Author: Steve Robinson

Top liberal lawmakers, including Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Portland), House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) and Senate Majority Leader Troy D. Jackson (D-Aroostook),  have refused to explain why Democrats on the Legislative Council voted against a bill to help victims of human sex trafficking. Maine’s old guard newspapers, despite previously covering the bill, are now refusing to ask questions. The controversy began on Wednesday, when the Democrat-controlled Legislative Council voted 6-4 on party lines to kill a bill from Rep. Amy F. Volk (R-Scarborough). Volk had worked on the bill with the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated…

Opponents of industrial wind power began a petition drive on Thursday as part of their effort to persuade Gov. Paul LePage and the Legislature to repeal Maine’s Expedited Wind Law and place a moratorium on future wind power projects. The initiative, known as “Saving Maine”, was a project of Friends of Maine’s Mountains, a group of Mainers who regularly criticize the construction of large wind power turbines in rural Maine. Project organizers describe their effort as follows: “The beautiful State of Maine is being attacked from all sides by huge industrial wind projects that dynamite and clearcut our ridges, destroy…

AUGUSTA – The Democrat-controlled Legislative Council voted Wednesday to allow a military recruiter bill to move the Legislature in January, leaving Republicans wondering: What’s changed? The issue of whether schools can restrict the access of uniformed military recruiters to campus grounds arose in July, when Democratic lawmakers put up resistance to a Republican-backed bill (L.D. 1503) that would have banned such restrictions. For Republicans, the issue was simple: there should be no restrictions on uniform-wearing military recruiters at Maine schools. As Vietnam veteran Rep. Peter Doak (R-Columbia Falls) said at the time, “We bury these guys in their uniforms, but…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul LePage offered congratulations to the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox on Thursday following the teams 6-1 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals. “I am so proud of the Red Sox and the effort they put into this series,” said LePage. “Not only did they play hard and come back after some tough losses, but they finished ‘Boston Strong.’” “After the tragedy in Boston earlier this year, the Sox really wanted to deliver for their city,” he said. “They deserved this win and, even better, fans in Boston and all of New England deserve it…

Concerned Women for America’s Maine chapter is announcing their schedule of events for November and December, including Christmas Tea at The Blaine House with First Lady Anne LePage. On Monday, Nov. 4, the group will hold a Prayer/Action Chapter meeting at the First Baptist Church in Waldoboro, at 6:30pm. “All are welcome … men and women … bring a friend,” the invite says. Those interested in attending should contact Sue Straight. On Monday, Nov. 18 at noon over lunch, the group is holding a Prayer/Action Chapter meeting at the Christian Civic League of Maine, 70 Sewall St., Augusta. “Bring lunch…

Despite initially reporting on a bill to help victims of human trafficking, Maine’s main stream newspapers are now ignoring top Democrats’ party line vote to kill that legislation. Sponsored by Rep. Amy Volk (R-Scarborough), the bill would have cleared prostitution charges from the records of victims of human trafficking, thus helping them get jobs and move on with their lives. On Wednesday, the six most powerful Democrats in the Legislature voted during a meeting of the Legislative Council to reject Volk’s bill. Those Democrats include: Senate President Justin L. Alfond of Portland, House Speaker Mark W. Eves of North Berwick,…

In a recent letter to members of the Maine Education Association, MEA Benefits Trust Executive Director Christine Burke said many aspects of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, “may not make [teachers] happy.” These include “aspects” that will cause many active members and retirees to lose their current coverage. Wrote Burke, “Time marches on! And with the passage of time, more aspects of the–Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, roll out. While we have enjoyed many aspects of the ACA (being able to keep our adult children on until their 26th birthdays, removing restrictions on pre-existing…

AUGUSTA – In a shocking display of partisanship, the Democrat-controlled Legislative Council on Wednesday killed two Republican-backed bills – one to reform Maine’s welfare system, the other to enhance protections for victims of human trafficking. The Legislative Council, a body of leading lawmakers chaired by House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick), is charged with screening bills for the second regular session of the Legislature. While the council voted to allow Eves’ Medicaid expansion bill to move forward, despite concerns it violated a duplication rule, it blocked House Minority Leader Ken Fredette’s (R-Newport) welfare reform bill and Rep. Amy Volk’s…

The Office of Gov. Paul R. LePage sent the following update Wednesday regarding his trade mission to Mexico and Colombia: AUGUSTA – Approximately 90 people attended the State of Maine reception held Tuesday night in Mexico City. The reception followed two days of meetings for the Maine business delegation, led by Governor Paul R. LePage. In all, eight companies are participating in the mission with matchmaking meetings scheduled for this week in both Mexico and Columbia. Three schools – Husson University of Bangor, Lee Academy of Lee, and Thornton Academy of Saco – are also featured at roundtables with parents and students…

AUGUSTA – Top Democrats may nix a Republican-backed welfare reform before the next legislative session even begins by invoking the same rule they are prepared to flout for their own Medicaid expansion legislation. On Friday, State House staffers received the “screening book” from the Revisor’s Office. The report gives the Legislature’s Legislative Council an overview of legislation to be considered and includes notations about individual bills. According to David Sorensen, communications director for the House Republicans, the Revisor has tagged a GOP welfare reform bill with the following notation: “JR 217: LD 256”. [RELATED: Top Democrat touts welfare reform…] J.R.…

Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook) has hired his 23-year-old son to work on his campaign to become Maine’s next member of Congress. Jackson paid his son, Chace, $5,671.20 in the months of August and September, according to an October quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission. The report also shows that Jackson has paid himself $1,213.73 in reimbursements for his mileage and cell phone. Alan Lindquist, Jackson’s campaign treasurer, confirmed that the younger Jackson is drawing a gross salary of $4,000 per month for his fundraising services. “We are very confident in Chace’s fundraising ability as shown by…

Dale McCormick, former executive director of the Maine State Housing Authority, is running for Augusta City Council. “Fresh ideas… with a Proven Record of Hard Work,” read mailers distributed over the weekend on McCormick’s behalf. McCormick’s latest pursuit of public office follows her 2011 ousting from MSHA. Her resignation was the direct result of the LePage administration’s investigation into mismanagement of the quasi-governmental agency she had directed since 2004.

