Emily Cain

Recent stories

Criticism of tax breaks growing in legislature

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Cain-headshot

AUGUSTA – Over the past 50 years, Maine legislatures and governors have added millions of dollars in tax breaks for businesses without ever doing the detailed analysis to find out which are effective and which are wasteful. But now that may be changing. In recent weeks, a growing list of legislators have called for a review of programs that leading economists have critiqued for not delivering on promises to create jobs. “We put a lot of stock in these programs, but we never go back to see if they work,” Sen. Emily Cain, D-Orono, told the legislature’s taxation committee last week. Cain has proposed a bill, LD1488, that would require the tax committee to recommend which tax expenditure programs should be kept, repealed or changed and then would require the full legislature to hold an up or down vote of them as part of the budget approval. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Money, Stories, economy, Emily Cain, job creation, Maine legislature, Paul LePage, tax break

LePage-Cain ethics bill: more financial disclosure

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Gov. Paul LePage — Photo Robert F. Bukaty, BDN

AUGUSTA -- The state's Republican governor and a leading Democratic legislator have teamed up to try to improve the ethical standards for both elected and appointed state officials. A bill unveiled this week by Gov. Paul LePage and Sen. Emily Cain of Orono will require greater disclosure of the financial and political interests of legislators and high-ranking executive branch officials. The bill, L.D. 1001, proposes four changes to current law: Continue Reading →

Filed under: Ethics, Stories, Emily Cain, Paul LePage

Legislator’s ethics bill would slam state’s ‘revolving door’

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Legislation to make it unlawful for state officials to leave their jobs and immediately go to work for industries they regulated – the so-called “revolving door” – is one of several ethics bills expected to be debated in the legislature this session. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Ethics, Emily Cain, legislation, reform, revolving door

Governor and Democratic leader announce plans to fix state ethics

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Gov. Paul LePage — Photo Robert F. Bukaty, BDN

AUGUSTA — Two of the state’s top political leaders are vowing a bipartisan effort to make government ethics, accountability and transparency key issues in the upcoming legislative session. Republican Gov. Paul LePage and House Democratic leader Emily Cain are responding to a national report that gave Maine government an “F” for its potential for corruption. Maine ranked 46th in the “State Integrity Investigation” by three nonpartisan good government groups that was released in mid-March. Cain, the Democratic House leader who is running for a Senate seat from Orono, has proposed two linked initiatives that she hopes will lead to government ethics reform. Cain said Tuesday she will ask her fellow lawmakers to form a bipartisan, joint select committee to consider ethics reform and report out a bill in the legislative session that begins in January, 2013. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Ethics, Stories, Emily Cain, ethics, LePage, Maine legislature

‘F’ integrity grade spurs leaders to consider new transparency laws

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Sen. Emily Cain

When you get an “F,” there are usually two ways to respond: Blame the teacher or try to do better the next time. Maine leaders are taking the second route – vowing to do something about the failing grade the state got last month in a 50-state study of the laws and practices that could prevent corruption. Both the Republican governor and the Democratic leader of the House, among others, said the state needs to take steps to improve laws requiring transparency and accountability in the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Gov. Paul LePage said he has already introduced a bill that “seeks to improve the current disclosure requirements of Legislators and certain executive employees. This is the direction we need to move in to improve Maine’s grade. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Ethics, Stories, Emily Cain, Paul LePage, state integrity study, transparency

Dexter tragedy brings bipartisan focus to domestic violence bail decisions

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Purple balloons were launched by the attendees at a gathering in remembrance of Amy, Coty and Monica Lake who were murdered by Amy's husband Steven Lake, the father of their children. Photo Diana Bowley, BDN

Sometimes it takes a death. Sometimes it takes four deaths: a mother, her two children and the man who killed them and then killed himself. The deaths of Amy, Monica and Coty Lake at the hands of their husband and father, Steven Lake, may be the tragedy that brings major reform to how the criminal justice system handles dangerous domestic violence cases. The June 13 triple murder-suicide is becoming a rallying point

for changes in the system from an unofficial coalition of domestic violence groups, leading Republicans and Democrats and the state’s top judge and top cop. “Change will occur,” said Brian Gagan. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Public Safety, bail, Dexter, domestic violence, Emily Cain, homicide, justice, legislation