AUGUSTA

Gov. LePage says Medicaid cannibalizes state agencies

Gov. Paul LePage says massive Medicaid spending is crowding out funding for education and natural resource protection as he continues to push back against expanding the program under the Affordable Care Act.

LePage said in a statement that Maine’s expansion of Medicaid a decade ago means that “Medicaid is now cannibalizing funding for all other state agencies.”

For example, his administration says money for things such as oil spill response has been taken from the Department of Environmental Protection budget to fill budget holes caused in part by increased Medicaid spending.

But Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves of North Berwick said in a statement that it’s “LePage’s unpaid for tax cuts for the wealthy that have cannibalized our budget and hurt our economy.”

Advertisement

Nominations sought for business excellence award

Maine officials are seeking companies that have demonstrated a commitment to their employees, customers and community this year.

The Department of Economic and Community Development is accepting nominations for the 2014 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence. Businesses can apply themselves or be nominated.

Companies must have been in Maine at least five years to be considered. 

– From staff and news services


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.