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Energy and Welfare Top LePage's 2nd Term Agenda

By Alanna Durkin, The Associated Press

AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. Paul LePage says his top priorities in his second term will be working to lower energy costs and implement further changes to Maine's welfare system.

On the heels of his victory over Democrat Mike Michaud, the Republican governor told reporters Thursday that he will continue his push to expand natural gas infrastructure in New England. He said he will also again attempt to remove the state's 100-megawatt limit to qualify as a renewable resource, which he argues will allow Maine to import cheap hydro power from Canada.

LePage said that welfare reform was clearly the "number one issue'' for Maine voters and he pledged to reintroduce his proposals that the Democratic-led Legislature killed last session. Among those was a bill to limit out-of-state use of welfare cards.