Tea party activist Gordon Colby received The Maine Heritage Policy Centers 2013 Freedom and Opportunity Award on Friday at an annual event in Portland. Gov. Paul LePage addressed the audience followed by keynote speaker William O’Brien, former Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. “For his immense and unwavering dedication to Maine’s conservative movement, I am pleased to award Gordon Colby with [MHPC’s] 2013 Freedom & Opportunity Award,” said CEO J. Scott Moody. Colby’s contribution to grassroots conservative organizing is unparalleled in the state of Maine, said Moody. Born in the Norway area and raised on Paris Hill, Colby…

Speaker of the House Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) took to the pages of MaineToday Media’s Kennebec Journal Friday in an attempt to answer a question posed by Assistant House Minority Alex Willette (R-Mapelton): “Will Maine Democrats support any attempt to reform welfare?” The question was raised following Eves’ rapid rejection of two welfare reform proposals House Majority Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport) has offered for the coming legislative session. On Friday, Eves attempted to tout a welfare reform the Democrats did support. [RELATED: Republican welfare reforms get quick rejection from Democrats…] “On Oct. 10, this newspaper published a column by…

Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst) and Assistant House Majority Leader Jeff M. McCabe (D-Skowhegan) took to the pages of the Portland Press Herald this week to debate the Legislature’s gimmick-ridden budget and a possible conflict of interest surrounding Medicaid expansion. In an Op-Ed published Tuesday, Lockman blasted both Republicans and Democrats who voted in support of a budget that was not balanced – even despite a 10 percent sales tax increase and a 14 percent tax increase on meals and lodging. “We now know that even with these substantial tax hikes, this budget is not balanced,” said Lockman. “It relies…

Mike Tipping, spy master and blogger for the progressive Maine People’s Alliance, has been touting the contents of a “secretly” recorded stump speech from Gov. Paul LePage at a meeting of the Informed Women’s Network. Tipping has refused to publish the entire audio recording, electing instead to focus on the bits he believes are unflattering for LePage. [RELATED: Maine People’s Alliance spies reveal LePage helping state workers despite union bosses’ politicking…] The Maine Wire has obtained photos of his spies, whom we are told were recognized immediately as spies. If you see either of these women, beware: they could be…

Gov. Paul LePage traveled to Washington County on Tuesday for a scheduled tour of Downeast Maine. Maine Wire reporter Steve Robinson tagged along. The day started off at Cobscook State Park in Edmund Township, where the central U.S. government inexplicably attempted to close down a boat launch used by local fishermen. Although the state park is located within Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, it is funded and maintained by the state and Washington County. The federal attempts to blockade a boat launch located within Cobscook became a point of conflict between the LePage and Obama administrations earlier in the week.  Throughout…

Campaign finance reports became available for Maine’s congressional candidates on Tuesday. Here are the highlights. Blaine Richardson, running for the GOP nomination in the Second Congressional District for his second time, raised $1,162.48 from July 1 to to Sept. 30 for a campaign total of $2,312.48, most of which has already been spent. Richardson’s campaign expected to raise less than the other GOP candidates and is counting on a rural grass roots network to keep him in contention. It will be extremely difficult for him to keep up with the other candidates in terms of ad buys, but his connection…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage announced Tuesday that he will travel to Edmund Township in Washington County where federal officials have barricaded a state-owned boat launch due to the partial federal shutdown. Echoing President Ronald Reagan’s famous exhortation for Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, LePage said in a press statement that he is calling on the federal government to remove the barricades. “This ramp is a lifeline for local working fishermen, and it is a disgrace that the federal government is interfering with their livelihoods,” said LePage. First reported by The Maine…

Unenrolled candidate for governor Eliot Cutler on Tuesday touted a supportive op-ed from Sherry Huber, co-founder of the Family Planning Association of Maine, an abortion rights advocacy group. “I want to see Gov. LePage defeated as much as anyone, but I will not settle for someone who does not stand firmly for reproductive freedom,” Huber said in her Oct. 14 op-ed for the Portland Press Herald. “Eliot Cutler is staunchly pro-choice, but U.S. Rep Mike Michaud, D-2nd District, has voted against women’s reproductive rights all too often during his 33-year political career,” she said. Huber also called out Michaud for…

The Maine People’s Alliance revealed Tuesday that one of its “spies” secretly recorded Gov. Paul LePage as he spoke to a meeting of the Informed Women’s Network. According to MPA’s blogger Mike Tipping, LePage said on the recording that he declared a civil emergency in order to help state workers get unemployment insurance as quickly as possible during the partial federal shutdown. The recording also reveals that labor bosses with the Maine State Employees Association, rather than cooperate with the governor on helping their members get unemployment benefits as quickly as possible, refused to negotiate and instead threatened lawsuits. For…

Barrycades — and the tyranny of central government they represent — have come to rural Maine. Federal agents have threatened to erect cement barricades in order to prevent fishermen in Washington County from using a state-owned boat landing located in Cobscook State Park in Edmund Township. Cobscook State Park and the Edmund boat launch are both state-owned and -operated but located in the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, which has closed due to the partial federal shutdown. Last week, The Maine Wire reported exclusively on the closure of Moosehorn and the consequences for Cobscook and fishermen who rely on the Edmund…

AUGUSTA – A Democrat-led task force in Augusta is preparing to eliminate $40 million in so-called tax expenditures. If the task force’s recommendations are approved by the Legislature, the move will constitute a massive backdoor tax increase. Maine’s Tax Expenditure Review Task Force was created by the 126th Legislature’s budget and tasked with finding $40 million in new tax revenues. Democratic lawmakers have said the task forces job is to close loopholes that benefit special interests, but Republicans believe the force was designed as a way to execute tax increases on top of the increases in sales, meals and lodging…

