The Maine Wire: “Gov. LePage charges forward with teacher accountability and school choice bills” plus 3 more

Gov. LePage charges forward with teacher accountability and school choice bills Posted: 10 May 2013 04:35 PM PDT AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul R. LePage on Friday continued to roll out his education reform initiatives, releasing a pair of bills designed to increase school choice and educator accountability. The bills are expected to meet heavy opposition from school unions. The first bill, L.D. 1510, An Act to Ensure Statewide School Accountability and Improvement, would [...]

Democrats: Buying junk food with Food Stamps is awesome for Mainers Posted: 10 May 2013 01:49 PM PDT AUGUSTA – In a surprise move, House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) ordered Democrats on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee (HHS) to kill a bill from Gov. Paul R. LePage that would allow the state to exclude junk food from eligible food stamp purchases. State House sources said Friday that Democrats’ last-minute [...]

Gang of Eleven defends tax increase Posted: 10 May 2013 12:51 PM PDT AUGUSTA – The Gang of Eleven defended its controversial tax overhaul on Friday during a packed public hearing of the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. “I dare say there’s not a person in this state who does not recognize that our current tax code is antiquated and inadequate,” said Rep. Gary Knight (R-Livermore), lead sponsor [...]

Maine ranks 6th on list of bad places to retire Posted: 10 May 2013 05:18 AM PDT Maine is the 6th worst place to retire, according to a study produced by Bankrate.com that considered a host of variables. “The Pine Tree State can boast excellent access to medical care and a relatively mild crime rate,” the study says. “Yet it ranks No. 6 on Bankrate’s list of bad places to retire for [...]