Tag Archives: Maine politics

Mar 21 2016

Rep. Poliquin Meets with White House, Urges Against Unilateral National Monument Designation

Rep. Poliquin Meets with White House, Urges Against Unilateral National Monument Designation

Poliquin also requests Congress prevent unilateral designation in Maine’s North Woods

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, met with White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Managing Director Christy Goldfuss to urge against the prospect of President Obama unilaterally designating nearly 90,000 acres in the Katahdin Region as a national monument.  This meeting was a result of a request that Congressman Poliquin sent last month.

 

In the meeting at the White House, Congressman Poliquin discussed the local Katahdin Region, the strong local opposition to a national monument designation, the threat a national monument would have on current and future forest products jobs, the costs of construction and maintenance of a national monument that would take away necessary funding for Acadia National Park, the safety of the current road system for future visitors, and the threat that a national monument poses to recreational access for private citizens.

 

After the meeting, Congressman Poliquin released the following statement:

 

“Today’s meeting is a critical step in conveying the interests and concerns of local residents and stakeholders,” said Congressman Poliquin. “We raised serious issues that White House staff indicated they had not heard about prior to today including road safety concerns. We are continuing to urge the President to understand the grave consequences that his unilateral designation of a national monument would have on the local Katahdin Region now and for generations to come. I am hopeful that our message resonates with the White House and the President.”

 

The meeting was also attended by Dana Doran, the Executive Director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, Bob Meyers, the Executive Director of the Maine Snowmobile Association, and Patrick Strauch, the Executive Director of the Maine Forest Products Council.

 

In addition to his White House meeting, today Congressman Poliquin also sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee requesting that language be included in the FY 2017 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that would prohibit President Obama from making this unilateral designation in Maine’s Penobscot County. Twenty-eight other Members of Congress joined Congressman Poliquin in sending this letter.  The language requested would not prevent national monuments from being created through an act of Congress and is consistent with the original intent of the Antiquities Act.

 

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The full text of the appropriations request letter can be found here:

 

March 22, 2016

 

 

The Honorable Ken Calvert

Chairman

Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

U.S. House of Representatives

B-308 Rayburn HOB

Washington, DC 20515

 

The Honorable Betty McCollum

Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

U.S. House of Representatives

1016 Longworth HOB

Washington, DC 20515

 

Dear Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum:

 

As you begin work on the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we urge you to include language that would prevent presidential abuse of the Antiquities Act.

 

National monuments can be powerful symbols of our nation’s historical and natural heritage. Unfortunately, there is a long and shameful list of abuses of the Antiquities Act whereby Presidents of both parties far exceeded the intent and letter of the 1906 law.  The law was enacted over concerns about protecting mostly prehistoric Indian ruins and artifacts—collectively termed “antiquities “—on federal lands in the West.

 

By definition, the sites were to be very small—“the smallest area compatible”—with preserving the antiquity, not millions of acres. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the actual statute, “In establishing a national monument, the President is required by the Antiquities Act to reserve ‘the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.’”

 

Presidents on either side of the aisle shouldn’t have unilateral authority to create massive new national monuments by executive fiat without local public input.  It is, after all, the people living near these national monuments who are most affected by their creation.  These citizens deserve to have a strong voice regarding the use of public land near their communities.

 

Unilateral designations that circumvent Congress typically result in devastating consequences for local communities that negatively affect their future economic prosperity.  Designations under the Antiquities Act don’t have to follow the environmental process required under NEPA and also aren’t required to solicit public input prior to declaration. These declarations often result in some of the most restrictive land-use regulations possible and also greatly impact hunting, fishing, OHV, and other recreational activities. Grazing rights, water rights, wildfire prevention, and other land management activities can also be negatively impacted.

 

In the fiscal year 2016 appropriations process, the House passed an amendment with bipartisan support to prohibit the use of funds to make a Presidential declaration by public proclamation under the Antiquities Act in counties where there is significant local opposition. In the 113th Congress, the House passed legislation with bipartisan support to reform the Antiquities Act and ensure public involvement in the creation of national monuments.

 

President Obama has exceeded the intent of this law and abused the Antiquities Act more than any other American president.  To date, he has designated or expanded 22 national monuments, and these designations have locked up more than 3 million acres of land.  In February 2016, the president unilaterally designated three new national monuments in the California desert encompassing nearly 1.8 million acres. To make matters worse, President Obama states on the White House website promoting his latest declarations that he has protected (locked up) “more than 265 million acres of land and water – more than any other president in American history.” Unfortunately, he isn’t done yet, and we can expect several more overreaching designations within the next several months.

 

Accordingly, we ask that you include language similar to the following:

 

NATIONAL MONUMENTS

`(a) Consultation Requirement- The President may not designate lands to be a new or expanded national monument unless, not more than 1 year before such designation, the Secretary of the Interior–

`(1) consulted with each community, county, municipality, city, town, or township created pursuant to State law with boundaries within or adjacent to lands affected by the designation; and

`(2) obtained the concurrence for the designation from–

`(A) the governing body of each community, county, municipality, city, town, or township described in paragraph (1); and

`(B) the wildlife management and land management authorities and governor of each State in which all or part of the new or expanded national monument would be located.