Technical problems with the federal health care insurance exchange are depriving Mainers of their affordable health care. Healthcare.gov, the federal website designed to facilitate the Obamacare health insurance exchanges, has been an utter disaster since its launch on Oct. 1. Despite having nearly 3 1/2 years to prepare, two weeks after its launch, the website is still suffering from debilitating glitches, and few people, if any, have successfully used the service to acquire allegedly affordable health care insurance. On day one, Maine users could not even make an account. Now, you can make an account, but glitches still prevent you…

Watch Dr. Sandra Stotsky break down the Common Core State Standards at Saco City Hall on Oct. 2. Stotsky served on the validation committee — the committee that was supposed to approve the Common Core — but she now calls that committee “invalid.” Check out the video below to see why this renowned education expert says Common Core should go the way of the dodo bird.

The Maine Heritage Policy Center announced this week that the key note speaker for its annual Freedom and Opportunity Luncheon on Oct. 25 will be former New Hampshire Speaker of the House William “Bill” O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon). “Bill O’Brien is one of the strongest conservative leaders New Hampshire has ever had,” said MHPC CEO and Chief Tax Economist J. Scott Moody. “We are pleased that he will share with us his experience enacting conservative reforms in the Granite State.” Moody said hearing from O’Brien is especially important for conservative policymakers since New Hampshire is Maine’s chief economic competitor. The Freedom…

The federally-commanded closure of Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and Cobscook State Park is causing trouble for people in Washington County. The U.S. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife ordered the closure of Moosehorn and Cobscook– a state-owned park located on leased federal lands – following the partial shutdown of the federal government.  The closing of the park initially meant commercial fisherman and recreational users would not be able to use a public boat ramp in rural Edmund Township. But after push back from fishermen, who depend on the ramp for access to Cobscook Bay, the Maine Department of Marine Resources now…

The Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation on Wednesday released its annual ranking of business tax climates in all 50 states. Maine came in at 29th overall, an improvement from last year’s ranking of 30th. The report ranks states according to corporate taxes, individual income tax, sales tax, unemployment insurance tax, and property tax. In each of those areas, Maine ranked as follows: Corporate – 45th Income – 21st Sales – 9th Unemployment – 33rd Property – 40th Maine’s improved business climate is the product of tax reform the Republican-controlled 125th Legislature enacted with Gov. Paul LePage, but also policy changes in other…

AUGUSTA – Democratic leaders held an emergency meeting of the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committees but failed to invite Republican leaders. House Minority Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport) said in a press release it  is customary for majority leadership to discuss legislative hearings with minority leadership, but Democrats have repeatedly failed to communicate with Republicans. “We had no idea this was happening,” said Fredette. “[House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick)] and his office never contacted me or my staff about this emergency meeting which they planned a week ago,” he said. “Speaker Eves has my…

Candidates for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District are not required to submit their first financial reports to the Federal Election Commission until Oct. 16, but Republican Bruce Poliquin announced Wednesday his campaign has already raised $220,000. The Poliquin for Congress campaign touted the high fundraising figure in a press release provided to The Maine Wire. The campaign says the strong fundraising effort shows that Poliquin is the GOP candidate with the best chances of defeating the eventual Democratic nominee. “We have received overwhelming and enthusiastic support for our campaign in just 36 short days,” Poliquin said in the press…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage said in his weekly address that the federal government’s decision to withdraw funding for food-stamps, the National Guard, and a psychiatric hospital is a good reason not to expand Maine’s medical welfare program. “The government shutdown sent the National Guard home without pay. Federal officials are reducing food-stamp benefits, and they just yanked funding for our psychiatric hospital,” the governor said. “But liberals still think they can rely on federal funds to pay for the expansion of welfare in Maine.” Here is the full text of his weekly address: “The failure of leadership…

Candidates for the 2nd Congressional District will report fundraising totals in less than a week, a moment that will show voters – and donors – which candidates have the resources to make a serious run at a hotly contested seat. On the Democratic ticket, Sens. Emily Cain and Troy Jackson are new to the fundraising world, as their political ambitions have historically received financial support from taxpayers – courtesy of the Maine Clean Elections Act. In the federal election, these Democratic state senators won’t have a law on the books compelling taxpayers to finance them, so they’ll have to learn…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage announced on Tuesday that he has appointed Jim Rier as Acting Commissioner for the Department of Education. “I am pleased to appoint Jim Rier as acting commissioner,” LePage said in a press release. “With Jim’s expertise in fiscal responsibility and his leadership of improved operations, I am confident the department is in very capable hands.” Rier has worked at DOE for more than a decade. He was the Director of Finance and Operations before becoming Deputy Commissioner in 2011. He will replace his former boss, Stephen Bowen, who resigned in September to take…

Unenrolled candidate for governor Eliot Cutler unveiled his campaign’s first ad on Monday: State of Opportunity. The three-minute video shares testimonials from Republicans, Democrats and independents as Cutler talks about his plan for Maine, which he presented his like-wise titled book.

