Nathan Strout

Nathan Strout is a Development Associate with The Maine Heritage Policy Center as well as a staff writer for The Maine Wire. Born and raised in Portland, Strout is a graduate of Eastern University with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Legal Studies.
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Commentary
Thousands of Mainers Could See Premium Increases over 40%
Community Health Options (CHO), a Lewiston-based insurance provider, has asked the Maine Bureau...
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Commentary
Portland’s Newest Prohibitionist Proposal
Maine’s history is long and varied, but perhaps its greatest impact on the nation...
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Commentary
Zoning Regulations Are Driving Up Portland Rents
Renting in Portland remains unaffordable for many of its residents. Instead of saving up...
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Election Center
Minimum Wage Research Poses Problem to $12 Hike
The Maine People’s Alliance (MPA) is leading an aggressive push to raise the...
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Commentary
Wealthy Portlanders Delay and Impede Development—Again!
I can’t say I’m surprised. The Press Herald is reporting that a group...
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Commentary
Fuzzy Math In Push For Raising The Minimum Wage
As I watch the campaign to raise the minimum wage to $12 an...
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Commentary
The Great Blueberry Bailout
What comes to mind when you think about Maine? Well, a lot of...
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Commentary
Free Trade and Free Markets – They’re The Same Thing!
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton may disagree on a number of issues, but...
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Commentary
Is Trump Good for Libertarians?
Donald Trump is no libertarian. From his nationalistic views on immigration and trade...
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Commentary
Portland: Build It, and They Will Come
Portland is not a cheap city to live in. According to a 2015...
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Commentary
The Anti-GMO Narrative is Crumbling
The war against genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been long and varied. Activists...
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News
At What Point Can We Admit Obamacare Has Failed?
It’s been almost six years since President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act...
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Commentary
Strout: How To Lower Prescription Drug Costs
When purchasing prescription drugs, most consumers just accept that they’re expensive. But what if...
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Inside Augusta
Bill Brown Resigns From MeANS Board
Bill Brown, the Chair of the Board of Directors at The Maine Academy of Natural...
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News
Maine’s Obamacare Success Story Falters
Community Health Options, a Lewiston based health insurance co-op has announced that it will suspend...
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Election Center
Expensive Mayoral Campaign Fails To Pay Off in Lewiston
Yesterday, Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald won a decisive third term in a runoff...
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National
New Study: Obamacare Fails to Meet Expectations
According to a new study put out by the Mercatus Center, the Affordable...
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News
Bill Brown’s Testimony Contradicts Prior Statements About Recusal
On Thursday, the Government Oversight Committee continued its investigation into what influence Governor...
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Commentary
Strout: Key Takeaways From The GOC Investigation
On Thursday, Maine’s Government Oversight Committee (GOC) conducted a series of interviews following...
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News
Eves Called Out For Hypocrisy In Good Will-Hinckley Investigation
Testifying before the Government Oversight Committee, Governor Paul LePage’s senior policy adviser, Aaron...
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Commentary
Conservatives Win Victories Tuesday Night In Portland, Elsewhere
With a $1.3 million campaign that dominated their opponents, it was no surprise...
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Commentary
Do Clean Elections Increase Competitiveness? Research Says Probably Not
The debate over Question 1’s tweaking of the Maine Clean Elections Act (MCEA) has...
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Commentary
Strout: The Media’s Inexplicable Attack On DHHS
In the past few weeks, media outlets have slammed Maine’s Department of Health...
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Inside Augusta
Over 80% Of Cash Raised To Support Question 1 Is From Out-of-State
According to an October Quarterly Report filed by Mainers for Accountable Elections, over...
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Commentary
Major Donor to Maine Campaign Finance Group Has History of Attempting to Buy Election
Sean Eldridge, a major financier of Mainers for Accountable Elections, the group behind...
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Commentary
Strout: Why Won’t Campaign Finance “Reformers” Lead By Example?
This November, the people of Maine will have the opportunity to vote on...
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National
New Study: Maine Manufacturers Suffer From Above-Average Taxes
According to a recent report from the non-partisan Tax Foundation, manufacturers in Maine...
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Commentary
Strout: The Liberals’ Hypocritical Dark Money Machine
Last week, a group of Mainers rallied in Augusta in support of a...
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Inside Augusta
Court Rules Against LePage in Veto Dispute
On Thursday, The Supreme Judicial Court of Maine unanimously ruled against Governor Paul...
