Maine: Augusta

AUGUSTA, Maine — Legislative budget writers at the Maine State House scrapped plans for a weekend session, raising more doubt about their ability to wrap up deliberations by mid-month.

Some majority Democrats argue that it would be prudent to lay out a basic spending blueprint as soon as possible and then adjust as needed. But some Republicans question the wisdom of acting before a fully developed revenue picture emerges.

In January, Gov. John Baldacci proposed a General Fund spending package of $6.1 billion for the two-year cycle beginning July 1. Now, a new analysis by a state panel has found the Maine economy to be deteriorating fast.

Budget writers foresee a new revenue gap but won’t know how big until May when the state is expected to lower revenue estimates.

AUGUSTA, Maine — The state has received few complaints about the treatment of birds at the Quality Egg of New England farm over the years, state veterinarian Don Hoenig told legislators Friday as an investigation into cruelty to birds at the Turner site got under way.

“Animal welfare has not been a primary concern of ours over there,” Hoenig, director of the Division of Animal Health, told the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry during a briefing requested by the panel after receiving reports of birds being stuck in tiny cages, workers twirling hens in circles, throwing live hens into trash cans and kicking birds.

AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill to tighten up Maine’s motorcycle helmet law is moving forward in the Legislature.

The bill would require anyone under 18 who is operating or riding on a motorcycle to wear a helmet. The present law applies to those under 15.

The measure won a second vote of approval without debate Thursday and still faces further House and Senate votes.

A separate bill calling for a helmet law applying to all riders and operators remains in the Transportation Committee, which is scheduled to discuss it Friday.

AUGUSTA, Maine — The chairman of the legislative committee in charge of the state’s education policy has taken steps to ensure that the disciplinary records of individual students not be stored in a database at the Department of Education.

Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Cumberland, the co-chairman of the Joint Committee for Education and Cultural Affairs, said he was concerned that the names of the students could become public at some later date and harm their reputations.

The state Department of Education collects the names of students who have been suspended or expelled and stores them in a central database, a policy implemented in response to requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law.