Maine Governor Sends Shutdown Warning Email to State Employees
The Maine State House in Augusta. Shuterstock
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Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Cuomo declares state of emergency for subways in N.Y.C.; Manhattan Beach vs. Los Angeles; and Colorado’s biggest pot bust since legalization.
STATE GOVERNMENT | Maine Gov. Paul LePage sent an email to all state employees about a possible government shutdown if “the legislature fails to do its job” and come to a budget agreement by July 1. “With each passing hour, it seems as though the preparations our administration has made over the last two weeks are less an exercise in caution and more likely plans that may need to be implemented. While I have no desire to see state government shut down, good governance requires our administration be prepared for the possibility that July 1 may arrive without a budget,” the governor wrote. [WCSH-TV]
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation to eliminate the “powerful but obscure” Board of Equalization, a state agency that’s been around for 138 years that oversees 30 tax and fee programs and manages appeals for business tax assessments. BOE members found themselves in an uncomfortable spotlight when an investigation “uncovered issues of inappropriate interference by the board that undermines its ability to carry out its core mission.” Under the newly signed legislation, most of the BOE’s duties will be shifted to two other California state departments. [Capitol Weekly]
TRANSPORTATION | New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday declared a state of emergency for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s subways in New York City, a move that the governor says will quicken the pace for badly needed system upgrades. In all, Cuomo intends to direct an additional $1 billion in capital improvements for the subway system. Cuomo recently appointed Joe Lhota, a previous MTA chairman to lead the agency and currently working on a reorganization plan for the agency. [The New York Times]
The private operator of a Texas toll road south of Austin that boasts an 85 mph speed limit has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In 2012, the SH 130 Concession Company, signed a 50-year deal with the state of Texas to share toll revenue while the company taking on all construction and operations cost, but traffic on the route fell far short of what was forecasted. [Texas Tribune]
MARIJUANA | New state regulations in Florida preempt local governments from regulating medical marijuana dispensaries any more than they regulate pharmacies. And that’s thrown a wrench in the works for dispensary zoning plans that Miami-Dade County and Miami Beach had planned to put in place. [Miami Herald]
In Denver, a grand jury has indicted 62 people accused of trafficking marijuana out of state. There are also allegations that people involved in the case committed financial crimes, convincing a Denver Broncos football player and other investors that the cannabis operation was legal. The pot bust is the largest in the Colorado since recreational marijuana was legalized there in 2014. [The Denver Post]
IMPEACHMENT | The debate continues in the North Carolina General Assembly about whether to launch an investigation to see if impeachment proceedings are warranted for Democratic Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. Republican state Rep. Chris Millis pushed for a resolution calling for the inquiry. A House committee backed the measure on Wednesday. The controversy surrounding Marshall involves allegations by Mills that the secretary of state has allowed noncitizens to be illegally commissioned as notaries. If the full House approves the resolution, a 15-member panel would be set up to conduct an investigation. Marshall characterized the episode as a “political attack.” [The News & Observer]
TRAFFIC SAFETY | The city of Baltimore’s recently revived red-light and speed camera program may expand next year. Currently there are seven cameras deployed near schools, and more are on the way. Additional locations are still being evaluated. Cameras were activated on Monday and are currently going through a 30-day testing and calibration phase. [Baltimore Business Journal]
City council members in Manhattan Beach, California, which is adjacent to the city of Los Angeles, voted unanimously to direct the city attorney to investigate potential legal recourse against its neighbor over the reconfiguration of a commuter shortcut that many locals use to reach L.A.’s Westside. At question is Playa del Rey, which passes through a popular beach area near LAX Airport and has been the location of pedestrian deaths involving beachgoers trying to cross the busy road. To make the Playa del Rey safer, the city of Los Angeles recently rechanneled the roadway, leaving one lane in either direction and some frustrated drivers from Manhattan Beach, where leaders say they were never consulted. [Beach Reporter]
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