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Commentary
Strout: The Economic Fallacy Behind Trump and Sanders Protectionist Rhetoric
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump represent two opposite ends of the political...
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Inside Augusta
Legislature Ignores Governor’s 65 Vetoes
Not backing down, Governor LePage continues to insist that he has vetoed 65...
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Inside Augusta
New Report Highlights Maine’s Poor Fiscal Health
Maine ranks 42 in the nation on fiscal health according to a new...
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Inside Augusta
This Is How Your Representative and Senator Voted On The Budget
On Tuesday, the Maine House and Senate voted in favor of the $6.7 billion...
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Inside Augusta
What Are The Qualifications For President of Good Will-Hinckley?
Last week, news broke that Good Will-Hinckley had rescinded its job offer to...
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Inside Augusta
Speaker Eves Loses Charter School Job After Pressure From Governor LePage
Good Will-Hinckley has rescinded its offer to House Speaker Democrat Mark Eves to be...
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News
Judge Rules State Can Withhold Aid to Asylum Seekers
On Tuesday, Superior Court Justice Thomas Warren ruled that the State of Maine...
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News
Committee on Taxation Rejects Elimination of the Income Tax
On Wednesday, the Committee on Taxation voted along party lines to reject a...
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News
New Study: Higher Cigarette Taxes Leads to Higher SNAP Enrollment
A new study conducted by two Cornell University economists suggests that higher cigarette taxes...
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Commentary
How Junk Science Has Infiltrated the GMO Debate in Maine
In 2014, Maine became the second state to adopt a law requiring labels...
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National
FGA Report Highlights Enrollment Explosion Under Medicaid Expansion
On Wednesday, the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) released a report highlighting the...
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Inside Augusta
Jonathan Williams of ALEC Joins Governor LePage in Touting Benefits of Income Tax Cut
On Wednesday, Governor Paul R. LePage was joined by Jonathan Williams, Vice President of...
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National
Emily Cain Announces Dismal Fundraising Numbers
Shortly after Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin released his fundraising numbers for the first...
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National
Congressman Bruce Poliquin Raises $700,000 in First Quarter
Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin has a strong start to a re-election bid come 2016,...
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National
Maine Ranks 42 in Latest ALEC Economic Index
On Wednesday, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released the 8th edition of Rich States,...
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Inside Augusta
Lawmakers Consider Bill That Could Hinder NSA Operations in Maine
On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the Maine Fourth...
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National
Senate and House Republicans Look to Reconcile Budgets
Early Friday morning, Senate Republicans passed their first budget since 2006. The vote...
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Inside Augusta
Cigarette Smuggling a Problem in Maine
Last month, the Tax Foundation released a study analyzing the relationship between cigarette...
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Inside Augusta
Maine Supreme Court Issues Ruling in LePage-Mills Disagreement
Today, the Maine Supreme Court issued its ruling on a case involving the...
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National
DOJ Report Accuses Ferguson Police Dept. of Acting Like “Collection Agency”
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released their report on civil rights...
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National
Investigators Looking into Missing IRS Emails
On Thursday, investigators announced that they had discovered over 30,000 emails related to...
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National
Problems Continue to Plague Obamacare
On Friday, the Obama Administration admitted that approximately 800,000 Healthcare.gov customers have received...
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Commentary
FAA Kills Drone Delivery Programs
On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration effectively ended any commercial attempts at drone...
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National
Poliquin Explains Controversial Obamacare Vote
Representative Poliquin, whose vote this week against repealing Obamacare provoked backlash among grassroots...
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Commentary
Minimum Wage Increase Kills Local Book Store [UPDATED]
Tell me if you’ve heard this one. A self-identifying progressive city, a home...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 2/2/15: Patriots, Snow, and the Budget
Patriots Win Super Bowl After a perfect fourth quarter drive and an end-zone...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 1/22/15: Portland, Climate Change, and Pies
State of the City: Portland Edition Last night, Portland Mayor Michael Brennan delivered...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 1/21/15: SOTU, Footballs, and Jails
2015 State of the Union Address In case you forgot, or chose not...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 1/15/15: Charlie Hebdo, Community Colleges, and Drug Testing
Change in Maine Community Colleges Leadership Following statements by Governor LePage pressuring his...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 1/14/15: LePage for Senator, Charlie Hebdo, and Panhandling
Will LePage be Maine’s Next Senator? Despite remarks in an interview with radio...
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Inside Augusta
LePage Budget Proposes Significant Tax Changes
On Friday, Governor Paul R. LePage released his biennial budget. The highly anticipated...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 1/8/15: Inauguration, Death Penalty, and Bigfoot?
