Robert Long
State House Bureau
CAPITOL INCITE (blog)
Orono’s Emily Cain to seek Maine’s 2nd District congressional seat
on June 14, 2013, at 12:59 p.m.
The expected stampede of candidates to run in Maine’s 2nd U.S. House District triggered by Rep. Mike Michaud’s announcement Thursday that he’s exploring a foray into the 2014 gubernatorial race began Friday, when state Sen. Emily Cain formally declared her intent to seek the congressional seat. One legislator who won’t ...
Maine House and Senate send $6.3 billion budget to LePage
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine House and Senate voted Thursday night to enact a $6.3 billion compromise budget for the two-year cycle that begins July 1. Each chamber voted twice Thursday on the budget, which legislative leaders plan to have on Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s desk Friday morning. The governor, ...
Maine House rejects bills to tighten abortion rules, create fetal rights after passionate debates
AUGUSTA, Maine — On the same day the U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to outlaw nearly all abortions after the 22nd week of pregnancy, Maine lawmakers spent more than two hours sharing personal stories and delivering impassioned speeches about reproductive and fetal rights Wednesday evening in the Maine House. After ...
Maine House supports longer terms for legislators
AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill that would ask voters to amend the Maine Constitution to extend the length of legislators’ terms from two years to four years moves to the Senate after winning initial passage Monday in the House. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. John Schneck, a first-term Bangor Democrat, touted ...
CAPITOL INCITE (blog)
Maine House chews through bills as end of session looms
on June 10, 2013, at 3:38 p.m.
Nine days before the Maine Legislature’s scheduled adjournment date, June 19, the House and Senate settled in Monday for morning, afternoon and evening sessions. It’s not as grueling as sweat-boiling double sessions at National Football League training camps — or the Appropriations Committee’s budget-balancing stretch run — but lawmakers, legislative ...
Bill to schedule statewide vote on marijuana legalization falls by 4 votes in Maine House
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine House fell four votes short Friday of endorsing a measure that would move Maine closer to a statewide vote on legalizing recreational use of marijuana. After a swirling debate that touched on personal experiences, addiction, the status of the national “war on drugs” and the ...
Eliot Cutler tells Portland radio show hosts that he’s running for governor in 2014
AUGUSTA, Maine — Eliot Cutler, an independent who finished a close second to Republican Gov. Paul LePage in 2010, confirmed Thursday morning that he plans to run for governor in 2014. When asked by WGAN radio morning show host Mike Violette if he’s running for governor in 2014, Cutler replied, ...
Redrawn Maine legislative districts easily win House, Senate endorsements
AUGUSTA, Maine — Redrawn maps of Maine House and Senate districts are on their way to Gov. Paul LePage after gaining overwhelming support in both chambers Wednesday. Maine must redraw House, Senate and county commission district boundaries every 10 years to account for population changes reflected by the U.S. Census. ...
Maine House votes to override LePage veto of bill to offer CPR training in schools
AUGUSTA, Maine — A majority of Republicans joined Democrats in the Maine House on Wednesday in voting to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that would require school districts to offer students instruction on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator. The 125-18 House vote ...
Maine House passes bill to allow uniformed military recruiters in schools after fiery debate
AUGUSTA, Maine — After a long, often fiery debate and two roll-call votes, the Maine House on Tuesday advanced a bill designed to ensure that military recruiters can wear their uniforms while visiting public high schools and charter schools. The House vote on LD 1503, An Act to Ensure Student ...
Legislators kill bill to allow statewide elections of constitutional officers
AUGUSTA, Maine — The latest attempt to change the way Maine’s attorney general, treasurer and secretary of state are elected failed Tuesday in the House of Representatives. The House voted 79-59 against LD 1279, which proposed a statewide referendum to amend the Maine Constitution to allow direct elections of the ...
LePage’s perfect veto record this session remains intact
AUGUSTA, Maine — The House on Monday afternoon sustained Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a legislative resolve that sought to have the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board launch a study of the psychological and physical harm employees experience as a result of workplace bullying. Monday’s vote makes LePage a perfect ...
Maine high court rejects appeal to shield names of donors in 2009 campaign against gay marriage
PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday told a national organization opposed to gay marriage that it must turn over the names of donors from the 2009 people’s veto campaign that repealed a law allowing same-sex couples to wed. The justices unanimously upheld a lower court’s ruling ...
CAPITOL INCITE (blog)
Steve Woods is tired of waiting to find out if Michaud is running for governor
on May 28, 2013, at 5:35 p.m.
Steve Woods, the only Democrat to declare formally for the 2014 gubernatorial race, wants Maine Democratic Party leaders to urge U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, the party’s most talked-about potential candidate, to make up his mind by June 10. Woods, who filed with the Maine Ethics Commission as a candidate for ...
CAPITOL INCITE (blog)
New poll highlights Mainers’ strong feelings about LePage
on May 22, 2013, at 5:35 p.m.
The latest fix for Maine political junkies fixated on the 2014 governor’s race came Wednesday when Critical Insights, a Portland-based polling firm, released its semi-annual trend-tracking survey. Polls this far before an election offer little more than conversation starters, but the Critical Insights results highlighted the magnitude of Republican Gov. ...
House sustains sixth LePage veto, 2 more await override votes
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage’s sixth veto withstood a House override vote Wednesday and will stand. After minimal discussion, the House voted 88-55 in favor of overriding LePage’s veto of LD 387. That tally fell short of the two-thirds majority necessary for an override, thereby sustaining the veto. All ...
LePage veto: Ban tobacco in Maine entirely, or not at all
AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill to “simply outlaw tobacco altogether” would make more sense than piecemeal bans on smoking, Gov. Paul LePage said Monday as he vetoed a bill to outlaw smoking on public college campuses. “I firmly believe Maine people are responsible enough to make their own decisions concerning ...
Maine Senate approves bill that links Medicaid expansion to hospital debt repayment
AUGUSTA, Maine — For the third time in a week, Democrats in the Legislature prevailed Monday on a vote to link an expansion of Medicaid eligibility in Maine to a plan to repay the state’s Medicaid debt to its 39 hospitals. After lengthy debate, the Senate voted 20-15 in favor ...
CAPITOL INCITE (blog)
National GOP group tries to link Mike Michaud to IRS scandal
on May 17, 2013, at 4:39 p.m.
A national Republican campaign organization took steps Friday to capitalize in Maine on the controversy surrounding revelations that the Internal Revenue Service placed greater scrutiny on conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. The National Republican Congressional Committee announced Friday that it would begin running online ads urging U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud ...
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Lawmakers snuff out plan for raising tobacco taxes
on May 15, 2013, at 2:47 p.m.
The Legislature’s Taxation Committee voted unanimously Tuesday against two bills that called for tax increases on tobacco products. One bill, LD 1406, proposed hiking the state cigarette tax from $2 to $3.50 per pack. A second bill, LD 1326, aimed to increase the tax on all tobacco products, including cigars, ...
Riders finish trek marred by tragic crash
Drug use continues to drive Portland, Bangor rates of violent and property crimes
University of Maine at Presque Isle grad overcomes obstacles, heads to medical school
Conservatives likely to write most remaining decisions in Supreme Court’s term
25 things to do this summer — boats, barbecue, the Bard and everything else
UMPI solar system model expanding into Canada