Stories about John Martin
ANALYSIS
Maine’s political surprises of 2012
AUGUSTA, Maine — ’Tis the season to consider surprises. So instead of focusing on who keeps delivering those odd Secret Santa gifts, let’s shift into reflection mode to consider the political surprises of 2012. The biggest surprise is no surprise. When U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, announced in late February ...
EDITORIALS
Will Maine politics, LePage, change with retreat of two longtime political personalities?
on Nov. 28, 2012, at 1:37 p.m.
Less than 48 hours after the polls closed on Nov. 6, Mainers knew that two of the state’s most polarizing political figures for more than two decades, Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, and Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster, would be stepping back from the fray, at least for now. ...
Rep. Martin had problems paying off taxes and loans from two government agencies
By Naomi Schalit and John Christie, Senior reporters, Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting on Nov. 20, 2012, at 1:27 p.m.
Just as state Rep. John Martin, one of the most powerful Maine politicians of the last three decades, is emerging from the bankruptcy of the convenience store he co-owns, along comes another financial problem. And this one has a new wrinkle – this time the back debt is to a ...
John Martin, among nation’s longest-serving state legislators, defeated in County
AUGUSTA, Maine — Any way you cut it, it’s the end of an era. Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, one of the most enduring and storied politicians in Maine history, lost his bid to return to the Legislature on Tuesday. According to unofficial election results compiled by the Bangor Daily ...
John Martin, longest serving lawmaker, in danger of losing seat
BANGOR, Maine — Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, who has served continuously in the Maine Legislature since 1964, trails Republican Allen Michael Nadeau by more than 300 votes with all but three towns reporting in House District 1. Martin told the BDN by phone early Wednesday morning that he’s not ...
Irving lawyer suggests unusual settlement of John Martin’s store bankruptcy
BANGOR, Maine — A federal bankruptcy judge has been asked to approve an unconventional proposal to settle more than $300,000 in debt that an Eagle Lake convenience store, co-owned by Rep. John Martin, owes creditors. Martin, a Democrat and former speaker of the Maine House, is running for re-election in ...
POLL QUESTION
LePage stands by position that any borrowing needs to have voter approval
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage says he has not changed his position that any bond issued by any state agency needs to be approved by voters at referendum. LePage said he is shocked at a vote by the legislature’s Appropriations Committee to kill a bill requiring an advisory referendum ...
Mining bill garners initial approval in House
AUGUSTA, Maine — A proposed bill to change the state’s mining laws received initial approval in the House on Thursday evening. Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, said that the vote was 80-65 in favor of LD 1853, An Act To Improve Environmental Oversight and Streamline Permitting for Mining in Maine. ...
Legislative panel solidifies language on mining bill, public comment sought Friday
AUGUSTA, Maine — With language in a proposed bill to change the state’s mining laws solidified, legislators have scheduled a public comment session Friday to allow people to ask questions and suggest possible revisions. Members of the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee spent most of last week and two ...
Rumors about MaineCare plan’s effects on children put to rest
AUGUSTA, Maine — The LePage administration has no plans to cut services for children living in group homes, lawmakers deliberating the governor’s plan to overhaul MaineCare were told Monday. Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal, designed to close an estimated $220 million budget gap at the Department of Health and Human Services, ...
Republicans say they won’t support some of LePage’s cuts to MaineCare
AUGUSTA, Maine — One of the most controversial cuts in Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal to overhaul MaineCare hit a roadblock Tuesday after Republican lawmakers refused to back the plan. Rep. Patrick Flood, House chairman of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, said his colleagues oppose the governor’s proposal to save $60 million ...
VIDEO
Crack down on MaineCare abusers, audience at Presque Isle forum says
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A standing-room-only audience crowded into Northern Maine Community College on Wednesday afternoon for the second of three regional meetings held so that Aroostook County residents could weigh in on Gov. Paul LePage’s supplemental budget and its proposed reductions to MaineCare costs. Several urged the state to ...
LePage deflects criticism after Fort Kent event
FORT KENT, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage’s office deflected criticism that the governor was impatient, abrupt and at times rude Tuesday during the first of three forums to allow Aroostook County residents to weigh in on a budget proposal calling for major cuts in MaineCare, saying political opponents tried to ...
N. Maine audience criticizes LePage’s MaineCare cuts
The Associated Press on Dec. 28, 2011, at 4:59 p.m.
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage encountered stiff criticism to his proposed MaineCare cuts in northern Maine, leading to a sharp exchange during the first of three stops. Judy Paradis, a former state legislator from northern Aroostook County, criticized LePage during the meeting, saying, “You come off as a ...
History of ‘same-day’ voter registration in Maine
By GLENN ADAMS, The Associated Press on Nov. 05, 2011, at 4:08 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s Election Day voter registration law was born quietly with bipartisan support nearly four decades ago, with little debate and overshadowed by much bigger issues of the Watergate era. That’s in contrast to that law’s demise in June, which was marked by shrill partisan debate that set ...
Schools may take brunt of cuts as state tries to balance budget
AUGUSTA, Maine — Whether local schools should share the burden of budget cuts is splitting the task force charged with finding $25 million in spending reductions to balance the two-year state budget in its second year. “We are very concerned that we will be cut,” Maureen King, President of the ...
CONTRIBUTORS
A compromise worth praise
Earlier this week, Democrats and Republicans beat their swords into plowshares and came to an agreement on a redistricting compromise that should satisfy all but the most partisan. State Sen. Chris Rector called the compromise “an answered prayer.” While I certainly understand Sen. Rector’s meaning and don’t believe he’s referring ...
ANALYSIS
Maine Republicans may suspend rules to pass their redistricting plan
AUGUSTA, Maine — Despite repeated attempts over the last few weeks, Republicans and Democrats in Augusta have not come together on a congressional redistricting plan, setting up a legislative showdown during next week’s special session. When the dust settles, one of two plans likely will be approved by the GOP-controlled ...
Last-ditch efforts on redistricting unlikely to produce compromise
AUGUSTA, Maine — In their latest attempts at compromise, Maine Democrats and Republicans serving on the state’s congressional redistricting commission released new maps on Monday, one day ahead of their final meeting. The Democrats’ new plan addresses Republicans’ main concern about making sure the population deviation between Maine’s two districts ...
LePage says DHHS contract costs too high
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage says the cost of administering the hundreds of millions of dollars in state contracts each year — mostly with the Department of Health and Human Services — is too high and his office will target savings in that area. “As tough as it is ...
Call put out for ground search volunteers in effort to find missing Glenburn teen
More than 500 help with ground search for missing Glenburn teen Nichole Cable
Three indicted in Houlton meth bust, endangering welfare of child
One winning ticket sold in Florida in historic $590.5 million Powerball drawing
LePage not allowed to address legislators as panel works out budget deadline
Jeffrey Nugent says his brother Ted Nugent is wrong on background checks
Maine protects a woman’s right to choose
Funding isn’t everything: Education reform takes innovation, cooperation
Strengthening the schools Maine already has
Emma Libby, 15, overcomes ruling to win Sport-4 race at Speedway 95
Marcus Davis wins mixed martial arts main event at NEF VII
Promise of land brought Theriault family to ‘Acadie’ in 1630s
How do I teach my kids it’s not OK to be bullied, even by family?
Custom guitar played by two members of the Beatles sells for $408,000 at auction
I cheated; now husband wants an open marriage. Is that fair?