Author: Nick Linder

Unions dropped a whopping $67 million in hidden political spending between 2019 and 2020, according to a new study from the National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR). According to the Washington Free Beacon, unions paid millions of dollars to liberal groups while classifying the expenditures as charitable activities or grants– a side-step of federal labor laws that are supposed to protect workers from funding political causes they don’t want to support. The many millions that went unreported are just a drop in the bucket compared to the nearly $1.8 billion that was reported by America’s most prominent labor unions.…

As the data stand right now, deaths are not on pace with new infections across the country, and we are still in a much better position in the pandemic than just a few months ago, so let’s act like it.

It is far past time to reopen the border between the United States and Canada. Even Gov. Janet Mills agrees now, too. Pressure has built against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in recent weeks after the agency announced the U.S. border to Canada would remain closed until at least Aug. 21, roughly two weeks after the Canadian side opens on Aug. 9. Both Mills and Maine’s Congressional delegation have slammed the agency for prolonging the closure long after it was warranted. In a statement, Mills said the continued closure “hurts local economies and separates families, particularly in northern and…

Bad infrastructure and an unreliable power grid. These are among the top reasons CNBC ranked Maine in 48th place for business across the country. Ahead of only Alaska and Hawaii, Maine is the worst state in the contiguous United States for supporting and conducting business. Per the article, “The Pine Tree State boasts America’s lowest crime rate. But the infrastructure? You can’t get there from here.” Virginia was ranked the best, yet scored very poorly in cost of living, coming in 32nd across the nation. The article states that Maine has the worst infrastructure of any state in the nation,…

Progress is progress, and that should be celebrated. These billionaires going to space is the first step in the democratization of space travel, and they are doing it far more efficiently than our government ever could.

Clearly, the vast majority of people taking advantage of IRAs are everyday Americans who have a modest amount saved for their retirement. Congress was the one to create this avenue for saving, and now they are trying to backpedal.

The unemployment rate in Maine remained stuck at 4.8% for the fifth straight month, according to recent report from the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) Despite adding 3,000 jobs last month, the state’s jobless rate has remained the same, and though it is below the national average of 5.9%, it is likely an understatement of real unemployment in Maine. The metric doesn’t count Mainers who are unemployed but have stopped looking for work. Maine’s labor force participation rate now sits at 60.2%, up 1 percent from this time last year but down 2.4% from February 2020. In line with MDOL’s…

Whether you think Obamacare was the worst health care policy of the decade or you join Bernie Sanders in supporting Medicare for All, we can all agree that the current state of the nation’s health care system is untenable and unjust. Costs are at an all-time high, roughly $11,000 per American, while health outcomes in the U.S. are no better than, or even worse than, other countries like Canada, whose care costs are half of ours. The above graphic from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation illustrates the disparities in U.S. health care costs versus its outcomes. There have been multiple…

Don’t let Gov. Janet Mills play you for a fool. In a recent press release, Mills took credit for Maine’s Budget Stabilization Fund, also known as the “Rainy Day” fund, reaching a historic high of roughly $492 million. The problem is the fund owes nothing to her fiscal management of the state. The subheading of the governor’s press release reads, “With deposits exceeding $280 million, [the] State’s savings account has more than doubled under Mills Administration.” While technically correct, it’s certainly inaccurate to suggest her “sound fiscal management” had anything to do with it. Don’t be fooled; this is simply…

In another attempt to “follow the science,” a pediatrics group has issued guidance that does the exact opposite. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said Monday that all children in schools who are older than two should wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, when returning to school this fall. Clearly, this guidance contradicts the well-known recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which state fully vaccinated individuals can go without a mask. As of now, the COVID-19 vaccines have been granted emergency use authorization for individuals 12 and older. Though the Food and Drug Administration…

Gov. Janet Mills fortunately stopped a sloppy, misguided attempt to put a loaded ballot question to voters in November, but the issue may return in future elections. Last week, Mills vetoed LD 1708, a proposal to create a consumer-owned utility called the Pine Tree Power Company. The Legislature, in a mixed vote of 68-65, sustained her veto on Monday. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Seth Berry (D-Bowdoinham), would have seized the assets of Central Maine Power (CMP) and Versant Power by eminent domain and handed their control over to an 11-member, elected board of “experts.” In a press conference and…

The big picture of this rate increase and the surrounding conversation is simple: it is the fault of federal regulators, not CMP. Outside competitors are funding ads that are aimed to hurt CMP and blame them for something completely out of their control.

The changes include an increase of one dollar– from $3 to $4– for drivers who pay in cash at the York toll plaza and the slashing of discounts for frequent E-ZPass-holding travelers.

LD 1045 sets the stage for a disastrous and expensive government takeover of Maine’s health care system.

The government has spent its way into an inflationary mess, which we’ve already felt at the gas pump, among other places. Don’t be surprised if everyday expenses continue to be more costly and your disposable income starts to fall.