Okay, yesterday was a pretty busy day in Maine politics… let’s see if...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 1/5/15: Fairpoint, Income Tax, and Rambo
Fairpoint Talks Resume On Sunday, Fairpoint Communications resumed negotiations with the union representing...
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Daily Catch
The Daily Catch 12/31/14: Fairpoint Strikers, Sony Hack, and Guantanamo Prisoners
Fairpoint Wins Major Ruling In a tough ruling against the Fairpoint strikers, the...
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Daily Catch
The Daily Catch 12/30/14: Education Commissioners, Vaccines, and Tax Evaders
Governor Appoints Education Commissioner Due to health concerns, Governor LePage has replaced Education...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 12/29/14: Gas Prices, Marijuana Legalization, and the Missing AirAsia Flight
Petroleum Prices Persistently Plummet For anyone who’s had to fill their gas tank...
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Daily Catch
The Daily Catch 12/22/14: Uber, Cards Against Humanity, and Blueberries
Portland Looks to Regulate Uber In a desperate attempt to seem relevant, Portland...
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Daily Catch
The Daily Catch 12/19/14: Sony, Scrooges, and Money in Politics
Money Has Too Much Influence Except when it doesn’t. The final finance reports...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 12/17/14: Sony Hackers, Bush, and Medical Marijuana
Sony Hackers Threaten Theaters The individuals behind the Sony hack, who up to...
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News
Maine According to Grover Norquist
Grover Norquist, long considered by the left to be the dark marionette of conservative...
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Daily Catch
The Daily Catch 12/15/14: Cod, Lobsters and Google
Can’t Get Enough Cod Stories If you haven’t heard enough about the state...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 12/12/14: Minimum Wage, Cromnibus, and Google News
No Minimum Wage Increase for Portland…. Yet. After discussing a minimum wage increase...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 12/11/14: Gruber, Integrity, and D.C. Rider
Three Cheers for Integrity Check out MHPC CEO Matt Gagnon’s thoughtful piece up...
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National
Maine Paid Jonathan Gruber for Obamacare Advice
MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber, the architect of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA),...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 12/10/14: Mystery of the Phanton Ballots, CIA Torture Report, and the Long-Awaited Return of Kaci Hickox
What Phantom Ballots? Yesterday, a special Senate committee investigating the Senate District 25...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 12/8/14: Portland Protesters, Wreaths Across America, and Senate Torture Report
Protests in Portland Over the weekend, two protests were held in Portland over the...
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2014 Legislative Campaign
Maine GOP Slams Dems Over Accusations of Fraud
In a press release Monday, Maine Republican Party Chairman Richard Bennett responded to a...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 12/1/14: Scallops, Democrats, and Ferguson
Scallop Season is Open Maine’s scallop fishing season begins today. While the scallop stock...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 11/26/14: Ferguson Protests Continue, Democrats Claim Voter Fraud, and SNOW SNOW SNOW
Unrest Continues Protests continued in Ferguson, Missouri last night over the results of...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 11/25/14: Ferguson, Food Stamps, and Christmas Trees
Not Indicted Yesterday, a grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 11/24/14: MHPC in the News, Obama’s Executive Order, and Portland’s Minimum Wage Hike
Is It Chilly in Here? The United States Department of Agriculture threatened to...
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Commentary
Plastic Bag Bans Are Based on Hype, Not Science
With Falmouth considering a ban or fee on plastic bags, it’s important to...
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News
Is Maine the Safest State in America? Almost.
On Monday, the FBI released Crime in the United States, 2013, a report detailing...
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News
Maine Remains Near the Bottom in Forbes Business Report
In the newest iteration of Forbes’ Best States for Business report, Maine ranked...
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Daily Catch
Daily Catch 11/10/14: Kaci Hickox leaving Fort Kent, Catalonian Secession, and Rooster Bans
You Can Come Out Now! Today marks the end of Kaci Hickox’s incubation period!...
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News
Increased Sales Tax Hurts Maine’s Rankings
Last month, the non-partisan Tax Foundation released its 11th annual State Business Tax Climate...
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News
Portland Construction Included in Senator Coburn’s Wastebook 2014
Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn has released this year’s edition of his annual...
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News
Uber comes to Portland
Uber – the international ride-sharing company headquartered in California- has arrived in Maine....
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2014 2nd Congressional District Campaign
National Rifle Association backs Poliquin
Republican congressional candidate Bruce Poliquin on Thursday received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association,...