Stories about Paul LePage
LePage was arguably the most conservative of the seven candidates in a Republican gubernatorial primary with no clear front-runner. But there would be no “too close to call” this night as LePage didn’t just win but trounced his rivals.
More than three months later, LePage, 61, has been called everything from a hero to a liar by fans and foes, but “dark horse” is no longer on anyone’s lips. “Race leader,” meanwhile, certainly is — and this in a state not known for embracing conservative Republicans.
“Some people haven’t taken LePage as seriously as they should have,” said Jim Melcher, a political scientist at theUniversity of Maine at Farmington. “He has sort of hit at the right time for a candidate with his message.”
It’s a message that LePage hammers home at every event — smaller and more business-friendly government, less regulation, lower taxes and welfare reform. READ PROFILE ->
House, Senate schedule session to consider LePage vetoes, even though he hasn’t issued any
AUGUSTA, Maine — The House and Senate will return to Augusta on May 31 for a brief legislative session. The day is set aside for lawmakers to uphold or override vetoes from Gov. Paul LePage, even though he hasn’t issued any vetoes after last week’s two-day legislative wrap-up session. A ...
LePage signs bills to rebuild deer herd
By GLENN ADAMS, The Associated Press on May 23, 2012, at 12:08 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — With hopes of rebuilding a deer herd that has shrunk sharply in parts of Maine, Gov. Paul LePage has signed legislation to implement strategies that include restoring habitats that shelter the animals in the winter and thinning out the population of their main predator, the coyote. One ...
Ann LePage to teach students about locally grown foods
The Associated Press on May 23, 2012, at 5:41 a.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s first lady is getting her hands dirty to teach students about healthy living and eating locally grown foods. Ann LePage, the wife of Gov. Paul LePage, and Agriculture Commissioner Walt Whitcomb are meeting with 10 sixth-grade students from Augusta’s Farrington Elementary School on Wednesday at the ...
LePage signs anti-bullying bill, measure to prevent concussions in school sports
The Associated Press on May 22, 2012, at 11:33 a.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage has signed an anti-bullying bill and a National Football League-backed measure to prevent concussions in school sports. The Republican governor on Monday put his signature to nearly two dozen bills that won final passage in the waning hours of Maine’s legislative session. The anti-bullying ...
LePage signs fish and game bills
The Associated Press on May 22, 2012, at 5:24 a.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine game tagging agents will get more money, and the state will do more to combat wildlife predators, under bills that have been signed into law by Gov. Paul LePage. The governor on Monday signed a bill to increase the amount of money tagging agents receive from ...
Legislators turn focus from lawmaking to campaigning with close of session
By CLARKE CANFIELD, The Associated Press on May 19, 2012, at 12:03 p.m.
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine legislators have turned their attention from lawmaking to campaigning with the close of the legislative session and a third of all seats becoming vacant for November’s election. Even though it’s a short session ending in May rather June, lawmakers were eager to get out of Augusta ...
LePage highlights accomplishments in first 500 days in office
By DAVID SHARP, The Associated Press on May 18, 2012, at 2:18 p.m.
PORTLAND, Maine — Regardless of what critics might say, Republican Gov. Paul LePage has done much of what he promised he would do, pushing through tax cuts, reducing the state pension fund shortfall, paying back money owed to hospitals, and cutting Medicaid benefits that he said were too generous. And ...
Lawmakers pass tax bill before leaving after session, may return if LePage issues veto
By GLENN ADAMS, The Associated Press on May 17, 2012, at 12:04 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Working toward the close of the 125th Legislature, Maine lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to a Republican-backed bill to gradually lower the state income tax rate to a flat 4 percent. The legislative action in the early-morning hours came amid traditional speeches highlighting bipartisan successes and expressing ...
LePage budget funds Dolby landfill, but doesn’t end Millinocket feud, officials say
MILLINOCKET, Maine — The revised state budget Gov. Paul LePage signed Wednesday doesn’t end his feud with town leaders over $216,000 in withheld education aid despite its funding the item that set off the fight, officials said. The budget includes $320,000 to fund operations of the state-owned Dolby landfill in ...
