Lisa Marrache

Just beneath the surface in the Maine Senate there is angst, and the cause is Senator Bill Diamond.

UPDATED Mar. 19 at 7 p.m. with an interview with Sen. Lisa Marrache 

Wednesday was the seventh annual Franco-American Day at the State House, a day to celebrate French heritage in Maine during the International Francophone Week.

State Sen. Lisa Marrache, D-Waterville, was in charge of the show.

Marrache is 100 percent Franco. Her parents were the first generation of her family born in the United States. Her mom is from the Beauce region of Quebec, her dad was from the Gaspѐ region of Quebec.

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen is applauding a vote last night in the House approving an independent Office of Congressional Ethics. He issued the following statement today:  read more »

Maine House Speaker Glenn Cummings, D-Portland, is pushing legislation to redefine conflict of interest, undue influence and abuse of office in state government.

At the heart of his bill, which was heard in the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee Monday, is a clause allowing citizens to come to the Ethics Commission with complaints about their legislators.  read more »

UPDATED: 11:07 a.m. Tuesday with more links

Senate President Beth Edmonds wants to give lawmakers a few more forms to fill out.

With an 18-17 Senate, can the liberal wing of the party create enough enticements to keep the significant number of moderate folks like Senators Diamond, Hobbins, Marrache, and Nutting in line? That will not be an easy task.

While America grows tired of the Bush and (maybe) Clinton dynasties running the country, Mainers too are feeling their own form of dynasty fatigue...

Consider the following:

* While former State Senator Chellie Pingree is working her Washington DC network to pummel Ethan Strimling and maintain the frontrunner status in the Democratic nomination for the first US Congressional district, her daughter, Hannah Pingree, is anxiously awaiting the next legislative session, when the blonde bombshell will more than likely become the next Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.