Blaine Richardson of Belfast, 63, is a small business owner and veteran of the U.S. Navy. Richardson studied at Brandywine High School in Wilmington, Delaware and the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, before enlisting during the Vietnam War. After graduating from Naval Flight School in 1974, Richardson served in four military conflicts, including Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, before retiring at the rank of Captain in 2004. Richardson also served as the U.S. Naval Liaison Officer to the State of Maine during the terms of former Govs. Jack McKernan and Angus King. As a civilian, Richardson worked…

A crowd of parents, grandparents and taxpayers from the Saco-Biddeford area gathered at Saco City Hall on Wednesday evening to learn more about the controversial education initiative known as the Common Core State Standards. The meeting was organized by No Common Core Maine (NCCM), a group of citizen-activists who raising awareness about Common Core. Heidi Sampson, a member of the Maine State Board of Education, Maine Charter School Commission and NCCM, said more than 70 people turned out to listen for three hours as education experts Jamie Gass and Sandra Stotsky of the Pioneer Institute discussed Common Core and its…

Bruce Poliquin, 59, of Oakland graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics. After college, Poliquin worked in the investment management industry, helping to build Avatar Investors Associates Corporation, a major fund management company. At Avatar, Poliquin helped manage nearly $5 billion in worker pension funds for clients such as Bath Iron Works and International Paper. Following the tragic death of his young wife, Poliquin left investment management and returned to Maine to raise his son. Poliquin entered Maine’s political scene in 2009 with a run for governor. He lost the competitive seven-man Republican primary, but was tapped by…

AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul LePage and representatives from the Maine State Employees Association are working together – yes, together – to minimize the detrimental impact of the partial federal shutdown on Maine’s federally-funded state workforce. LePage Press secretary Adrienne Bennett delivered the shocking news in a press statement late Friday: “It’s true. The Governor had a productive meeting with the Maine State Employees Association this morning. The meeting was called by the Governor to inform MSEA of the developments regarding federally funded state employees with regard to the federal shutdown. The Administration is working to identify the number of employees…

Republican Kevin L. Raye, believed by some to be the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination in Maine’s Second Congressional District, is a veteran state lawmaker and congressional candidate. The 52-year-old native of Washington County brings to the table a wealth of political, legislative and business experience. At the national level, Raye spent 17 years working for former U.S. Rep. and Sen. Olympia Snowe, including 6 1/2 years serving as her chief of staff. Locally, Raye owns and operates Raye’s Mustard, a four-generation family tradition that produces delicious award-winning mustard. Raye took his first stab at electoral politics in…

AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats are calling the 126th Legislature’s Democrat-backed budget “responsible” — yet again — despite new calls for $40 million in tax increases and an additional supplemental budget. Top Democrats have also assailed $33.7 million in administrative spending cuts — cuts they asked for in their budget. The Unbalanced Budget Following the Legislature’s passage of a Democrat-crafted budget over Gov. Paul LePage’s veto, Democratic leaders repeatedly described their budget as “responsible.” Yet the budget was balanced through a combination of immediate tax increases (on sales, meals and lodging), delayed tax hikes delegated to a Democratically-controlled task force, and $33.7…

At nearly 74,000 pages, the U.S. Tax Code is a bloated, destructive and unwieldy mess. It demands fear and inspires loathing more than respect. Accidentally violate it, and you encounter bureaucratic revenge and pay a debilitating fine; do so willfully, and you also serve prison time. It answers unasked questions: “What happens to citizens when Congress exercises nearly unlimited authority to enact creative and continuous financing schemes to support its insatiable appetite for spending?” And, “Why are not Congress and congressional staff members treated the same way as every other citizen under the tax laws they enact?” To individual Americans…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amid the shutdown turmoil in the nation’s capital city, 33 House Democrats crossed party lines Tuesday night to support a GOP measure to restore funding for veterans benefits for fiscal year 2014. The resolution failed (264 – 164) to get the two-thirds vote threshold required for passage in the House under a suspension of the rules. Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to help defeat the resolution. The failure of the measure offers little assurance to veterans, whose benefits have been jeopardized by the uncertainty of partisan chaos in grid-locked…

Eliot Cutler, a liberal who is running for governor without party affiliation, took to Facebook on Wednesday to blast partisan “blamesmanship” and blame the partial shutdown of the federal government on “Tea Party Republicans” and U.S. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). “There’s a lot of blamesmanship being practiced in Washington right now — a lot of it deservedly directed, in my opinion, at Tea Party Republicans in the House and Senator Cruz,” Cutler said in a Facebook post from somewhere in Portland. Cutler said the shutdown would have an awful impact on Maine’s tourist-reliant economy and federal workers. “But the shutdown has other…

AUGUSTA – House Republicans rolled out two welfare reforms on Monday targeting Maine’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash welfare program. Both proposals were quickly rejected by Democratic leadership has an attack on poor people. The first bill would require those seeking cash benefits to look for work before obtaining public assistance, while the second would clear up ambiguities in the statutory language governing the ASPIRE-TANF welfare program. Both were introduced by House Minority Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport). [RELATED: As LePage makes final welfare debt payment, Dems lobby for more…] The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 18…

On Friday, U.S. Sen. Angus King told a national magazine that people with whom he disagrees on health care policy are “guilty of murder.” While Maine’s main stream media are typically eager to write about sensational, bombastic, and outrageous comments made by our elected officials, King’s comment mysteriously slipped under their radar. [RECOMMENDED: Maine politician’s outrageous rhetoric draws national attention…] In addition to dozens of articles lauding the roll out of Obamacare and several more castigating Republicans for the government shutdown, here are a few of the stories Maine’s newspapers found more newsworthy than Maine’s junior senator accusing people he…

According to the latest American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau, Maine lost an estimated 11,051 residents due to out-migration. Troubling demographic trends have received much attention across the state and from all political persuasions. The latest numbers show that Maine’s demographic winter is far from thawing. So where is everyone going? The above chart shows immigration trends for from and to Maine. A negative number indicates a net loss of Mainers to that state, while a positive number shows net gain. According to the ACS data, the top five recipients of Maine’s outbound migrants were: Florida (4,422), New Hampshire (2,463), South…

The Oct. 1 launch of the federal Affordable Care Act’s health care insurance exchange in Maine was far from smooth. Indeed, the website – healthcare.gov – malfunctioned all day. “Unfortunately, our website is actually having issues,” said a HealthCare.gov service representative who identified herself as Nellie. Technical service was called after attempts to register for the exchange online failed due to computer glitches. “Our website has been down all day,”  said Nellie. “We haven’t been able to do applications all day.” Nellie had no idea when the exchange – a critical aspect of President Obama’s controversial health care law –…

