Statement of Sarah Nichols, Sustainable Maine Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “NRCM applauds Maine lawmakers for taking a strong, bipartisan stance against roadside litter and in support of Maine’s Bottle Bill by adding ‘nips’ to the redemption program. Today the Maine Senate voted to support adding nips to Maine’s Bottle Bill by a vote Read More
Governor Paul LePage
LePage Misrepresented Maine Opinion on National Monument
There was plenty of public outreach prior to the Katahdin designation, and polls of Mainers show strong support for it. By James Talbott, owner of the Millinocket radio station WSYY and a resident of Millinocket Portland Press Herald op-ed MILLINOCKET — As a longtime business owner in the Katahdin region, I am shocked by the Read More
House Overrides LePage’s Veto of “Nips” Bottle-deposit Bill
If the Senate also agrees to override, the governor says he’ll end sales of the popular miniature bottles of liquor that often end up as litter. by Kevin Miller, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — House lawmakers voted Tuesday to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that would impose a Read More
As Promised, LePage Vetoes Bill to Impose Nickel Deposit on “Nips” Bottles
Now it’s up to the Legislature to decide on a veto override vote, which could lead LePage to simply ban the sale of the small liquor bottles in Maine. by Kevin Miller, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage followed through on his pledge to veto a bill to impose Read More
LePage Vetoes Deposit Bill for Nips
By Steve Collins, Sun Journal AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a measure to require a deposit for the tiny liquor bottles known as nips. In his veto message, the governor complained about the cost of the proposal but also offered an alternative way to address the littering problem created by the increasingly popular Read More
Rooftop Solar Bill Advances, but Republican Opposition Foreshadows Fight
The measure endorsed by the Legislature’s energy committee calls for a cost-benefit analysis of how utilities pay homeowners and small businesses for the electricity they generate. By Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — A bill that would keep current financial incentives for rooftop solar in place pending a cost-benefit study Read More
Hollow Promise
Mount Desert Islander editorial Back in 2011, Gov. Paul LePage unveiled an addition to the “Welcome to Maine” sign on Interstate 95 in Kittery. “Open for Business,” it reads. Well, apparently the governor’s definition of “open for business” has changed over the years and now includes only entities that qualify for his personal stamp of Read More
North Woods National Monument Opens Fully to the Public
By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story KATAHDIN WOODS AND WATERS NATIONAL MONUMENT, Maine — Amid an ongoing federal review and contention over the signs advertising it, Maine’s national monument opened fully for its first full year on Thursday with a handful of visitors more interested in nature than politics. About Read More
Lawmakers Draft Letters to Interior Secretary Defending National Monuments
by Susan Sharon Maine Public news story Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine’s 1st District and 85 of her colleagues have sent a letter to the interior secretary warning him that only Congress has the “Constitutional authority to revoke or shrink a national monument.” Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine has also written Read More