Tag Archives: Governor LePage

Apr 2 2019

Frenzy

 

The impeachment ship is foundering in the breakers of the Mueller report. From blaming Trump election despondency for their obsessive reporting to outright denial, the old guard media is at loss to explain how their spin got “unspun” before the eyes of the Nation. The old ships are taking on water.

The frenzy to destroy a man, to be his undoing, has Americans wondering if they are witnessing a psychosis of sorts. To be so prejudiced against an individual that some in the public eye are willing to abandon any and all tethers to reason, is unsettling to the average citizen. Americans have begun to recoil from the crazed who crave destruction.

Maine was left in the best financial position it has been in decades, but here too the frenzy took hold. Focused instead on a Governor who some found offensive in manner and deed, the quest to destroy his accomplishments engaged at full throttle at the inaugural of his replacement. Governor Mills has left no dollar unspent.

Moving at a frenetic pace, the Democrat controlled branches of Maine’s government have managed to spend themselves into the red before the end of the first quarter of the first year of Governor Mills’ first term, surpassing the predictions of even the most cynical prognosticators of doom. Mainers have been barraged by a blunderbuss of tax increase bills leaving the Maine taxpayer feeling fiscally bludgeoned and scurrying to hide their wages in every secret chamber they can find knowing that Governor Tax Mills cometh. With no less than five bills to increase tax on heating oil and fuel, Democrats have served warning that they will tax anything and tax some more to feed their blood-lust to destroy every iota of the accomplishments of the Governor they love to hate.

Aug 30 2018

For Some Clarity

This statement was issued from Governor LePage’s office today: “It appears that some Maine news media are not providing the context of the Governor’s recent action requesting clarification from the courts.

The Governor recently joined an amicus brief that challenges the ability of an activist judge to re-define a federal law enacted in 1964, which is in direct violation of separation of powers. If the federal government wants to revise its own discrimination laws, that is up to the Congress, not activist judges.

The Sixth Circuit has not only ignored the will of Congress, but also supplanted itself as an unelected legislature of three with the power to rewrite congressional enactments in violation of separation of powers. The role of the courts is to interpret the law, not to rewrite the law by adding new, unintended meaning.

Please note that Maine already expanded the scope of its anti-discrimination protections by adopting the Maine Human Rights Act.

This change was made by the Legislature, which is how changes to law should be made.”

Mar 17 2016

Governor Announces Bill and Executive Order to Promote Employment of Veterans

03/17/2016 10:08 AM EDT
For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 17, 2016 Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has issued an Executive Order and has submitted a Governor’s bill to the legislature, both designed to promote the licensure and hiring of veterans in Maine.

“Veterans have made sacrifices to protect the freedoms that we too often take for granted,” said Governor LePage. “The least we can do for them when they return to civilian life is ease their transition by helping them on the path to a good-paying career. I am proud the State of Maine is a leading employer of men and women who have served this country in uniform, and I believe we can do even more to hire qualified veterans and help them obtain licensure based on their military experience to put those skills to work in the State of Maine.”

The Governor’s bill, “An Act To Reform the Veteran Preference in State Hiring and Retention,” refines the State’s existing approach to hiring preference for veterans, incorporating lessons recently learned from the successful 2015 Hire-A-Vet initiative at the Maine Department of Labor. The State of Maine was the first employer to commit to the program, ultimately hiring 32 veterans during the campaign-more than 12 percent of the total 261 hired through Hire-A-Vet-and found that current law providing hiring preference to veterans was insufficient.

Sponsored by Rep. Sheldon Hanington (R-Lincoln), a member of the legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, the Governor’s bill provides preference by guaranteeing an interview to any person who has served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Reserves and the National Guard. The veteran must meet the minimum qualifications established for a position and must not have received a dishonorable discharge.

Complementing the bill, the Governor’s Executive Order tasks the director of the Bureau of Human Resources with developing a policy in which any veteran who applies for a job with the State of Maine, but is ultimately not hired for that job, receives guidance on other State of Maine openings for which the veteran may be qualified to apply.

