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“I’ve heard from students across the state about their personal stories, including one student who recounted a bullying incident where his peers sicced a dog on him after a school event,” said Rep. Terry Morrison. “Leaders in our state must do everything we can to prevent these kinds of tragedies, from the State House to the playground. We can’t pretend this isn’t happening regularly in our schools.”

In a vote of 128 to 4, state lawmakers in the Maine House voted to gave final passage to a measure that would protect students from bullying in Maine schools. The bill nearly passed into law in 2011 but was sent back to the Education Committee at the last minute in the face of opposition from the Christian Civic League.

“This is an incredible victory for Maine students,” said Morrison, who sponsored the bill and has strongly advocated for it after hearing from hundreds of students and parents in his district. “We have sent a strong message to students and parents across Maine: Bullying in our schools is unacceptable and we won’t tolerate it.”

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In a vote of 75-63, the Republican-held Maine House voted Tuesday to give final passage to a bill that ratchets down Maine’s income tax rate by using one-time money to make ongoing cuts.

“We’ve heard loud and clear from the credit agencies that this bill puts Maine’s credit rating at risk,” said Rep. Seth Berry, who has opposed the TABOR like measure that threatens funding for schools and towns across the state. “This is nothing short of an unfair and unfunded tax shift onto middle class families who are already paying enough in property taxes.”

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Among its actions this week, the Legislature defeated a controversial “regulatory takings” bill that would have cost Maine taxpayers millions of dollars, caused a proliferation of lawsuits, and blocked future laws that may be necessary to protect Maine’s environment, people, and communities. This action came when the House and Senate voted to “indefinitely postpone” LD 1810—which means the bill is now officially dead.

“This risky, costly, and radical proposal would have undermined the laws that protect Maine’s environment and communities,” said NRCM Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim. “Despite a massive effort by lobbyists to force this dangerous bill through the legislature, a bipartisan majority held firm and refused to support it. Common sense won the day over ideology.”

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The projected pipeline

Last night Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge announced plans for a massive increase in pipeline capacity to bring dirty tar sands oil from Canada to global markets via the United States. One of the biggest components of the plan is to reverse the flow of its entire crude oil pipeline between Ontario and Montreal, for the purpose of transporting tar sands crude oil east. This would be the full build-out of Enbridge’s portion of the so-called “Trailbreaker” pipeline project in development for several years. This announcement could bring tar sands oil nearly to New England. The rest of the original Trailbreaker plan would bring tar sands oil by also reversing the flow of an existing pipeline from Montreal to Portland, Maine.

“This announcement reveals Enbridge’s true intentions to bring tar sands oil to our region,” said Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “This is exactly why NRCM and others have been raising concerns since last August about dirty and dangerous tar sands coming our way. This announcement brings one of the world’s dirtiest fuels one step closer to Maine.”

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act today that calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense to reform policy around sexual assault in the military.

“Congress should pass this amendment and send a strong signal to the VA and to the Pentagon that we recognize what a serious problem sexual assault in the military is,” Pingree said. “But mostly it sends a message to the victims that we recognize what they have gone through and we won’t stand for it.”

Pingree has been pushing the Department of Veterans Affairs to relax the standards of proof for victims of sexual assault who are seeking benefits, and has introduced a bill with bipartisan support to force the VA to make those changes.

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The Midcoast Forecaster headline on May 16, 2012 reads: Cornell du Houx, Herbig resolve personal dispute out of court Read the full article that was posted at 3:10 below: article:

BRUNSWICK — Two state lawmakers-turned-lovers, Reps. Alex Cornell du Houx and Erin Herbig, have reached a private agreement to settle their legal differences.

Both legislators declined to discuss the details of the pact, which was reached late on May 11.

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Maine State Capitol photo by Ramona du Houx

Four bond proposals that would make needed investments in Maine’s colleges and universities, research and development, land conservation, and waste water and drinking water treatment gained initial support in the Maine House late this afternoon. Additional votes on these proposals and other public investments in improving roads and bridges are expected tonight.

Democrats urged strong support for the total $95.6 million in bond proposals before the House and Senate.

“A jobs bond will give our economy a much needed shot in the arm,” said Rep. Emily Cain, the House Democratic leader. “The best way to improve our economy is by making more investments that will help small businesses, job training and public education.”

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said a Republican sponsored bill up for a vote today would gut key provisions of the Violence Against Women Act and she called on House Members to put politics aside and support a bipartisan bill passed by the Senate.

“This law was passed and renewed twice without a fight because reducing violence against women has always been something everyone can agree on, but this time Republicans in the House have decided they want to play politics with it,” said Pingree.

Since the Violence Against Women Act was passed in 1994, domestic violence crimes have dropped by more than half. The law was reauthorized twice without a partisan fight and last month the Senate again reauthorized it, with bipartisan support including the votes of Senators Snowe and Colliins.

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The Maine Senate through “indefinite postponement” rejected a controversial overhaul of regulatory land-use rules, known as the “takings” bill. If passed, LD 1810 would have allowed property owners to initiate action without going through a permitting process. There would be major uncertainty about how to determine what constitutes “suitable” use upon which a claim can be made.This Republican ideologically led measure would have opened flood gates for lawsuits and pit landowners against taxpayers

“Thankfully the Republicans saw the light and gave up their fight on passing a measure that would have cost millions of dollars to Maine taxpayers,” said Senator Phil Bartlett. “Worse, it would have hampered future legislatures from passing laws needed to protect Maine’s economy, environment, and communities.”

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Sen. Troy Jackson said, “I never signed up to be the person who decides who lives and dies in this state, or to say ‘I’m sorry, you don’t have health care anymore.’”

In an initial vote of 74 to 69, Republican lawmakers in the Maine House of Representatives forced through budget cuts that will take away health care from more than 24,000 Maine seniors, children and working families, while also passing unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy. The vote in the Senate was 19 to 16, along party lines, too.

“The Republican budget cuts will do unnecessary harm to seniors and working families across our state,” said Rep. Peggy Rotundo, the lead Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. “No Maine family should have to choose between putting food on the table or paying for medicine.”

The proposal will close an $80 million shortfall in the Department of Health and Human Services budget.

“This budget is riddled with disingenuous savings, hidden costs, and illegal proposals,” said Rep. Mark Eves, the lead House Democrat on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.

The GOP proposal reduces access to medicine and medical care for more than 5,000 seniors; cuts Head Start early childhood education programs for 216 children and child care credits for 1,400 families; cuts funding to home visitation programs that help prevent domestic violence for 750 families in crisis; eliminates health care for 7,000 19 and 20 year olds; and reduces funding for women’s health and family planning by $400,000.

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