Not to be outdone by Sen. Angus King, who has likened conservatives to murderers, Rep. Chellie Pingree on Monday said her Republican colleagues are holding Americans hostage. “Republican House members still holding our economy and lives of Americans hostage to their obsession with undermining health care programs,” Pingree said in a Facebook post. “I’ve set up a page on my website to provide information on how agencies and programs would be impacted if a government shutdown goes into effect tonight,” she added. [RELATED: Maine politician’s outrageous rhetoric draws national attention…] Pingree’s followers on Facebook were not comforted by her efforts…

The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.3 percent, according to numbers released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The decline is due almost entirely to shrinking workforce participation rates. BLS reports: “Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (7.1 percent), adult women (6.3 percent), teenagers (22.7 percent), whites (6.4 percent), blacks (13.0 percent), and Hispanics (9.3 percent) showed little change in August. The jobless rate for Asians was 5.1 percent (not seasonally adjusted), little changed from a year earlier.” A smaller percentage of working-age Americans are actually working than at any time since 1978, according to Bloomberg News. The…

The Michaud for Governor campaign is touting the results of an Aug. 27 poll conducted by Public Policy Polling of Raleigh, N.C. On the campaign’s website, the headline reads: “New Independent Poll Shows Michaud as Frontrunner”. (Emphasis added) The campaign is right on one account: the PPP poll does peg Democrat Mike Michaud’s support 4 points higher than that of Republican Gov. Paul LePage (just 0.8 percent outside the margin of error), making him something of a “frontrunner.” However, PPP is anything but an “independent” pollster. According to Federal Election Commission records, PPP staff, including PPP’s founder, president and CEO…

KENNEBUNKPORT – After a recent outpouring of support for Patrick, a-2-year-old Kennebunkport child battling  leukemia, the First Families Museum decided to donate all tour proceeds from August 17 to aid in Patrick’s treatment. Patrick, whose last name has been withheld, is the son of a secret service man working for former President George H. W. Bush. The Kennebunkport Historical Society hatched plans for the benefit last month, when our 41st President and his security entourage, along with some of his staff, shaved their heads in symbolic allegiance to Patrick. The story of Bush’s gesture of sympathy and support made national…

Following President Barack Obama’s decision to seek congressional approval for a potential military intervention in Syria, Maine’s congressional delegation weighed in on the subject over the weekend. Although King, Collins, Michaud and Pingree are happy that Obama has decided to seek Congress’ approval, they’re not sure how they will vote. Republican Sen. Susan Collins released a statement Saturday calling the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons against its own citizens an “abhorrent” violation of international conventions. Collins said in her statement that she had participated in a conference call with Secretary of State (and sometimes Assad dinner partner) John Kerry,…

According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, unenrolled gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler of Cape Elizabeth has said he would have signed into law a controversial expansion of Maine’s medical welfare program, known as Medicaid or MaineCare, had he been in office. “If Eliot Cutler were governor today, the state’s Medicaid system would cover 70,000 more people,” wrote reporter Scott Thistle in an article posted Sunday. The matter of whether to expand the welfare program, as Maine previously (and ineffectively) did in 2003, has become the focus of much legislative debate as a result of certain provisions within the Affordable Care Act,…

AUGUSTA – As Democratic lawmakers plan a second major push to expand Medicaid next legislative session, Republicans are touting the success of Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to payback nearly half-a-billion in unpaid debt from the same welfare program. The administration announced Tuesday that the liquor revenue bonds, which were intended to supply new funding for the debt payment, have been sold. “With the sale of the liquor revenue bond, Maine hospitals are now just weeks away from being repaid the more than $484 million in welfare debt owed to them,” said LePage in a written statement. “This is good news for…

AUGUSTA – New numbers from the Maine Bureau of Insurance show that the Republican-led health care insurance reform law known as PL 90 has helped rein in small group premiums across the state. The newly available information was released last week and offers encouraging evidence that PL90, a key accomplishment of Gov. Paul LePage’s administration, is helping to keep insurance rate increases at bay while enabling the first rate decreases in decades. The Maine Bureau of Insurance report, which is intended to “illustrate the impact of PL 90 on small group health premiums,” points up the salient parts of the new data,…

SOUTH PORTLAND – The city of South Portland will soon vote on a controversial environmental ordinance so broadly written as to cause the shutdown of critical infrastructure in one of New England’s largest ports. Supporters of the Waterfront Protection Ordinance (WPO) submitted petition signatures to the city in June, and, following the city council’s 5-1 vote against implementing the ordinance, council members voted unanimously to send the measure to voters this November. While some environmental activists claim the WPO is designed to protect the city’s idyllic Bug Light park from polluting corporations, others have stated their intentions plainly: a fossil…

AUGUSTA – Governor LePage dedicated his weekly address to highlighting his efforts to improve employment opportunities in Maine. LePage’s words add to a growing discussion about Maine’s economy, a discussion which seems destined to dominate the gubernatorial race. The talk, titled “There is Good Economic News Worth Talking About,” outlines LePage’s recent work “nationally and within Maine to promote job creation.” LePage draws his examples primarily from recent successes. During this past month, LePage attended the US Manufacturing Summit in Florida to court businesses. There, the governor met with business leaders to promote Maine as a place to conduct business…

Radical out-of-state activists are back in Maine using deceptive astroturf tactics to drum up support for their “animal rights” agenda. Astroturf – or, fake grassroots support conjured from the digital ether by consultants in Washington, D.C. – is becoming more and more popular throughout the nation, as activist groups and corporate entities capitalize on digital technology to shape opinion and advance their interests. In Maine, the latest effort to make it appear as though Maine citizens support the choice policies of out-of-state interest groups comes in the guise of FairBearHunt.com—tagline: Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting. FairBearHunt.com contains no disclaimer about…