“Having an opportunity for an interview and a referral to additional openings is a best practice in the hiring of veterans,” said Joyce Oreskovich, Director of the Bureau of Human Resources. “The guaranteed interview for qualified veterans provides not only an incentive to apply, which assists the State in its recruitment efforts, but also gives veterans meaningful opportunities to discuss their military background as it applies to the competencies we need for particular jobs. The referral, if the veteran did not get the initial job, aids in identifying transferrable skills and helps the veteran consider other positions, including those for which the veteran might not have initially applied or not realized he or she was not qualified.”

“The Executive Order will bring all of agencies involved in job training and professional certification and licensure together with veterans’ agencies,” said Governor LePage. “This group will review those legal requirements and relevant procedures to ensure that all of the transferrable skills of veterans are given appropriate credit in the licensure process and that licensure can occur as quickly as possible.”

“An Order To Promote the Hiring of Skilled Veterans in the State of Maine,” Executive Order number 2016-02, will convene a working group to review the current laws as they pertain to veterans obtaining licensure based on their skills acquired during their service.

“Since the law was updated in 2013, the Office of Professional and Occupation Regulation has been doing more than ever before to apply military training and experience toward civilian licensing requirements in Maine,” said Anne Head, Commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, who will chair the Governor’s Veterans’ Licensing Review Panel created by the Order. “Now is the time to look closely at the progress we have made and the additional barriers we can remove to get Maine’s veterans licensed and working in fields related to their service experience.”

In addition to Commissioner Head, the panel will include the Adjutant General; the Director of the Bureau of Veterans Services; representatives from the Secretary of State, Department of Labor, the University of Maine and Community College System; and two members representing licensing boards. They will consider the processes by which licensing boards are reviewing the applications of veterans with demonstrable field experience, as well as identify licensing boards’ rules, practices and procedures that are unduly and unnecessarily burdensome. By Feb. 1, 2017, the panel will issue a report to the Governor identifying problems and proposing solutions.

“This is a welcome opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders across state government and industry to reinvigorate our efforts to put our veterans to work here in Maine,” said Adria Horn, Director of the Bureau of Veterans Services. “We often hear from veterans looking for help removing red tape or navigating the system, and this panel will identify real solutions, recognize veterans’ military experience and enhance efforts to place veterans in well-paying jobs.”

The text of the Executive Order is:

2016-002 March 17, 2016

An Order To Promote The Hiring Of Skilled Veterans In The State Of Maine

WHEREAS, veterans have gained valuable trade skills in the course of serving in the armed forces of the United State of America;

WHEREAS, in order to ensure that people who work in certain trades are competent, the State of Maine mandates that people who work in certain trades obtain the appropriate licensure;

WHEREAS, it would benefit veterans and the State of Maine to have a process whereby veterans who have gained skills can obtain the appropriate licensure;

WHEREAS, such a process is underway and it is necessary to examine the progress of that effort;

WHEREAS, the State of Maine is an employer that is interested in employing more veterans who are qualified to perform the work of the State;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Paul R. LePage, Governor of the State of Maine, hereby order as follows:

1. The Governor’s Veterans’ Licensing Review Panel is hereby established;

2. The membership of the Review Panel shall consist of nine (9) persons appointed by the Governor including:

a. The Commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, who shall serve as chair;

b. The Adjutant General or the General’s designee from the Maine Army or Air National Guard;

c. The Director of the Bureau of Veterans Services or the Director’s designee;

d. The Director of the Bureau of Human Resources or the Director’s designee;

e. A member representing the Department of Labor;

f. A member representing the Office of the Secretary of State;

g. A member representing the Community College system;

h. A member representing the University of Maine system;

i. A member who serves on a licensing board in a medically-related field or a staff member designated by one such board; and

j. A member who serves on one of the other licensing boards or a staff member designated by one such board;

All Review Panel members shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and all members shall serve without compensation. Members of the Review Panel who are listed from (a) to (e) above shall provide support from members of their respective departments as needed;

3. The Review Panel shall:

a. conduct a review of the processes by which licensing boards are reviewing the applications of veterans who have subject matter expertise in their given fields;

b. identify rules, practices, and procedures that may be used by licensing boards that are unduly and unnecessarily burdensome;

c. issue a report to the Governor on or before February 1, 2017, which shall include the results of its review in each of the above-listed areas as well as recommendations for improvement in laws, rules, practices, and/or procedures identified as causing or contributing to the problems identified. If the Review Panel requires more time in which to finalize the report, then the members may have no more than a two (2) month extension in which to complete it;

4. Pursuant to Title 1, section 402, subsection 2, paragraph F, the meetings of this Review Panel are not “public proceedings” subject to Maine’s Freedom of Access Act; and

5. Further, the Director of the Bureau of Human resources is directed to develop a policy by which any veteran who applies for a job with the State of Maine, self- identifies as a veteran or service member during the application process, and is ultimately not hired for that job receives guidance on other State of Maine openings for which that the veteran may be qualified to apply. The effective date of this Executive order is March 17, 2016.

