Tag Archives: Lawrence Lockman

Senate GOP’s $100 million school aid offer fails to break Maine budget impasse

Good morning from Augusta, where much of the attention right now is on Maine’s two-year budget, where a “huge gap” remains on education funding even after Senate Republicans came forward on Wednesday to propose $100 million in extra education funding. But the reception on that pivotal budget issue was more than frosty. Democrats pooh-poohed it […]

Maine Democrats make their own state government shutdown threat

With less than a month left before statutory adjournment, Democrats have threatened to shut down government if state funding for schools doesn’t reach 55 percent. Fifty-two Democratic and two independent House members, along with four Democratic senators, have signed a pact to oppose any budget bill that doesn’t have “a progressive and sustainable funding source […]

LePage’s push for a statewide teacher contract fails its first test

After voicing tepid openness to negotiating Gov. Paul LePage’s call for a statewide teacher contract, Democrats have drawn a line in the sand that could doom the proposal. Democrats on the Legislature’s Education Committee on Tuesday rejected the bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Matt Pouliot, R-Augusta. The committee votes are still coming in but […]