Maine: D.c.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services will receive $19.5 million under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program.

Sen. Olympia Snowe announced the funding this week as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Snowe and fellow Republican Sen. Susan Collins were two of only three GOP senators who issued the passage of the bill.

Snowe emphasized the need for water infrastructure in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Dec. 22 stating that the projects could “quickly return benefits to local communities and their residents, employ workers in the ailing construction industry, help keep property taxes down, and make positive long-term in-vestments for communities’ continued growth and sustainability.

Good morning. I'm on the road much of the day.

The bank bailout continues apace in the UK too, but with a difference; from the Guardian:

The government today confirmed it will take majority control of Lloyds Banking Group, with the taxpayer owning 65% of the voting shares in return for insuring ?260bn of the group's toxic assets.

After days of detailed negotiations the terms of the takeover were announced by the Treasury, with Lloyds making a commitment to lend at least ?28bn over the next few years.

The government is to insure the bank's riskiest loans and in return the taxpayer will up its ownership of the bank from 43% to 65% - rising to 77% when non-voting shares are included.

Democratic leaders in the House have pulled the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009 due to GOP pressure, the Hill reports:
Legislation to give the District of Columbia voting representation in the House has been pulled from Wednesday's calendar because of concerns about Republican efforts to use the bill to wipe out many of the District's gun laws.

A key House aide confirmed that the bill will be pulled from consideration, at least for Wednesday. The aide stressed that negotiations are continuing and the bill could come up in the future.

Republicans want to add the language on D.C.'s gun laws to the bill.

AUGUSTA, Maine — The state’s education commissioner said Thursday she is still waiting for guidance from Washington, D.C., on how Maine’s share of $100 billion in stimulus funding for education programs should be used.

But Commissioner Susan Gendron tried to reassure lawmakers that both her staff and local superintendents are aware that the federal government and the public will be watching to make sure the funding isn’t squandered to create new programs.

“There are consequences built in,” Gendron told members of the Legislature’s budget and education committees.

The economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed by President Obama last week contains more than $100 billion for elementary, secondary and postsecondary education.