When one group of lawmakers shirk their Constitutional duty and walk out on their constituents, any potential for dialogue is lost, as is the opportunity to deliver for the people of their state.

In recent months, we’ve heard a lot about child care in the news and from pundits. Whether it’s the so-called “care infrastructure” from Washington, or the recent uptick in tragic child deaths right here in Maine, the last year or so has undoubtedly cast a spotlight on our child care systems and their shortcomings. Gov. Janet Mills on Monday signed into law a bill that, per its title, supposedly “expands access to childcare.” The new program, though, will inevitably just lead to more increases in child care costs without improving access. LD 1712 was sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson…

Saying “no emergency is going to be perfect,” Facteau outlined his hesitancy to limit the powers the governor has during a time of need in the interview.

Gov. Janet Mills just missed the mark on two controversial and misguided pieces of legislation this week: an extended producer responsibility (EPR) packaging bill and another that would establish a “consumer-owned utility” in Maine. Passed by the legislature on July 2, LD 1541, “An Act To Support and Improve Municipal Recycling Programs and Save Taxpayer Money,” sponsored by Rep. Nicole Grohoski (D-Ellsworth), was signed into law by Mills on Monday. The law allows the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to set the packaging fee schedule of recyclable materials on producers, based on the per-ton costs derived from collecting and processing…

Individual responsibility and autonomy will always outweigh government coercion, and that includes getting vaccinated for COVID-19.

What was supposed to be both a fun and educational opportunity for families across Maine was morphed into a political football and, now, as a result, won’t be able to be enjoyed.

Though the ban is a win for now, Mills’ next moves towards offshore wind must be vigilantly watched as future development plans take form just off of Maine’s shores.

LD 1117 would have accomplished nothing in terms of lowering prescription drug costs for Mainers, and Mills was right to veto it.

The Court’s decision on Carson v. Makin could stop this kind of state-sanctioned favoritism for good and put religious schools on equal footing with public ones.

Facial recognition tech cannot be used as a tool by the government for mass surveillance. Thankfully, the Legislature has put a stop to such a situation becoming a reality in Maine.

The vetoes, among some of her other recent ones, are a welcome check on ever-expanding state power and restrictions of free markets.

If the tragedies of the last month show us anything, it is that the current child protection system is drastically failing, and it must be reformed.

COVID-19 vaccines: a personal choice or a workplace requirement? Well, to Maine’s top hospital group, the answer is a requirement. The Maine Hospital Association (MHA) is advocating for a COVID-19 vaccination mandate across all hospitals in Maine once the vaccines have received full approval from the FDA. “We would prefer if there is a mandate, that we want the mandate to cover all health care providers,” said Steven Michaud, president of the MHA. The potential outcomes of such a mandate, though, are disastrous and would come as Maine is still sifting its way through a post-pandemic economic recovery. Earlier this…

The issue of how this subset of workers is taxed is not going away anytime soon, and so it would have been an impactful and incredibly significant ruling had the Court taken the case.

A new report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quotes an analysis from economists who found that states that have opted out of enhanced federal unemployment benefits have seen more than twice as many workers leave the unemployment system and return to work compared to states that are keeping the federal unemployment benefits in place.  The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed in March, extended the enhanced benefit of an additional $300 per person per week to last until early September. States can choose to opt out of the extra cash before then, though, as Missouri and 25 other states…

The Legislature’s Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Sunday to advance a supplemental budget, and lawmakers in the House and Senate approved that budget agreement on Wednesday, sending it to Governor Mills’ desk for her signature. Notably absent from the agreement, though, was the misguided and self-defeating flavored tobacco ban. The ban was proposed with the intention of preventing underage Mainers from smoking flavored tobacco products, as they contain nicotine and are addictive and harmful to their development. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in three high school students uses tobacco and about one in four uses…

Gov. Janet Mills made the right choice in vetoing LD 920, sponsored by Rep. Christopher Kessler (D-South Portland), a bill that would have raised consumer prices on cable subscribers in Maine and strip away local autonomy across the state. The Maine House voted 78-66 on Wednesday to sustain the governor’s veto. The veto came late last week and cited a few primary reasons for the governor’s objection. First, Mills attacked new consumer fees that would come with streaming services as a result of LD 920. The bill would force video streaming providers to foot some of the costs of technology…

The Granite State passed a new budget last week that should have people in the Pine Tree State jealous of what their neighbors accomplished in comparison to their own lawmakers. HB 2, signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu last Friday, is a $13.5 billion budget that is more than just a spending plan. The budget brings school choice and meaningful emergency power reform to the state of New Hampshire. The budget establishes Education Freedom Accounts (EFA), similar to Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in other states, which are grants given to students who choose not to attend their district’s public…