`(b) Limitations on Declarations- A declaration shall not–

`(1) include private property without the informed written consent of the owner of that private property;

`(2) be construed to increase the amount of funds that are authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal year;

`(3) apply to more than 5,000 acres;

`(4) include any area of the exclusive economic zone as established by Proclamation Numbered 5030, dated March 10, 1983;

`(5) be construed to prohibit or constrain any activities on or above the land conducted by the Department of Defense or other Federal agencies for national security purposes, including training and readiness activities; or

`(6) be used to create or expand a national monument located, in part or in whole, in the following:

`(A) The counties of Coconino, Maricopa, Mohave, and Yavapai in the State of Arizona.

`(B) The counties of Modoc and Siskiyou in the State of California.

`(C) The counties of Chaffee, Moffat, and Park in the State of Colorado.

`(D) The counties of Clark, Lincoln, and Nye in the State of Nevada.

`(E) The county of Otero in the State of New Mexico.

`(F) The counties of Jackson, Josephine, and Malheur in the State of Oregon.

`(G) The counties of Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Kane, San Juan, Uintah, and Wayne in the State of Utah.

`(H) The county of Penobscot in the State of Maine.

`(c) Additional Requirements for Declarations- A declaration shall

`(1) expire 3 years after proclaimed or reserved unless specifically

approved by–

`(A) a Federal law enacted after the date of the proclamation or reservation; and

`(B) a State law, for each State where the land covered by the proclamation or reservation is located, enacted after the date of the proclamation or reservation; and

`(C) a Governor, for each State where the land covered by the proclamation or reservation is located, enacted after the date of the proclamation or reservation; and

`(2) comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

`(d) Water Rights- Water rights associated with a national monument created or expanded by a declaration —

`(1) may not be reserved expressly or by implication by a declaration; and

`(2) may be acquired for a national monument created or expanded by declaration

under this subsection only in accordance with the laws of the States in which the water

rights are based .’.

 

We thank you for your consideration of this request, and for your leadership on the committee.

 

Sincerely,

 

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Click HERE to see a scanned version of the appropriations request letter.

 

Items to Note:

 

 

Mar 18 2016

Collins, King and Poliquin Send Letter in Support of Trade Adjustment Assistance for Madison Paper Workers

Collins, King and Poliquin Send Letter in Support of Trade Adjustment Assistance for Madison Paper Workers

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Bruce Poliquin sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in support for the recently filed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition to assist the more than 200 workers at Madison Paper Industries who are being displaced in large measure to increased foreign competition.

 

“Given the closing of three other major pulp and paper mills within 125 miles of Madison in the past two years and the bankruptcy restructuring of a fourth, the skilled Madison mill workers face an enormous hurdle in identifying and securing meaningful alternative employment in the area for which they have the qualifying experience,” wrote Senators Collins and King and Representative Poliquin in their letter. “As a result, it is crucial that these workers receive the retraining and reemployment resources available through TAA certification. Such a certification will allow them to get back on their feet more quickly and continue making critical contributions to their families and our economy.”

 

TAA provides a variety of assistance to workers who have been negatively impacted by trade.  Assistance programs through TAA include services for displaced workers, reemployment programs and job training efforts.

 

The letter to Secretary Perez is available HERE and the full text is below.

 

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March 17, 2016

 

The Honorable Thomas Perez

Secretary

United States Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC  20210

 

Dear Mr. Secretary:

 

We are writing in support of the recently filed Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) petition to assist the more than 200 workers at Madison Paper Industries in Madison, Maine, who are being displaced due in large measure to increased foreign competition within the supercalendered paper industry.

 

Last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission (ITC) investigated imports of supercalendered paper from Canada. As part of this inquiry, the Department investigated Port Hawkesbury Paper in Nova Scotia and Resolute Forest Products in Quebec and determined that imports of supercalendered paper from these mills received countervailable subsidies ranging from 17.87 percent to 20.18 percent. In December 2015, the ITC determined that the domestic industry was materially injured by these imports.

 

Given the closing of three other major pulp and paper mills within 125 miles of Madison in the past two years and the bankruptcy restructuring of a fourth, the skilled Madison mill workers face an enormous hurdle in identifying and securing meaningful alternative employment in the area for which they have the qualifying experience. As a result, it is crucial that these workers receive the retraining and reemployment resources available through TAA certification. Such a certification will allow them to get back on their feet more quickly and continue making critical contributions to their families and our economy.

 

We urge that you review this TAA application in a timely manner, consistent with all applicable rules and regulations, to ensure that these trade-affected workers receive the assistance they need to obtain work and maintain their financial stability.

 

Thank you for your consideration on behalf of the workers at the Madison Paper Industries.

 

Sincerely,

Mar 17 2016

Holding the President Accountable to the Constitution

Holding the President Accountable to the Constitution

Poliquin challenges President’s executive overreach on amnesty

 

WASHINGTON – Today, Maine’s Second District Congressman, Bruce Poliquin, voted for a measure to, for the first time in our Nation’s history, file an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case the United States v. Texas, on behalf of the entire House of Representatives, that will challenge the legitimacy of President Obama’s executive order to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.  Congressman Poliquin released the following statement:

 

“The President is not permitted to write law—only Congress is,” said Congressman Poliquin. “Last year, the President defied the democratic process and violated our Nation’s Constitution by unilaterally granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Today, the House is protecting its Article I authority, defending our Nation’s democratic principles and challenging the President on his illegal overreach.

 

“We must have thoughtful reform of our broken immigration system—not unilateral and unconstitutional action by any Administration without the consent of the American People. As a Nation of immigrants, we should welcome legal immigration and should strive to fix our broken immigration system, but that must be done through the democratic process.”

 

Items to Note:

 

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