Senator Saviello, Representative Welsh, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Lakeman and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in opposition to LD 1045. While we oppose this bill, we do believe Read More
Maine Legislature
The Natural Resources Council of Maine reviews every bill being considered by the Maine Legislature to determine which ones deserve support and which ones should be opposed based on their potential impact on Maine’s environment. Read more about the bills we are following and taking action on.
LePage Threatens Veto of Quick Fix to Efficiency Maine Funding Problem
He says the Legislature must approve his energy agenda before he will fix a clerical error that cut $38 million from energy-efficiency programs. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA – In case there was any uncertainty, Gov. Paul LePage made it clear Friday that he will veto a bill to Read More
LePage Indicates He Will Not Support Democrats’ ‘Simple’ Energy Bill Fix
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage said Friday that he doesn’t support a Democratic proposal that would fix what has been called a $38 million typo in a previously enacted energy bill that among other things provides almost twice that amount in funding for Efficiency Read More
Legislative Panel Rejects LePage Department of Conservation Overhaul
by Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor Sun Journal news story AUGUSTA — A key legislative committee has rejected a proposal by the administration of Republican Gov. Paul LePage that sought to dissolve the state’s Bureau of Public Lands and fold its functions into two other agencies within the state’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. As part Read More
Committee Rejects Plan to Split Bureau of Parks and Lands
by Nakell Williams WABI-TV news story The Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry rejected a part of the governor’s budget plan. It involves splitting the Bureau of Parks and Lands and placing public lands under forestry. Committee members say they didn’t get any supporting calls or e-mails from constituents. They also say they Read More
Lawmaker Unveils Plan to Fix Costly Energy Bill Typo
Omitted word cost Efficiency Maine $38 million WMTW-TV 8 news story AUGUSTA, Maine —A Republican lawmaker has unveiled his plan to fix a typo that cost a Maine energy program $38 million. State Rep. Ken Fredette, the House minority leader, was instrumental in the original passage of the energy bill. However, once that legislation made Read More
Maine Should be a Place Based on Laws, Not LePage’s Whims
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Gov. Paul LePage was easily re-elected in November and he will no doubt leave his mark on the state and its government. However, this doesn’t give him license to ignore existing state laws or policies. After refusing to sign off on the issuance of bonds approved Read More
Lawmaker Proposes Moratorium on Mining in Maine
by A.J. Higgins MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine – An ongoing debate about regulation of large-scale mining in Maine is now in its third year. After lawmakers rejected mining regulations advanced by the state Department of Environmental Protection last year, the agency opted to resubmit the same rules in February. Now one lawmaker has advanced Read More
GOP: Fixing $36 Million Typo in Energy Bill is Not So Simple
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Republican leaders said Monday that the case of the $36 million-a-year typo isn’t as simple as it seems, because current legislators might not agree with their predecessors who passed the original bill in 2013. “It isn’t as simple as just grabbing a Read More
