponents and proponents shared their stories-ranging from tales of love and legally unrecognized relationships to stories about a husband being left for another woman because she "decided ... to be gay." Many on the opposing side discussed religion, and most of the proponents talked about civil rights. Orono's state Rep. Emily Cain spoke on the bill. She said marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples was a main reason she ran for state office in 2004. "The bill before you today does not create same-sex couples who love each other. It simply affirms under the law what already exists today," Cain said at the start of the meeting. Cain said she believed it was wrong for the majority to vote for the rights of a minority and encouraged the committee to pass the legislation. Cain does not want this to go to a people's vote, saying civil rights in America were not achieved by referendum. Although most of the crowd dressed in red, the color of support for the bills, University of Maine students wore mostly orange shirts at the hearing given during pride week. The jumble of orange approached the "proponent" lectern. Samantha Hansen, the vice president of Wilde Stein, spoke to the committee. "I'm only 19. Marriage isn't something I spend a lot of time thinking about," she said. "I don't know if any of my gay and lesbian peers will ever be married. We are all here today because we are all discriminated against by the state of Maine." Hansen said excluding gays from marriage was similar to "excluding size 10s from the shoe store," and said it needs to stop. Sen. Dennis Damon, the sponsor of L.D. 1020-which would grant marriage rights to gay and lesbians-came to the microphone and received a standing ovation and screams from the crowd. "Today is one of the most meaningful days in my legislative career," he said. Damon said he rarely gets the opportunity to introduce anti-discrimatory legislation and said it makes him feel both huge and tiny. "Tiny because I am but one in this sea of change," Damon said. "This bill allows two people to marry, any two people who are of legal age who love each other, who agree to care and support each other ... any two people regardless of their gender or sexuality and they will be treated the same." Damon said the bill respects religious freedom. "Simply put, this bill will allow people to live and let live," Damon said. Legislators opposing the bills included Maine Reps. Phillip Curtis, James Hamper, Paul Davis, David Burns and Douglas Thomas, who all spoke. Rep. Leslie Fossel, the sponsor of L.D. 1118-a bill that would expand domestic partnership benefits - did not attend. Curtis said he opposed the bills because "if enacted into law [the legislation] will have a very negative impact on the families of the state of Maine, as we know it." He said the bills would have a "negative impact [on] education curriculum as we have known it for years," and added that "classrooms of all ages will become gender neutral ... taught at the tax payer's expense that moms and dads no longer exist." Page 163 Maine debates gay marriage University Wire April 23, 2009 Thursday

Curtis' last concern was that "we will become a society governed by man rather than a righteous, holy God." He said these bills would divide Maine. Hamper made a single statement against the bills, asking the committee: "What is the next domino to fall?" Davis said, "When a man and a women come together they make children. This can never happen with gay couples. Never. It is impossible. Children must have the blending love of a mother and a father. To think otherwise is the pursuit of folly." The state representative said that families are the foundation of our society and that "gay marriage will not create a strong society." Davis agreed with Cain, saying he did not want this legislation to go to a public vote, saying it would be a "squeamish way to let legislators off the hook." Speaker of the Maine House Hannah Pingree spoke for the bills. "The time for incremental change is over. It is time we recognize all Maine people and all Maine families," Pingree said. She said that the bill would not change anything religiously, that different religions could choose to recognize whomever they would like to and not to marry under their rules. Following the introduction of the bills, the public took over the two lecterns. A civil rights question Bob Talbot from NAACP in Bangor was in support of the bills. He told his story about his interracial marriage through the 1960s and '70s. "They said interracial marriage was against nature, sound familiar?" Talbot said people told him it was wrong to marry outside of his race. "People say the same thing now about homosexual couples. It was wrong 40 years ago, it is wrong now," he said. "The heart does not care about race, color or sexual orientation." Gabriella Do Amaral, a high school student from Old Town, supported the bills. "I'm a young lesbian woman living in Maine," she said. Do Amaral said although she possesses the same emotions as her friends, "there are stipulations based on my love." Do Amaral said, "When young people are constantly told that we don't have the same rights as other people, it's hard to feel a sense of belonging." She said she would like to eventually marry and have children in Maine, but "for reasons of my identity, I won't be treated equally." Jonathon Yellowbear testified against the bills, saying his wife of 10 years left him for another woman. "I came home and caught them in the act, in a not so flattering way. I divorced her on the grounds of adultery," Yellowbear said. He asked that the committee vote the bills down, "before someone else's marriage ends in divorce because someone decided they had to be gay." Some people who testified for the bills compared gay marriage to the civil rights movement. This upset Kimberly Campbell, who spoke against the bills. She was offended that the proponents compared gay discrimination to racial discrimination. "That [Civil Rights] movement did not protect behavior," she said. Campbell spoke about how she could not hide her race in a job interview or elsewhere. "As a black female I can't do that, my differences are apparent immediately." Duane Dumont said the bills, which are supposed to be anti-discriminatory, were in themselves discriminatory. "Let the law state that if I want to marry two women or my sister or a chimp ... that's OK," Dumont said. "If we redefine the definition of marriage we're going to start changing it. ... There are a lot of people out there who might want to marry their dog or cat." The religious arguments Religious leaders for the proponents lined up against the front of the auditorium. Page 164 Maine debates gay marriage University Wire April 23, 2009 Thursday