BREAKING: The Maine Wire has received word that Rep. Alex Willette (R-Mapelton), Assistant Minority Leader, will be dropping out of the race for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. The announcement is expected to come at 5:30 PM Wednesday evening. The announcement that Willette, who was the first to officially enter the race, plans to withdraw will likely clear the way for declared candidates Blaine Richardson and former State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin. The announcement will also free up the libertarian Defense of Liberty PAC to align with another candidate. The Defense of Liberty PAC, chaired by GOP senate candidate (and dancer/actor) Eric…

Last Wednesday, US News & World Report ran an opinion piece by Peter Roff describing the conflict of interest in the Portland Press Herald’s coverage of Republican Governor Paul LePage. The Press Herald, which abstains from no opportunity to lambaste LePage, is owned by S. Donald Sussman—the same Donald Sussman who is married to Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree. Roff’s opinion piece introduces readers to Sussman, whose substantial political donations (the most lavish in Maine) were first brought to light by reporting from The Maine Wire and a report issued by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan government accountability Reporting Group.  Sussman is no stranger to…

After spending more than $20 per vote, Maine Democrats eked out a 3 percentage point victory in Tuesday’s special election for Senate District 19. The race pitted former Republican State Sen. Paula Benoit of Phippsburg against Arrowsic Democrat Eloise Vitelli. Both women were vying to replace former Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall, who resigned halfway through his term for a job with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Daniel Stromgren of Topsham ran as a Green Independent Party candidate, grabbing just 357 votes. Vitelli garnered 4,621 votes, while Benoit collected 4,339. From the outset of the special election, the Democrats’ strategy…

BELFAST – As U.S. military intervention in the Syrian civil war seems imminent, Republican candidate for Maine’s second district congressional seat Blaine Richardson has announced his opposition to President Barack Obama’s latest foreign policy endeavor. “As both a candidate for Congress and a Veteran of four American conflicts, I call on President Obama and his administration to stop all American involvement in Syria,” said Richardson in a written statement. “Enough American resources have been spent on wars in the Middle East. We have been tearing fathers, mothers, sons and daughters away from their families here in Maine and sending them…

AUGUSTA – At a Tuesday press conference in the State House, Barclaycard, an international financial services corporation, announced its intention to add 200 new positions over the coming years at its Wilton customer service facility. Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage congratulated the company and hailed the event as a sign that Maine’s struggling economy may be headed in a more positive direction. “We congratulate Barclaycard on its investment and expansion in western Maine,” the governor said in a written statement. “The company is a solid, reputable and dynamic part of the Maine economy, and we look forward to watching them…

A new report published Aug. 19 by the Cato Institute has shed light on the extent of government dependence in Maine. In the Pine Tree State, an average family on welfare receives more than the yearly income for a minimum wage worker, and could potentially receive nearly twice that amount. The report, titled “The Work versus Welfare Trade-Off: 2013,” reprises an analysis first done by the Cato Institute in 1995.  Authors Michael D. Tanner and Charles Hughes created a hypothetical average welfare recipient family and research the total value of benefits such a family could reasonably be expected to receive…

On September 10th, the West Lawn of the Capitol building will witness a formidable assemblage of conservative activists. Christened the Exempt America rally, the gathering will feature 16 speakers, including 8 congressmen and leaders of various conservative and Tea Party organizations. The rally, organized by the Tea Party Patriots, will gather supporters and leaders to ask one simple question: if the Obama administration has already exempted Big Business, Big Labor, and Big Government from the new health care law, why shouldn’t the American people be exempted as well? The rally’s website describes the Affordable Care Act – more commonly known…

AUGUSTA — State Representative Stacey Guerin (R-Glenburn) is encouraging young women in Maine from the high school classes of 2013 or 2014 to participate in the 16th Annual Bill of Rights Essay Scholarship Contest, sponsored by the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) and the National Rifle Association (NRA). The six young women nationwide whose essays are selected will receive an award, a $3,000 
scholarship, and an all-expense-paid trip to NFWL’s 2013 Annual Conference. This 
year, the conference will be held at Washington, D.C.’s Ritz-Carlton from November 20-22.  Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply for the scholarship by writing an essay on one of two…

Two Democrats say Mike Michaud made an intelligent remark during a fund-raiser. This just in. A couple of Democratic legislators told me yesterday that they heard Mike Michaud said something intelligent at his first gubernatorial fund-raiser. The Democratic candidate for governor was cruising soothingly along; speaking about getting Maine of the right track, forging a path together, working together, honoring hard-working Mainers, working together, bi-partisan bliss, civility, lots of free stuff, working together—all the usual—when he seemed to lose his place in the script, stammered a bit and blurted out something which sounded suspiciously intelligent. He said that, of course,…

A new short film by Honest Enterprise is a must-see for fans of economic liberty with 15 minutes to spare. No Van’s Land documents the struggles and triumphs of New York City-based Community Transportation Systems Inc., a commuter van company founded and run by Jamaican immigrant Hector B. Ricketts, as it struggles to provide service and grow in the shadow of harassment and strict municipal regulations. The film by Honest Enterprise, a project of the Charles Koch Institute in Washington, D.C., follows the Ricketts’ story from his immigration to America in 1979 through his time as a business owner.…

Two non-profit groups will receive federal grants totaling more than $500,000 under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, for assistance they will provide signing Maine residents up for health insurance. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Western Maine Community Action (WMCA) and Fishing Partnership Health Plan (FPHP) are anticipated to receive, respectively, grants worth $475,000 and $66,846. WMCA is a Wilton-based 501(c)3 non-profit “community agency.” According to CMS, it is the lead for a “state-wide consortium of eight community action agencies, collectively referred to as the WMCA Community Action Navigator Consortium.” According to its 2011…

AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul LePage on Friday released his weekly message, which stressed the need for Maine to implement pro-growth, job-creating policies. Read the full text of his message below: Job creation and economic growth are top priorities in our Administration, and Democrats claim that it is their number-one issue. But there is a stark difference in how we would support businesses and strengthen the economy. Hello, this is Governor Paul LePage. Democratic policies over the past three decades have hindered economic stability in Maine. Bad public policies are the direct result of why many businesses are struggling to expand…

