Page 1 1 of 89 DOCUMENTS 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. LOAD-DATE: June 13, 2018 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper Copyright 2018 The Caledonian-Record Publishing Company Inc. Distributed by Newsbank, Inc. All Rights Reserved 2 of 89 DOCUMENTS 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.