Judge rejects LePage bid to stall Medicaid expansion

A judge has denied Gov. Paul LePage’s administration’s request to stay an order forcing it to implement voter-approved Medicaid expansion, but pushed the deadline to do so back to after the Republican leaves office. The Thursday ruling effectively hands the long-running political and legal fight over implementing a policy that voters approved in 2017 to Gov.-elect Janet Mills, a Democrat who has said fully implementing the expansion plan is a top priority.