AUGUSTA – Maine Department of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen unexpectedly announced his resignation on Friday. Bowen, 44, is a Republican and former social studies teacher who served in the House of Representatives from 2002 to 2006, representing Camden and Rockport. He was a key campaign advisor to Gov. Paul R. LePage and joined his administration in 2011. Bowen’s surprise departure from the administration he joined in 2011 follows the Aug. 1 resignation of Florida school chief Tony Bennett. Both Bennett and Bowen were members of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a nationwide non-profit membership organization that has…

A policy expert with the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) has accused a MaineToday Media reporter of inaccurately portraying her comments in order to support his own opinions about Maine’s Medicaid transportation program. “I’m writing to correct the portrayal of my comments to Mr. Joe Lawlor related to his article published August 13th in the Kennebec Journal on Medicaid transportation in Maine,” Kathleen Nolan, director of state policy and programs for NAMD, wrote in an Aug. 15 letter to MaineToday Media Editorial Writer Greg Kesich and Editor Cliff Schechtman. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Maine Wire…

The vast majority of Maine residents do not support the Maine Clean Election Act (MCEA), a law created via a 1996 citizens’ initiative to provide taxpayer cash to politicians, according to statistics from Maine Revenue Services (MRS). As any Maine resident who pays taxes knows, line 1 of the Maine Income Tax Return allows tax filers to choose whether they want $3.00 to go to the Maine Clean Election Fund (MCEF), the pot of money that supports MCEA. It states: “Maine Clean Election fund. Maine Residents Only. Check here if you, or your spouse, if filing jointly, want $3 to…

The first students to graduate from one of Maine’s fledgling public charter schools heard from an unusual voice at their commencement ceremony on Friday: Senate President and outspoken opponent of charter schools Justin Alfond (D-Portland). The speaking event followed a public spat between Alfond and Republican Gov. Paul LePage, which began when the Senate President attacked a different public charter school, the Portland-based Baxter Academy for Science and Technology, and was arranged at the last minute. The Maine Academy of Natural Sciences (MEANS) at Good Will-Hinckley in Fairfield sent out a media advisory announcing their commencement ceremony on July 26…

Soon the Humane Society of the United States, (HSUS) will initiate their anti-bear trapping, hounding and baiting signature gathering effort.  If they are successful in gathering the nearly 60,000 signatures necessary to place the question on a referendum ballot, the debate will begin in earnest and at certain times will be very emotional on both sides.  Our organization will oppose their efforts. It is extremely important sportsmen and women and the public do not confuse the actions of HSUS with our local animal shelters and the important work they and their volunteers do for our communities. The HSUS is a…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage on Wednesday hit back at Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland) for his incendiary remarks regarding a Portland-based public charter school. “I was disappointed to read your attack on the Baxter Academy of Technology and Science, the newly approved public charter school in Portland,” LePage wrote to Alfond in a July 31 letter obtained by The Maine Wire. “Baxter provides an excellent opportunity for students who are seeking a project-based, technology-rich, college-preparatory education focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).” LePage was responding to comments Alfond made last week regarding Baxter’s decision to…

Everybody can recall that one teacher who had a life-changing impression on them. For some it happened in grade school; others, college. One individual, however, managed to influence individuals not only in the halls of academe, but in magazines, newspapers, television channels, the U.S. Congress, and even the White House. And still, after his passing, he is changing the world. Milton Friedman is considered by many to be the most influential economist of the 20th century. His contributions have had a lasting impact on monetary policies, taxing models, government spending, and education reforms. And yet, even with the proven effectiveness…

Winning 2012’s ballot initiative to legalize same-sex marriage is not enough for pro-gay activists with EqualityMaine. The group is now focusing its advocacy on rural Maine, where voters largely voted against same-sex marriage, in an effort to educate blue collar Mainers about homosexual and transgender issues. As MaineToday Media’s Michael Shepherd reports: After winning same-sex marriage in 2012, a Maine gay-rights group is shifting its focus toward gaining acceptance for couples in rural areas that largely opposed it. The Portland-based advocacy group, EqualityMaine, released a five-year strategic plan recently to outline its overarching goals through 2018, focused on building and…

Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland) and House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) held a meeting of minds and produced a predictably gushing review of the 126th Legislature. Their recent Bangor Daily News opinion editorial is, for the most part, recycled Democrat talking points and back-patting, but there are a few dubious claims worth highlighting. “We are proud to report that with patience, persistence and a willingness to take the high road, Democrats delivered results for the people of Maine.” Maine Democrats are a rather prideful bunch, yes, but willing to take the high road? Were they taking the high road…

Courtesy of Breitbart News’ Matthew Boyle: Popular opposition to the “Lifeline” program, colloquially known since last year as the “Obamaphone” program, appears to be growing. Tracfone Wireless, the company that most benefits from the government subsidy, is now advertising on inside-the-beltway news websites in an effort to save it. “Obamaphone? Obamaphone?” a flashing banner ad running interchangeably with other ads at the top of Politico’s website reads. “Think again. Lifeline. Created by Reagan.” “Impact on the deficit? Zero,” another flashing slide argues. The banner ad takes those who click on it to LifelineFacts.com, an advertising website run by TracFone. “TracFone has…

A long-time Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) board member resigned in June following the federal government’s belated determination that he has a conflict of interest. The board resignation raises several questions about how the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) handles conflicts, including whether political affiliations affect treatment. Donald H. Gean has served since 2006 as a commissioner at MSHA. At the same time, Gean was the Chief Executive Officer of the York County Shelter Programs (YCSP), a 501(c)(3) non-profit. [RELATED: Maine taxpayers pay for MaineHousing malpractice…] Problematically, YCSP receives hundreds of thousands of tax dollars through the…

