Voice of the Voter

Energy bill aims to bring big savings to Mainers

6:37 PM, May 22, 2013

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

12:56 PM, May 22, 2013

(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

7:44 AM, May 22, 2013

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

6:13 PM, May 21, 2013

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"

6:02 PM, May 21, 2013

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?

5:23 PM, May 21, 2013

(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

3:34 PM, May 21, 2013

(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.

Gov. Paul LePage angrily reacts to being rebuffed at a legislative hearing addressing the DHHS budget concerns.

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

7:12 PM, May 20, 2013

(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

6:48 PM, May 20, 2013

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

6:25 PM, May 20, 2013

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

12:32 PM, May 20, 2013

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

4:24 PM, May 16, 2013

(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

8:12 PM, May 14, 2013

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

6:36 PM, May 14, 2013

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

6:16 PM, May 14, 2013

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

5:33 PM, May 14, 2013

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

3:15 PM, May 14, 2013

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

2:06 PM, May 14, 2013

(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

11:38 AM, May 14, 2013

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

11:36 AM, May 14, 2013

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

11:34 AM, May 14, 2013

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

6:48 PM, May 13, 2013

(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

5:52 PM, May 13, 2013

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'

12:46 PM, May 13, 2013

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

12:17 PM, May 13, 2013

(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

3:17 PM, May 9, 2013

(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

7:54 PM, May 8, 2013

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

Photo by Anthony Armstrong

Fire assistance sparks political heat in Augusta

7:11 PM, May 8, 2013

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. 

School grades once again a focus in Augusta

6:25 PM, May 8, 2013

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Maine's Commissioner of Education is laying out what the department plans to do now that it's graded Maine schools.

House subcommittees examine Keystone deal

5:39 PM, May 8, 2013

By Malia Rulon Herman, Gannett Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- The Keystone XL pipeline is not only environmentally sound but would decrease emissions and save lives, proponents of the project said at a joint hearing before two House subcommittees Tuesday.