Rev. Mark Worth and approximately 60 other religious leaders approached the proponent microphone. Worth is a minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Castine who works for the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine. "What unites us is our unwavering support for equal, legal marriage rights for same-sex couples," Worth said. So far, he said 166 religious leaders have signed the group's declaration of support for same-sex marriage. "Good marriages benefit the entire community. Legal marriage promotes family stability and cohesiveness," he said. "... Marriage promotes family values that should be available to all families, not just straight families." These religious testimonies upset some people on the opposition, including Daniel Campbell. He disagreed with the testimony of Worth and the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine. "I'm very disappointed in some of the things I've heard from the clergy today." As he spoke the crowd turned their backs to him. "I'll turn and look at you. You will be responsible to God for your behavior. He [God] is watching." Daniel Campbell argued that being gay is a behavioral choice. "I'm a fat guy. I see some of you guys are a little overweight yourself. There is something we can do about that, isn't there? Homosexuality is a behaviorally defined condition," Daniel Campbell said. "Marriage is marriage and homosexuality is behaviorally defined." Rev. Steve Young also spoke against the bills. He said gay people get sick more than straight people and this would cause an increased spending on health care. He said gay people and "our school children who will be force-fed propaganda" would be hurt by gay marriage. He said Jesus taught only heterosexual marriage and said "homosexual activity is vile." He referred to gay and lesbian partners as "roommates" and described his repulsion at gay intimacy. The needs of a child Both sides brought up scientific arguments. Margaret Yates identified herself as a nurse in Maine when she testified against the bills. "I have experience in public health and I've seen the effects of children who are raised outside of a traditional marriage," she said. "To intentionally create motherless or fatherless children" does not meet the needs of the child. "There are questions on their [child's] gender identify and of the female/male role definitions," Yates said. "Each child is entitled to their identity and the bonding care of the mother and father." Proponents included a pediatrician and a psychologist Daniel Summers, a pediatrician said, "Children raised by gay and lesbian couples do not differ from those of heterosexual parents." David Lilly, the president-elect of the Maine Psychological Association said there are no significant differences between gay and straight relationships. He cited the American Psychological Association and said, "there is not scientific evidence that parental effectiveness is different between gay and straight parents." Time was allotted for people neither for nor against the bills. Mark Henkel of Old Orchard Beach spoke for polygamists. He said divorce "proves our society's sickness" and that "marriage control is as anti-freedom as gospel control." "If Heather can have two mommies, why can't she have two mommies and a daddy?" Henkel asked. An extended discussion The meeting was interrupted for a few minutes when burnt popcorn triggered a fire alarm and everyone evacuated. Page 165 Maine debates gay marriage University Wire April 23, 2009 Thursday

When the clock reached 8 p.m. and approximately 20 people were still lined up on both sides to give testimony the committee members passed notes back and forth. Sen. Lawrence Bliss, the senate chair, told the audience that the notes were to confirm that the committee would stay to listen to the testimonies of the people still in two lines-one for opponents, one for proponents-waiting to speak. Each of those people got one minute, as opposed to the three minutes allotted to people who spoke before 8 p.m. The Judiciary Committee will meet Tuesday, April 28 for a work session on these bills. (C) 2008 The Maine Campus via UWIRE