Paul R. LePage Governor
Mar 11 2016

DHHS Intensifying Efforts To Prevent Opioid Abuse And Reduce Tobacco Use

03/11/2016 02:56 PM EST
*New Fund for Healthy Maine Request for Proposals establishes Statewide measurable goals and seeks the expertise to achieve them.*

**AUGUSTA** – The Maine Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that it is seeking to hire experts through the competitive procurement process to make significant progress in preventing heroin and opioid use and to reduce Maine’s smoking rates to the lowest in the nation.

Through the Maine Centers for Disease Control and the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, the DHHS has developed Prevention Services for Maine’s Public Health Districts, which will be released later today. The work outlined in this Request for Proposals (RFP) has been broken into four categories: opioid and other substance use and exposure prevention; tobacco use and exposure; youth engagement and empowerment; and mass-reach health communications. Bidders may submit proposals for any or all areas of work.

“While we recognize the need to address these critical areas of prevention, we know from national research that we need to approach the work differently in order to adapt to the ever-changing public health landscape,” said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew. “We must move Maine’s public health system to one that leads the development of strategies that focus on prevention and wellness, builds diverse partnerships, and effectively integrates with clinical health. Public health must be more flexible and able to address emerging needs by taking swift and appropriate action.”

This new request for proposals aggressively targets Maine’s most pressing public health concerns:

– Last year, 272 Mainers died due to a drug-related overdose – Eight out of every 100 babies are born drug affected in Maine – Approximately 2,400 tobacco-related deaths occur in our state annually – An estimated 1,300 youth begin smoking each year

“We must do all that we can to stem the rising tide of opioid use and abuse. Heroin has taken far too many lives in Maine,” said Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Chief Officer Kenneth Albert. “At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the effect tobacco use has on the progression of chronic disease,” said Albert. “We simply must do a better job of further reducing and preventing the use of tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke.”

The costs of tobacco are enormous, with more than $811 million in health-care related costs and $534 million in smoking-caused productivity losses. Despite the costs, tobacco continues to be the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Maine and across the nation. It is estimated that substance abuse costs Maine more than $1.4 billion annually.

Unlike previous Fund for Healthy Maine RFPs, this new proposal establishes consistent, measurable statewide goals, includes the requirement to routinely use data to drive decision-making, and requires maximized returns of investment across all areas of work. Linking the work to the State Health Plan at the District level, the use of strategies that have been proven effective and increased collaboration between public health and healthcare are also requirements of the proposal. With vendors who are experts in their respective fields, the Department will be able to evaluate progress and spending reports, and better articulate the value of the work as it pertains to consistent statewide goals.

Another key aspect of this effort is the strengthening and clarifying of the Public Health system and its structure. The Department is investing $1.45 million annually to support the nine District Coordinating Councils that comprise the statewide public health infrastructure.

“It has been improperly stated by legislators, advocates and the current Healthy Maine Partnerships that the HMPs are the public health infrastructure,” said Albert. “The District level infrastructure was very clearly established in 2007 by statewide partners and stakeholders, and the leadership responsibility falls squarely upon the District Coordinating Councils. That’s why we are investing in staffing support to assist the DCCs and strengthen their roles as the leaders of public health and their respective districts.”

The Department is expecting bids to represent participation and input from all active and vibrant public health partners.

“Maine faces significant chronic disease and addiction-related public health challenges. We need to effectively address the use and abuse of addictive substances to avoid increased healthcare and societal costs associated with this behavior,” said Commissioner Mayhew. “By focusing on early prevention of substance use and abuse by our youth we can increase the likelihood of them leading safe, healthy and productive lives.”

Once released, the RFP can be found at: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/rfp/ or http://www.maine.gov/purchases/venbid/rfp.shtml