Should Mainers have to pay more in taxes for buying a new piece of real estate? The Legislature says yes, but thankfully, Gov. Janet Mills says no. In one of seven vetoes issued last week, Mills prevented the state from raising the real estate transfer tax (RETT) rate. The tax is levied on every transaction in which real property is exchanged. The seller of the home or building is the one who foots the bill. The bill the governor stopped was LD 418, sponsored by Rep. Lynne Williams (D-Bar Harbor), which originally would have lowered the existing RETT for the…

A new bipartisan budget agreement might prove that lawmakers learned a valuable fiscal lesson from the fallout of the pandemic, though there’s still potential for future and additional supplemental budgets. The newest budget deal from Augusta, after much finagling and compromise, tops out at $8.5 billion, which would only grow spending by about $200 million more than the majority budget passed in March, and about $300 million less than the supplemental budget proposed by Gov. Janet Mills. The most recent revenue forecasts suggest Maine will see a $940 million surplus over the next biennium, signaling a significant change in the…

Making our government more representative and fair is an idea both sides of the aisle can get behind.

The primary finding of the study was that following the implementation of SIP policies, excess mortality actually increased, not decreased.

Two bills to increase taxes on hardworking Mainers failed to pass at the end of the Maine Legislature’s hectic, marathon session last week. LD 498, which would place an additional three percent tax on income earned over $200,000, and LD 1524, which would have lowered the estate tax exemption threshold from $5.6 million to just $2 million, both failed to earn enough support for passage.  LD 498 sought to create a new income surtax under the guise of lifting “all Maine workers out of poverty.” There were two significant problems with this measure. First, it would undoubtedly fail at its…

An attempt to rein in one of the state’s most troublesome acts is gaining steam in the Maine Legislature. A new bill aimed at strengthening individual rights against civil asset forfeiture passed votes in the Maine House and Senate last week. LD 1521, sponsored by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), faces one more vote in each chamber before it can be sent to Gov. Janet Mills’ desk. Under current law, individuals must only be alleged of a crime in order for law enforcement to seize their property. The new bill requires that for property to be forfeited to the…

Even if the allegations in Loder’s lawsuit are not true, the fact that we can’t easily know is reason enough to close the doors of this poisonous arm of government overreach.

During the stress, added financial and mental burden brought on by the pandemic lockdowns, no individual should have to worry about additional taxation without representation.

A bill to limit license plates with profane or vulgar references passed under the hammer in the Maine House and Senate last week and was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills on June 16. LD 130 could remove roughly 400 license plates from Maine’s roads for essentially being unsavory in the eyes of our current government. The bill passed a 7-4 vote from the Transportation Committee in early May. In 2015, a bill was passed that loosened regulations on what can and cannot be displayed on vanity plates. Now, just six years later, lawmakers are pushing to undo that…

Policymakers have, yet again, committed an act that is sorely ironic: they have stalled a review of their own strategy to tackle a pandemic, which will surely hamper lawmakers down the line come the next and inevitable contagious disease.

L.D. 231 aims to increase voter turnout and bipartisanship in an increasingly partisan era. In a stark and polarized time, it is refreshing to see lawmakers come together to pass meaningful election reform that transcends party lines.

This study on the nationwide impacts of the historically high UI has simply confirmed what many have been sounding the alarm on for weeks: if you pay people to stay home, they will.

A recent study by Dr. Calvin Lakhan of York University has found that under LD 1541, average monthly grocery costs for a family of four in Maine will increase by at least nearly $32, or as much as almost $60, depending on the kinds of costs incurred on producers.

Over the last few days, headlines have been dominated by a story that is being treated by many as a landmark revelation of tax evasion by the world’s billionaire class. The reality, though, is much less sensational. The report, released by ProPublica, was hyped as a “bombshell” that, upon closer examination, results in one, unflinching conclusion: wealthy Americans pay far more than their fair share of taxes, not less. Progressive legislators and advocates alike have lamented the supposed inequalities of America’s tax system for years, claiming those at the top pay far less in taxes than they should. But ProPublica’s…

To force these new labor restrictions upon employers now would be a grave mistake. LD 553 would likely harm employment across the state of Maine when we most sorely need it.

If the administration wanted to pass these items not directly tied to infrastructure, they should have put them forward in a separate, more transparent bill.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new light and perspectives to many issues we may never look at the same: politics, science, public health, going out to dinner, even getting our cocktails to-go. Among these is the debate over school choice. COVID-19 shined a spotlight on the current state of America’s education system, especially that of Maine. During a time when traditional public schools shuttered their classrooms and offered limited flexibility, the support for school choice has never been greater. According to an April 7 poll by RealClear Opinion Research, 71% of registered voters support the general idea of school choice,…

As we all learned in our high school history classes, the United States outlawed alcohol in the early 1920s in an effort to curb a supposedly increasingly immoral and unhealthy society. This prohibition did not decrease alcohol use, as users simply found ways around it, and it led to a rise in crime as criminal gangs sought to control the black market alcohol supply. A similar “full nation effort” went into effect in the 1970s to curb drug use through the War on Drugs. Again, this ban led to increased crime, incarcerations, and did next to nothing to prevent the…