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

January 21, 2009 Wednesday

Oxford County Republicans elect officers

SECTION: CONNECTIONS; Pg. B4

LENGTH: 200 words

NORWAY - Oxford County Republicans met at the Norway Masonic Hall on Jan. 13, opening with a social hour followed by the pot roast dinner prepared and served by the Eastern Star. During the business meeting, the Nominating Committee, consisting of Judy Bennett, Becky Kendall and Jarrod Crockett, proposed the following slate, which was unanimously elected by the committee: chairman, Harry Faulkner, Bethel; vice chairs, Judy Bennett, Woodstock, and Neil Hanley, Hartford; secretary, Barbara Robinson, Paris; treasurer, Lynn Hamper, Oxford; finance chairman, Sawin Millett, Waterford. The offices plus the three state committee representatives, who were elected at the 2008 state convention, Stan Howe and Becky Kendall, Bethel, and Paula Smith, Andover, will comprise the Executive Committee for the next two years. Becky Kendall announced that the Lincoln Day dinner will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Bethel Inn and will focus on celebrating the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Among the elected officials present were Sen. Dave Hastings of Fryeburg, Reps. Jarrod Crockett of Bethel, Jim Hamper of Oxford and Sawin Millett of Waterford, along with County Commissioner Steve Merrill.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

May 1, 2008 Thursday

Ethics official addresses Republicans

SECTION: CONNECTIONS; Pg. B4

LENGTH: 246 words

OTISFIELD - Jonathan Wayne, Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics, was the featured speaker at the April 8 meeting of the Oxford County Republican Committee at the Christian Alliance Church. A supper was served by church members before the program. Wayne outlined the regulations regarding campaign expenditures and what funds could be used for particular purposes. Chairman Dan Bolling introduced the candidates attending, including Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, Rep. Sawin Millett, R- Waterford, County Commissioner Steve Merrill of Norway and former Rep. Rob Cameron of Rumford. State Committeewoman Becky Kendall reported on caucuses, with many more towns caucusing than usual. She also reported advertising for the 2008 state convention program booklet from Oxford County was coming along well. Volunteers were needed to attend the booth at the state convention Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3, in Augusta. State Committeeman Stan Howe of Bethel announced that he will again host the reception at his room in the Holiday Inn following the county caucus and invited all state delegates and alternates to stop by. Former State Committee Chairwoman Kathy Watson of Pittsfield asked for delegate support in her race for the national comitteewoman race to be determined on May 2 at the convention. The next county committee will hold a candidate's night on Tuesday, May 13, at the Oxford Advent Christian Church with the dinner sponsored by the Hannibal Hamlim Republican Women's Club.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

July 8, 2007 Sunday

Rep. James Hamper, R-Oxford

SECTION: MAINE NEWS; Pg. C7

LENGTH: 277 words

District: Mechanic Falls, Otisfield and Oxford Legislative service: Second term Committee: Natural Resources (ranking minority member), Labor Bill record: Two bills, one signed, one deadVoting record Budget: For Tax reform: Against Bear trapping ban: Against Washington County slots at a tribal horse track: Against Stiffer seat belt law: Against Increase term limits from 4 two-year terms to 6: Against This session, James Hamper was a conservative voice on the Natural Resources Committee, which debated the contentious issues of banning the flame retardant known as deca, participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and regulating outdoor wood boilers. On RGGI, he supported the minority report, which accelerated the program to avoid a hike in electricity rates. This amendment did not pass on the floor. In committee, Hamper opposed the RGGI initiative fearing that it ultimately wouldn't reduce carbon dioxide and could actually increase it in the region. Maine's power plants already run cleaner than standards require, he said, so their credits would either be banked or sold to other states, causing more carbon dioxide to be produced in neighboring states, he said. On the deca bill, he did not support the bill to ban it in committee, but later voted for enactment. He noted the chemical is not a problem in the state. "We're not using it in furniture. We're not using it in mattresses..." Hamper said. "The environmental groups think it might be used in furniture." The committee also debated bills seeking to ban outdoor wood boilers. The committee instead reported out a bill with new regulations for them, which had unanimous support in committee.

