Portland Press Herald from Portland, Maine • A1

Your complete HALLOWEEN guide Maine Press Newspaper OF THE YEAR pressherald.com Thursday, October 13, 2016 $1.50 WEATHER: Showers High 64 Details, C8 From Portland City Hall to Kittery to Bucksport MaineToday Magazine has it all! Look for it inside By TUX TURKEL Staff Writer Amid worsening drought condi- tions, the Maine Public Utilities Commission has begun an inquiry to gauge the severity of the prob- lem facing public drinking water systems that serve the pop- ulation centers. The formal re- quest for input from 153 water utilities follows a voluntary sur- vey done last month by the agen- cy and the Maine Drinking Water Program. Of 81 water districts that initially responded to the survey, 47 reported that the surface and groundwater levels of their supply sources were below the seasonal norm. The problem is especially acute in southern Maine, where rainfall from April through Sep- tember was 50-60 percent below normal, the National Weather Ser- vice said. A handful of districts also report- ed calling for voluntary conserva- tion measures, and at least a couple instituted mandatory restrictions.

Among other things, the agency is PUC gauges the need for water supply emergency surveying 153 utilities on the impact of the drought and checking if conservation by the districts is adequate. Maine in a bind on ID law compliance By EDWARD D. MURPHY Staff Writer Starting in January, the federal gov- ernment will not accept Maine state IDs or licenses as identifica- tion unless the state complies with a federal law calling for stricter and more uniform ID cards nationwide. And if the state is still out of com- pliance by 2018, Maine travelers will have to provide an alternative form of identification to board a commercial airline flight. The Legislature passed a law in 2007 refusing to comply with the federal REAL ID law, and as of Tuesday it ap- pears the state had run out of options to delay implementation.

The U.S. Depart- ment of Homeland Security said in a let- ter to state officials that it grant Maine any more extensions of time to comply with the law, which requires digital pho- tos on licenses, IDs that can be used with facial recognition software, and Soon, some federal sites accept driver licenses or state IDs unless noncompliance over privacy concerns is ended. Markings on license compliant with Homeland Security requirements A digital facial image that can be scanned by facial recognition software Maine has failed to meet require- ments calling for new photos and markings on drivers licenses and ing and back- ground checks on workers who issue them. Markings on license compliant with Homeland Security requirements A digital facial image that can be scanned by facial recognition software Maine has failed to meet require- ments calling for new photos and marking on drivers licenses and ing and back- ground checks on workers who issue them. MAINE HAS FAILED TO INSTITUTE new photos and markings on licenses and set up a system for doing fingerprints and background checks on workers who issue them.

STAFF GRAPHIC MICHAEL FISHER By SCOTT THISTLE Staff Writer AUGUSTA Gov. Paul LePage said Wednesday that he misspoke when he said during a radio talk show that America needed Donald Trump to show What he meant to say in comments on WVOM of Bangor was LePage said during an impromptu 33-minute news confer- ence in the Cabinet Room at the State House. LePage also reit- erated his support of Trump and his disdain for the me- dia, at one point suggesting that anybody who listened to what he said Tuesday would have known what he meant unless they were a LePage also said Wednesday that he was worried the U.S. government would collapse under a Hillary Clin- ton presidency, and he called President Obama a LePage: I mean U.S. needs an authoritarian He criticizes media reports and says he was trying to call for an leader like Donald Trump in radio interview.

Joe Journal Gov. Paul LePage points to the Hillary Clinton piece of a set of nesting dolls during his news conference. The dolls, which he got as a gift in Russia, have images of Bill Clinton and women he allegedly had affairs with. LePage said it shows respect for the U.S. in the world has declined.

He has used props often while governor. Graphic, A4 Staff report Gov. Paul LePage, apparently taking a page from Donald campaign playbook, made critical comments about Sen. John McCain, during his news conference Wednesday in Augusta. The governor criticized McCain for getting divorced from his first wife after he returned home from six years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

McCain, a Navy pilot in the war, was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese Army in 1967 and was held prisoner Governor echoes Trump comments criticizing McCain By PETER MCGUIRE Staff Writer PORTLAND City Manager Jon Jennings apologized Wednes- day after the city accidentally sent threatening violation notices to 2,000 Portland homes. The notices, dated Sept. 30, were supposed to be sent to landlords who have failed to register with the city as required by new housing safety laws. Rental property own- ers were supposed to register their properties by Jan. 1, but there are approximately 700 who have not signed up with the city.

The letters included a final warning and threat of prosecution and heavy fines if landlords comply. Because of a mix up in the data- base used to address the notices, the housing safety office sent notices out to approximately 2,700 Portland mails 2,000 landlord warnings to wrong addresses Please see WARNINGS, Page A5 Please see LEPAGE, Page A4 Please see MCCAIN, Page A4 Beer Muse Business Classified Comics C4 Commentary A7 Crossword C4 Deaths C6-7 Dispatches Editorials A6 Movies M13 People A2 Sports D1 INDEX Copyright 2016 MaineToday Media Volume 155 Number 99 Please see ID, Page A5 Please see DROUGHT, Page A4 By JOE LAWLOR Staff Writer A progressive advocacy group is ex- pected to announce Thursday that it will gather petition signatures to poten- tially place Medicaid expansion on an upcoming statewide referendum ballot. Five previous attempts to pass Med- icaid expansion failed when Gov. Paul LePage, a staunch opponent of expan- sion, vetoed the bills, and the Legisla- ture failed to override the vetoes. If voters approved Medicaid expan- sion by referendum, it would sidestep LePage, as the governor cannot veto laws passed through referendum.

Maine Equal Justice Partners is ex- pected to announce the effort at a news conference Thursday, several sources told the Press Herald, and officials with the Augusta-based advocacy group did not deny that Medicaid expansion was the topic of the news conference. Ann Woloson, policy analyst for Maine Equal Justice Partners, said she discuss the issue prior to Thursday. are still hopeful that the Legisla- ture will pass Medicaid expansion, but if they there are tools available for the people of Woloson said. The earliest the question could ap- pear on the ballot would be June 2017, but referendums typically appear in Group prepared to seek referendum in fight to expand Medicaid Please see MEDICAID, Page A5 Election2016 Election2016 Election 2016 Trump denies claims by two women that he groped More Clinton emails detail struggles to improve her INSIDE LePage group raising funds for candidates PAGE A4 What is the REAL ID law? PAGE A5 Tips for conserving Add marking that comply with Homeland Security requirements www.FRANK GALOS.com.