Lawmakers override one of LePage’s vetoes, sustain another
The Associated Press on May 15, 2012, at 12:31 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine lawmakers have opened the concluding portion of this year’s session by overriding Gov. Paul LePage’s veto on one bill, but sustaining his veto of another. The House of Representatives voted Tuesday morning to let stand a bill that revamps the fee structure for the state fire ...
Committee endorses LePage’s Public Utilities Commission nominee
The Associated Press on May 14, 2012, at 5:20 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage’s nominee to fill a vacant seat on the Maine Public Utilities Commission has been endorsed by a legislative committee. The Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology on Monday voted to recommend Senate confirmation of Mark Vannoy to the commission. Vannoy, an engineer from Waldoboro, ...
Maine Department of Labor says it overbilled feds by $1.3M
The Associated Press on May 11, 2012, at 6:37 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Labor says it took $1.3 million that it wasn’t entitled to from the U.S. Department of Labor over a period of nearly 12 years. Labor Commissioner Robert Winglass said he updated the governor Friday and sent a letter to federal officials to acknowledge ...
Freedom college student named University of Maine trustee
FREEDOM, Maine — When Tyler Hadyniak walks into a Bangor conference room on July 9 for his first meeting as a member of the University of Maine board of trustees, he may be a little jet-lagged. Hadyniak will have been back in the U.S. barely a day from a nearly ...
Millinocket rejects settling $216,000 dispute with LePage
MILLINOCKET, Maine — More than an hour of torturous debate ended when the Town Council voted Thursday not to settle a dispute with Gov. Paul LePage over $216,000 in withheld state funds. With the vote, the council decided to not yet accept $504,000 in Sudden and Severe Impact funds, which ...
VIDEO
Republican budget bill handed to Legislature on party-line vote
AUGUSTA, Maine — Republicans on the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee pushed through a package of budget adjustments Thursday that Democrats said will needlessly push people off public services such as MaineCare. With revenue projections on the upswing after more than three years of plummeting, Democrats said there is money enough to ...
POLL QUESTION
Moderate Republicans to LePage: Apologize for ‘corrupt’ comment
AUGUSTA, Maine — Two powerful moderate Republicans in the Maine Legislature are calling on Gov. Paul LePage to apologize for comments he made last week alleging corruption by midlevel managers in state government. Sen. Roger Katz of Augusta and Rep. Patrick Flood of Winthrop — the co-chairmen of the Appropriations ...
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 ...
LePage says he won’t accept bond proposal until budget is sorted out
The Associated Press on April 28, 2012, at 11:37 a.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage took aim Saturday at a bond package totaling nearly $100 million, saying he opposes the borrowing proposal but stopping short of threatening to veto it. “A bond is a fancy word for borrowing money the state doesn’t have,” LePage said in his weekly radio ...
LePage stirs ruckus after calling state workers ‘corrupt’
AUGUSTA, Maine — It’s no big secret that Gov. Paul LePage wants to shrink state government, but he took that idea a step further on Thursday by maligning an entire block of state workers as “corrupt.” According to press accounts of the event, LePage was asked a question about fees ...
Education, energy top discussions for LePage at Newport town hall meeting
NEWPORT, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage and several department heads gathered for a town hall meeting at Nokomis Regional High School on Thursday evening, where the topic of focus kept coming back to education. “John Adams had a quote … that was ‘Education for our citizens had to provide two ...
Glenburn art teacher killed in Friday morning collision in Bangor
Harvard student asked to leave bar for ‘bad behavior,’ not drunkenness
LePage blasts teachers union for endorsing same-sex marriage question
Reporting crime
A people’s revolt in Bar Harbor
Old Town football coach steps down
Perakslis helps UMaine beat Albany; Binghamton next in America East tournament
Orono baseball shuts out archrival Old Town for ninth straight victory
Stony Brook knocks out UMaine to win America East tournament
Aroostook businessman expands company out of home with hit mobile app 7 Little Words
Small idea launches major project in Hampden
Former CEO of MaineToday Media Richard Connor sued over $250,000 in loans
Out of the ashes, Central Street’s garden grows
New, old methods combine to deter scrap metal thefts in Aroostook
Gary Allan talks with the BDN leading up to Bangor concert
Mid Coast Actor’s Studio provides new forum for classic plays
Signs lead artist to opportunity
Bangor Daily News
Account
Start a blog
Post News
Post Events
See it. Fix it.
Subscribe