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Page 168 Rep. James Hamper, R-Oxford Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) July 8, 2007 Sunday

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

June 21, 2007 Thursday

School law meeting Tuesday

SECTION: OXFORD HILLS; Pg. B1

LENGTH: 131 words

AUGUSTA - State Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, and state Rep. Sawin Millett, R-Waterford, announce that the Maine Department of Education will hold a meeting on the new School Administrative Reorganization law at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris. Jim Rier, the Department of Education's director of finance and operations, will facilitate the meeting. The law was enacted on June 7 as a part of the two-year state budget. School systems must submit their reorganization plan or alternative plan to the commissioner of education by Dec. 1. Twenty-six meetings will be held throughout Maine. More information, including directions to the meetings and materials that will be presented at the meetings, may be found at www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools.

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Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

September 4, 2006 Monday Page 169 And then there were five ... in the race Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) September 4, 2006 Monday

And then there were five ... in the race

SECTION: STATE NEWS; Pg. A3

LENGTH: 973 words

Independent gubernatorial candidate David Jones joins Auburn's John Michael as early casualties in the race for the Blaine House. Jones of Falmouth failed to qualify for public financing for his campaign, falling short of the 2,500 $5 contributions he needed. Without the public money, Jones had trouble raising the cash necessary to run a statewide campaign. In his most recent campaign finance disclosure, Jones reported raising only $8,530, most of it from people who contributed $50 or less. Jones did not return a telephone call last week, but his Web site states he intends to concentrate on running his construction business and supporting the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which is on the ballot in November. "I will spend as much time as needed to make sure that the people here in Maine understand and approve the proposed Taxpayers Bill of Rights," Jones wrote. "Life is about accountability, and there is no reason that government should not be held accountable by the people that work every day to pay for the programs tax dollars are spent on," he continued. Jones submitted more than 4,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot, and he offered thanks to the people who made his run possible. "I want to thank everyone for the support and contributions to my campaign," Jones wrote. "I never could have qualified for the ballot without the help and support of everyone who committed their time and effort." Left in the race are Democratic incumbent John Baldacci, Republican Chandler Woodcock, Green Independent Pat LaMarche, and independents Barbara Merrill and Phillip Morris NaPier. Baldacci is running a privately financed campaign, while Woodcock, LaMarche and Merrill qualified as Maine Clean Election candidates, able to receive as much as $1.2 million in public money. In his most recent campaign- finance disclosure, NaPier reported raising only $21 for his campaign so far.Making the rounds Former Lewiston Police Chief Larry Gilbert is making the rounds talking about a possible run for mayor. Gilbert announced last week that he has formed an exploratory committee to help him in his decision-making process. Given the amount of work put into forming the committee, a run looks more likely than not even though Lewiston's city elections are more than a year away. Gilbert has letterhead with a logo, an e-mail address for his committee, [email protected] and a Web site, www.larrygilbertmayor.com. He's also named an impressive list of locals to the committee, including chairperson Jim Handy, who serves on the city's school committee. Other members include Jan Barrett, Qamar Ali Bashir, Rita Dube, John T. Emerson, Ronald Fournier, Laurent F. Gilbert Jr. and Jonathan Labonte. In addition to his 25 years with the Lewiston Police Department, Gilbert also served as a U.S. marshal. Gilbert had announced that he would form an exploratory committee in June. He was true to his word. Mayor Lionel Guay can't run for the job again. First elected in 2003, Guay is limited to two two-year terms.Election law forum The Maine Economic Research Institute will hold its annual symposium Sept. 6 at the Augusta Civic Center. Page 170 And then there were five ... in the race Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine) September 4, 2006 Monday

