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 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.
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
Business Owners Push to Restore Efficiency Maine Funding
WCSH-6 TV news story AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Business owners and energy experts gathered in Augusta Monday in the hopes of getting lawmakers to fix the omission of one little word that could reduce state funding to Efficiency Maine by $38 million. The bill, passed in 2013, was intended to provide money to Efficiency Read More
Legislators Worry LePage about to Put Public Lands in Pro-harvesting Hands
Many believe he’s planning to have the same director for the forest service and the parks bureau, two agencies with different missions. By Steve Mistler, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — State lawmakers and conservation groups are raising concerns that Gov. Paul LePage will soon appoint the current director of the Maine Read More
Mistake in Law Could Cost Mainers Millions
By Nakell Williams WABI-TV news story A typo left the word “and” out of a piece of legislation and that mistake could end up costing Mainers millions in higher energy bills. “It’s completely an accidental typographical error, but it’s now the law and so the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) made this decision based on their Read More
Mistake in Efficiency Law Will Cost Mainers $250 Million in Higher Energy Bills if Not Corrected Swiftly
Hundreds of Energy Jobs Also at Risk NRCM news release Augusta, ME —Businesses and energy experts gathered today to inform Mainers that a one-word typographical error in the omnibus energy law passed in 2013 will cost Maine energy consumers $250 million if not corrected by the Legislature or the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The missing Read More
LePage Says He’ll Decide Which Land Deals Maine Will Fund
The governor reiterates that his decision to withhold bonds is designed to press for increased timber harvesting. By Steve Mistler, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Gov. Paul LePage said this week that he plans to personally review and choose conservation and public easement projects before funding them with voter-approved bonds. His announcement has Read More
