May 17, 2013

Republican legislative leaders and representatives from the state's construction industry held a news conference today at the State Capitol to discuss Democrat leadership's decision to obstruct the hospital repayment plan, jeopardizing a $700 million boost to the Maine economy.

May 17, 2013

AUGUSTA - Ignoring public sentiment, Democrats on the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee today approved a measure that makes repayment of Maine's hospitals contingent on the expansion of Medicaid in Maine.

Maine hospitals are owed $484 million by the State of Maine. Earlier this week, Committee members had reached consensus on a bill that would pay down that debt, and at the same time, release voter-approved infrastructure bonds, injecting $700 million into the state's economy. The pro...

May 16, 2013

AUGUSTA - Lawmakers on two legislative committees today were on the brink of passing unanimous votes to approve the plan to pay off Maine's $484 million hospital debt, only to have the agreement sidetracked once again by last-minute maneuvering by Democratic leadership.

The bill that would pay the hospitals by creating a revenue bond, which would be paid off with liquor contract revenues, is currently before the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and the Veterans and Legal Affairs...

May 10, 2013

AUGUSTA -A bill that would have banned the use of food stamps to purchase items such as soda, chips, and candy in Maine has been defeated by a legislative committee.

LD 1411," Resolve, To Require the Department of Health and Human Services to Request a Waiver To Prohibit the Use of Food Supplement Benefits for the Purchase of Taxable Food Items," was defeated by the Health and Human Services along party lines. Republicans on the Committee voted in favor of the measure that would have requested...

May 9, 2013

AUGUSTA - Maine Legislative leaders today approved $30,000 in state funding to aid those who lost their homes in the recent series of apartment building fires in the City of Lewiston. The emergency funding was granted during an emergency meeting of the Maine Legislative Council.

More than 200 people were left homeless following separate fires in downtown Lewiston. Many of the victims are African refugees who recently settled in Lewiston. Two of the fires have been ruled arson by the State Fire...

May 3, 2013

AUGUSTA - Assistant Senate Republican Leader Roger Katz(R-Kennebec) today testified on behalf of LD 1411, "Resolve, to Require the Department of Health and Human Services to Request a Waiver to Prohibit the Use of Food Supplement Benefits for the Purchase of Taxable Food Items."

The legislation is a Governor's bill that is sponsored by Senator Katz and several other Republican and Democratic legislators.

It directs Maine's Department and Health and Human Services to request the federal gover...

March 8, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUSTA - In an unprecedented move, the Maine Senate today committed the nomination of Jon McKane to the Dirigo Health Board of Trustees back to the Insurance and Financial Services (IFS) Committee. The Committee rejected McKane's nomination on Tuesday along party lines. During and after the hearing, concerns were raised about procedural fairness issues.

Several people testified on behalf of McKane, noting his extensive knowledge of Dirigo, six years serving on the I...

January 11, 2013

AUGUSTA - Maine Senate Republican leaders on Friday got their first look at Governor Paul LePage's proposed supplemental 2013 and 2014-2015 biennial budgets. The supplemental budget is designed to address significant revenue shortfalls and balance the state budget, which is required by the Maine Constitution, and the biennial budget establishes spending priorities for the next two years.

"This is a serious budget proposal that will receive serious consideration in the Legislature," said Se...

January 9, 2013

AUGUSTA - Maine Senate Republican leaders expressed disappointment today with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' decision to approve only a portion of Governor Paul LePage's request to cut Medicaid spending in Maine.

"I am very disappointed with Secretary Sebelius' decision on the Medicaid waivers," said Senate Republican Leader Michael Thibodeau (R-Waldo). "While some of the Governor's requests were granted, the refusal to authorize all of them will make it even mo...

November 29, 2012

AUGUSTA, ME - Promising to continue their common sense approach to creating opportunities for Maine citizens, Senate Republicans elected two new leaders following the results of the November 6 elections. In an unusual show of caucus solidarity, incoming Senate Republicans unanimously elected Senator Mike Thibodeau (R-Waldo) as Senate Republican Leader and Roger Katz (R-Kennebec) as Assistant Republican Leader. Both Senators were unopposed.

Newly elected Republican Leader Mike Thibodeau str...

November 29, 2012

AUGUSTA Uncertainty over the potential for automatic federal spending cuts and rising tax rates is playing a significant role in declining revenues for Maine.

That was the message Thursday from the state's revenue forecasting committee to members of the Legislature's budget-writing committee.

Because of reduced revenue projections, lawmakers are waiting to learn whether Gov. Paul LePage will order state agencies to immediately curb spending to fill the $35 million gap created by the shor...

September 6, 2012

Augusta- By a vote of 19-13, the Maine Senate today confirmed the nomination of former Department of Conservation Commissioner William Beardsley to the State Board of Education. The action followed a 6-4 party-line recommendation from the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs to confirm Beardsley.

Senate Republicans expressed both surprise and disappointment at the action of Senate Democrats in the face of the facts surrounding the nomination, and the complete lack of ...