Maine: Hannah Pingree

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci outlined an ambitious plan Tuesday to help lift Maine out of the current recession by investing in energy and health care while continuing to streamline state government.

In a speech to a joint gathering of the Legislature, Baldacci acknowledged the tough economic conditions that have left thousands of Mainers jobless and forced lawmakers to pare down state government at a time when many are seeking more support.

But the governor was also optimistic, saying Maine is well-positioned to emerge from the recession stronger because of its abundant natural resources and hardworking people.

“The dawn of a new economic day in Maine is not here yet, but it is coming,” Baldacci said in his annual State of the State address.

AUGUSTA, Maine — Lawmakers will begin hearings this week on more than $1.3 billion worth of bond proposals to fund everything from land conservation and home weatherization to repairs of college buildings and historic meetinghouses.

But with the country in the grips of a major recession and Mainers cutting their own budgets, legislators will have to carefully weigh how much debt voters will be willing to stomach when the bond proposals appear on the ballot.

“These are not normal times and we can’t treat this as just another bond package,” said Sen. Kevin Raye from Perry, who is the Senate Republican leader.

Leading the lengthy list of proposals is a borrowing package by Gov.

AUGUSTA, Maine — Lawmakers and health advocates announced Tuesday a multipronged approach to fighting childhood obesity that aims better to inform restaurant-goers about food on the menu and to reinstate gym class as a part of the school day.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that obesity has become a nationwide epidemic in recent decades, rising nearly 100 percent and tripling among teens in 20 years.

In Maine, obesity rates have risen from 12 percent of residents in 1990 to 26 percent in 2006, and roughly two-thirds of Mainers are either clinically obese or overweight. Maine also has the dubious distinction of having the highest childhood obesity rate — roughly 24 percent — in New England, according to a 2008 report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

A press release from the Joint Select Committee on Maine's Energy Future:
With passage of a federal economic stimulus package imminent, the Maine Legislature is preparing to put those funds to work.  As funds begin flowing into the state for a multitude of projects, ensuring that stimulus projects are put toward their highest and best use will be a priority.  Toward that end, the Joint Select Committee on Maine's Energy Future has recommended creating a review process to serve as a clearinghouse for any funds intended to promote energy conservation and build Maine's green energy infrastructure.  

"Creating the process for any funds related to energy related purposes will allow the state to thoughtfully appropriate them," said Speaker Hannah Pingree.