Jonathan Wayne, the executive director of the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices will be the featured speaker. There also will be an expert panel that will discuss election law and the role business can play in elections. The event begins a 9 a.m. To register, e-mail Glen Foss, MERI vice president, at [email protected] or call 622-9075. The event is free.Doing the wave Volunteers for Green Independent Pat LaMarche are working the streets around the state. The troupe of sign wavers have been standing at busy intersections from Portland to Bangor. On Friday, they showed up outside Central Maine Medical Center to waive at motorists and talk with people who might be dealing with medical issues. "It's easy to drive by a political sign and not pay attention to it," LaMarche said last week. "It's different when you look over and see someone smiling and waving back." In addition to smiling and waving, the volunteers are also handing out campaign information to anyone who's interested. According to LaMarche, more than 400 people asked for literature last week in Portland. "All these things you do, you don't know when you're going to reach that critical mass, that tipping point and break through," LaMarche said.Bears bite back In 2004, Gov. John Baldacci backed bear hunters and trappers who use bait. This year, the bears - or at least their friends - are biting back. Maine Friends of Animals, which unsuccessfully tried to ban bear hunting with bait, traps and dogs two years ago, has endorsed Green Independent Pat LaMarche in the governor's race. "Many Democrats who supported the bear referendum have not forgotten Gov. Baldacci's support and illegal use of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to defeat the referendum," said Robert Fisk, the group's president. "Chandler Woodcock has shown no interest in animal welfare issues, and like Baldacci, is strongly supported by Maine's extreme hunting lobby." Growl. Chris Miller, who challenged Baldacci in the Democratic primary this year, has backed a second independent for the fall. Miller is lending his support to independent anti-war candidate Dexter Kamilewicz, who's running against U.S. Rep. Tom Allen and Republican Darlene Curley in Maine's 1st Congressional District. Miller had previously endorsed LaMarche. Finally, James Bradley, the Democratic candidate in Maine House District 100, has picked up two more endorsements. The Maine State Employees Association and the Maine Credit Union League are backing him. Bradley is the president of ACSUM, the union that represents support staff in the University of Maine System. He's challenging Republican James Hamper for the Mechanic Falls, Otisfield and Oxford seat.

LOAD-DATE: July 18, 2007

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

JOURNAL-CODE: SJLM

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The Associated Press State & Local Wire

August 5, 2005, Friday, BC cycle

Fatality prompts proposals to improve safety on highways

BYLINE: By The Associated Press

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 393 words

A July 29 wreck near a Maine Turnpike construction zone in which a 40-year-old motorist was killed has prompted calls for safety reforms by at least two legislators, including a former secretary of state, as well as a safety review by the governor. Rep. Darlene Curley is proposing legislation in response to the accident that killed Tina Turcotte, one of her constituents. Lawmakers are not scheduled to convene until January and for now, Curley's bill has only a title, "An Act to Improve Safety on Maine Highways." The Scarborough Republican said her bill will be shaped by the outcome of an investigation into how a driver with a record of repeat offenses can get behind the wheel. Her bill will be co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Hamper, R-Oxford, who was in a car next to Turcotte's when the accident happened and remained at the crash scene in Hallowell until emergency crews arrived. Turcotte died after a tractor-trailer driven by Scott Hewitt, 32, of Caribou, crashed into the rear of her car, pushing it under a truck in front of her. Records show Hewitt has a long record of offenses and was under suspension at the time. "We need to do all we can to prevent this from ever happening again," said Curley. Meanwhile, Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, who co-chairs the Maine Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, said he'd like to see repeat offenders receive suspensions that last five to 10 years rather than a few months. "There is a ticking time bomb out there," said Diamond, a former secretary of state. "There are far too many drivers who fall in Hewitt's category than people realize." Calls for reforms followed Gov. John Baldacci's order creating a working group led by the heads of state police, the transportation department and secretary of state's office to conduct a detailed review of the accident. "This has my full attention," Baldacci said. Transportation officials, meanwhile, announced it is making changes in the construction project along the turnpike, also Interstate 95, to reduce traffic delays. Among the changes will be extended working hours Monday-Thursday to speed up portions of the project causing the worst traffic delays. "This is not as a result of the accident," said Jeff Adams, head of the department's regional highway program. "It's to reduce traffic delays."

LOAD-DATE: August 6, 2005 Page 172 Fatality prompts proposals to improve safety on highways The Associated Press State & Local Wire August 5, 2005, Friday, BC cycle

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH