The Maine Wire: “Maine nonprofits expect lower donations after charitable contribution cap” plus 5 more‏

Maine nonprofits expect lower donations after charitable contribution cap Posted: 25 Feb 2014 11:38 AM PST AUGUSTA – Maine’s nonprofits are expecting to see a decrease in donations after the Legislature last year limited the tax deduction for charitable giving. Brenda Peluso, director of public policy for the Maine Association of Nonprofits, told WCSH that the $27,500 tax deduction limit imposed by last year’s budget bill is expected to have a […]

House Republican Leaders, Senate Republicans Reject Katz-Saviello Medicaid Expansion Bill Posted: 25 Feb 2014 11:07 AM PST AUGUSTA – Top Republicans in the House of Representatives have rejected a bill from Assistance Senate Minority Leader Roger Katz (R-Kennebec) and Sen. Tom Saviello (R-Franklin) that would expand eligibility for Medicaid while simultaneously contracting with managed care service providers. The measure was unveiled Tuesday as an apparent compromise between pro-expansion Democrats and Republicans. “ObamaCare’s […]

Daily Catch: Medicaid expansion, IRS crackdown, Collins on FCC, Rubio’s best speech yet… Posted: 25 Feb 2014 11:01 AM PST Medicaid: After early indications that Democratic leaders were attempting to move a Medicaid expansion bill out of committee Wednesday and schedule House and Senate votes Thursday, it appears Sen. Roger Katz (R-Augusta) has put the brakes on. The expansion package is now expected to move out of committee this week and to the floor of […]

“A Republican Vision of Mainecare Expansion” – Bill Text and Talking Points Posted: 25 Feb 2014 10:03 AM PST AUGUSTA – Republican Sens. Roger Katz (R-Kennebec) and Thomas Saviello (R-Franklin) on Tuesday released a draft of a “compromise” Medicaid expansion bill along with talking points designed to sell the measure to wary Republican lawmakers. Katz and Saviello are expected to present their bill to the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Commission on Wednesday. Below […]

Maine Senator blasts Obama admin over “offensive” newsroom research program Posted: 25 Feb 2014 09:43 AM PST WASHINGTON, D.C. – After intense backlash from mostly conservative circles, the federal government has backed away from the Federal Communication Commission’s plan to survey America’s newsrooms. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday delivered a letter to Tom Wheeler, chairman of the FCC, condemning the so-called “Multi-Market Study of Critical Information Needs” (CIN – pronounced […]

CMS: Two-thirds of small business employees to see health insurance rate increases under Obamacare Posted: 25 Feb 2014 08:38 AM PST The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released a report Friday which estimated that health insurance premiums will increase for 11 million people who work for small businesses. Nationally, CMS is “estimating that 65 percent of the small firms are expected to experience increases in their premium rates while the remaining 35 percent are […]