Voice of the Voter

In The Arena: Eves & Fredette

(NEWS CENTER) Now that the governor has vetoed the bill combining hospital debt repayment with Medicaid expansion, lawmakers must decide what to do next. Speaker of the House Mark Eves and House Minority Leader Ken Fredette go In The Arena with Pat Callaghan.

Strimling & Harriman on the State House fight over a TV

(NEWS CENTER) -- We talk with our political analysts about the latest dustup at the State House between democrats and Governor LePage -- over, of all things, a television set.

   Plus, the governor makes good on his promise to veto the bill that linked paying Maine's hospitals the $484,000,000 they're owed in Medicaid reimbursements with the democrats' plan to expand that program.

Energy bill aims to bring big savings to Mainers

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Maine legislators and the Governor are butting heads on some issues, but they may be working together on another: Cutting energy costs. 

Congress expected to grill IRS official at center of scandal

(NBC News) - A former manager at the IRS Cincinnati office at the center of the controversy over the targeting of conservative political organizations seeking tax-exempt status tells NBC News she doesn't think low-level employees acted on their own in flagging them for further scrutiny.  

Strimling and Harriman: House hospital vote

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Our political analysts Ethan Strimling and Phil Harriman stopped in this morning to talk about two important topics: the House hospital bill vote and Governor Paul LePage's plan to drop the income tax if re-elected.

Bill would legalize concealed weapon carrying without permit

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - A number of police chiefs in Southern Maine joined forces this morning to voice their opposition to a bill currently in the legislature.

Senators Demand IRS "Come Clean"

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC News) - Former Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman told Senators Tuesday that he wasn't informed or involved in the agency's targeting of Tea Party groups.

Tornado Relief: Fight Over Funding?

(NBC News)  As rescue and recovery efforts ramped up Tuesday in Oklahoma, flags were lowered to half staff in the nation's capital.

Obama offers condolences, federal aid to tornado victims

(NBC News) - Flanked by Vice President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, President Obama issued a formal statement this morning on Monday's deadly tornado in Oklahoma.

Strimling & Harriman on Governor denied "on the record" comments

(NEWS CENTER) -- We talk with our political analysts about this past weekend's State House hearing where Governor LePage was kept from testifying on the record.

LePage says do away with income taxes

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Governor LePage says if elected to a second term he'll do away with corporate and personal income taxes in Maine as a way to attract more wealth to the state.

Governor, Lawmakers say they want to work together

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Governor Paul LePage said Monday he was trying to work with the Legislature on Sunday, but wasn't given the chance to talk. 

Colorado Sheriff's launch suit over gun laws

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (KUSA) - Dozens of Colorado sheriffs have joined a lawsuit against new gun restrictions set to go into effect later this summer.

In The Arena: Strimling & Bruno

(NEWS CENTER) Health care issues have taken center stage at the State House this week. Political analysts Ethan Strimling and Joe Bruno are In The Arena with Pat Callaghan.

Hospital debt once again on front burner in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- With just a few weeks to go in the legislative session, the focus in Augusta is once again on the $484 million debt Maine owes to its hospitals.

Medical marijuana supporters want expansion

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - The people who own and manage Maine's eight medical marijuana dispensaries are asking the Legislature to let the drug be used to treat far more medical conditions.

Portlanders vote on school budget, whether to vote on school budget

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Voters in several communities in Maine go to the polls to approve or reject their local school budgets but that process may be changing.

America's Edge says partnership between education, business is key to closing skills gap

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A new report out today suggests Maine will need 15,000 more highly-skilled workers to make sure it can fill future jobs.

CBO estimates 2013 deficit at $642 billion

WASHINGTON (AP) - A new government estimate says the budget deficit for the current year will come in well below what was projected just a few months ago.

Sen. Collins: "Heads Should Roll" in IRS scandal

(NBCNC) - There are calls this morning for an independent prosecutor to look into whether the IRS singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny. 

Maine House sustains LePage veto of superintendent residency proposal

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - The Maine House has voted to uphold Gov. Paul LePage's veto of a bill that sought to allow school districts to hire superintendents without regard for whether they live within the district they will head.

Maine towns, cities answer gov's budget challenge

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine municipalities are responding to Gov. Paul LePage's invitation to come up with their own ideas to balance the state budget without suspending revenue sharing.

Maine background check bill surfaces in Senate

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - A gun-control bill calling for background checks at gun shows is up for debate in the Maine Senate.

Strimling & Harriman on playing nice in Augusta

(NEWS CENTER) -- We talk with our political analysts about latest stalemate between republicans and democrats over paying a huge debt to hospitals.

Government subpoenas, obtains wide set of AP phone records in investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department has secretly obtained two months of telephone records of journalists for The Associated Press in what AP's top executive says is an "unprecedented intrusion" into newsgathering.

Obama: Targeting by IRS is 'outrageous'

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups is "outrageous" and anyone involved needs to be "held fully accountable."

Benghazi probe focuses on edited talking points

(NBCNC) - Inside emails show there was a lot of concern about what the public would hear, and lots of changes made from the C.I.A.'s original assessment of who was responsible. 

In The Arena: Richardson & Nemitz

(NEWS CENTER) The response to the rash of fires in Lewiston has stirred up some partisan sniping at the State House. Ray Richardson of WLOB Radio's Lobster Network and Bill Nemitz of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram talk politics In The Arena with Pat Callaghan.

Lobsterman support license adjustments for active duty military

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --- Members of the state's  first lobstermen's union were busy lobbying at the State House on Wednesday.

Fire assistance sparks political heat in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - The problems caused by the Lewiston fires have reached the Maine Legislature, and are prompting complaints by Republicans that Democrats are "playing politics" with the issue.