AUGUSTA — A Maine legislative committee today endorsed six of more than 90 of Gov. Paul LePage’s nominees for state boards, commissions and judgeships, sending them to the full Senate for a vote during next week’s special legislative session.

Today’s unanimous recommendations by the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry virtually assure the six nominees will win final Senate confirmation in a week. They also give a preview of State House activity over the next few days in preparation for next Tuesday’s special session.

Nominees who won confirmation votes today included Robert Dunphy of North Anson and Ernest Carle of Big Lake Township to the Land Use Regulation Commission, and Bruce Flewelling of Easton and Clark Granger of Woolwich to the Board of Pesticides Control.

Also winning committee endorsements were Colon Durrell of Farmington to the Maine Milk Commission, and Gary Reed of Falmouth to the Maine Harness Racing Commission.

They were the first of 91 nominees overall facing committee reviews, which will be conducted in the days leading up to next Tuesday’s session. Confirmations are only part of the business to be taken up by the House and Senate, where court-ordered reapportionment of the state’s two congressional districts has top billing.

Democratic and Republican negotiators, whose parties have submitted drastically different plans to the Legislature, continued today to discuss the possibility of a single bipartisan plan that could win a two-thirds majority, but none emerged. Both sides left the door open to further talks.

“Hopefully, something will come about leading to an agreement,” said Senate Majority Leader Jonathan Courtney, R-Springvale.

Also up for consideration next Tuesday will be LePage’s proposal to upgrade penalties for repeat possession and trafficking of the drug known as bath salts. Increasing prevalence of the drug and violent reactions it often causes in users worry police and public officials.

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