U.S. Sen. Angus S. King, Jr., an unenrolled Democrat, is the only freshman U.S. senator that has not formed a leadership PAC. Leadership PACs are committees that allow politicians to raise money from special interests and give that money to friends and colleagues. Courtesy of Shane Goldmacher of NationalJournal.com: Ted Cruz waited less than a week after his election to form his. Heidi Heitkamp followed only days later. Then came Tim Kaine and Mazie Hirono and Deb Fischer and Elizabeth Warren. By the time these freshman senators took the oath of office in January, each already had created a fundraising…

Courtesy of ZeroHedge.com, here are 25 remarkable facts about Detroit: 1) At this point, the city of Detroit owes money to more than 100,000 creditors. 2) Detroit is facing $20 billion in debt and unfunded liabilities.  That breaks down to more than $25,000 per resident. 3) Back in 1960, the city of Detroit actually had the highest per-capita income in the entire nation. 4) In 1950, there were about 296,000 manufacturing jobs in Detroit.  Today, there are less than 27,000. 5) Between December 2000 and December 2010, 48 percent of the manufacturing jobs in the state of Michigan were lost. 6) There are lots of houses available for sale in Detroit right now for $500 or less.…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage is touting the latest unemployment figures, which show Maine’s number of jobless at the lowest rate since November of 2008 – a 15 percent decrease since LePage took office. “About 8,000 more people are working in the private sector now than when I took office,” said LePage. “Our focus on helping to create jobs and improving the economy is putting more Mainers back to work and that is good news for everyone.” The June unemployment rate of 6.8 percent is down from 7.3 percent in June of 2012. “By reducing taxes, limiting the…

Maine’s legislature passed its two-year budget earlier this month, and it includes two allegedly temporary tax increases—one in the state sales tax (from 5 to 5.5 percent) and another in the leisure tax (from 7 to 8 percent; levied on lodging, bars, and restaurants) as a way to close the state’s $880 million budget gap. Maine’s governor, Paul LePage, vetoed the budget on Monday because of the tax increases and an $18 million cut to proposed education spending. Legislators quickly overrode that veto on Wednesday. The tax hike is set to expire in June 2015. [RELATED: GOP joins Democrats to override LePage’s budget veto, pass tax hikes…] That…

We have just concluded the first legislative session in Augusta since Democrats retook the majority from Republicans who held it for a brief two years after decades of one-party rule. The results are in and the difference is clear. Although I applaud several bipartisan initiatives, such as energy reform and workforce development, there were too many missed opportunities, too many close calls and too many hard blows to Maine’s economy. With liberal politicians back in control of the state Legislature, we saw tax increases where two years ago we saw tax cuts. We saw liberals throw more money at the…

The town of Deer Trail, Colorado is considering providing hunting licenses — and even cash bounties — for residents who can shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise known as drones. Courtesy of TheDenverChannel.com: Deer Trail resident, Phillip Steel, drafted the ordinance. “We do not want drones in town,” said Steel. “They fly in town, they get shot down.” Even though it’s against the law to destroy federal property, Steel’s proposed ordinance outlines weapons, ammunition, rules of engagement, techniques, and bounties for drone hunting. The ordinates states, “The Town of Deer Trail shall issue a reward of $100 to any shooter who…

House Majority Leader Seth A. Berry (D-Bowdoinham) and Assistant Majority Leader Jeff M. McCabe (D-Skowhegan), both of whom ran taxpayer-funded campaigns in 2012 — ostensibly to reduce “dirty” money’s control over Maine elections—are hosting an event for their supporters, with top spots selling for up to $5000 a pop. Both Berry and McCabe received money from the Maine Clean Election Act (MCEA). Touted by supporters as a way to “reduce the influence of big money in government” and “eliminate corruption, and the appearance of corruption,” the MCEA provides public funding for candidates to run in State Senate, State House of…

  BANGOR – The Bangor Daily News published a July 5 letter to the editor that criticized an environmentalist non-profit for cancelling a lecture by climate expert David Dilley, but not before removing allegations that University of Maine officials were involved in the decision. Written by Dilley’s wife, a retired teacher and Hiram resident, the letter recounts how the Steuben-based Eagle Hill Institute made a last-minute decision to cancel a lecture by Mr Dilley, CEO of Global Weather Oscillations Inc. Dilley, who has 40 years of meteorological and climatological experience, researches natural, non-anthropogenic causes of climate change. According to the letter, Dilley was…

In what is becoming de rigueur for newspapers owned by S. Donald Sussman and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, the Portland Press Herald is out with a new smear campaign targeting Republican Gov. Paul LePage. The smear story is entitled, “Portland schools: LePage wrong about military recruiters”. A fairer headline might read: “Portland schools: U.S. military, LePage, Alfond, Eves, entire state senate wrong about military recruiters”. The media’s latest anti-LePage drumbeat began with an uncontroversial proposal (L.D. 1503) – a bill, prompted by military officials’ complaints, that would ensure uniformed recruiters have unrestricted access to Maine’s high schools. That proposal, however, was…

With its bloated welfare roles and generous provision of jobless benefits, Maine is seen by many as the ultimate Nanny State. The state’s newest online tool will do little to counter this reputation. The Maine Department of Labor on Monday unveiled a smart phone application that will help prevent fall injuries by aiding in the proper use of ladders. Yes, the state is now helping citizens learn proper ladder use. Worry not: the app was developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, meaning taxpayers did not directly subsidize this Nanny State endeavor. Here’s the press release: AUGUSTA- Maine employees…

PORTLAND – Portland Public Schools officials are disputing Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s claims that the city’s high schools restrict uniformed military recruiters’ access to students — this, despite Senate President Justin Alfond’s (D-Portland) stated belief that there is a problem. Portland High School Principal Deborah Migneault, according to a NECN.com report, denied LePage’s claims, saying that military recruiters have a table set up outside the guidance office. However, Alfond, who represents Portland, has said that he communicated with school district officials, learned that the LePage Administration’s claims were accurate, and that’s why even he supported the bill. [RELATED: Maine GOP…

Hello, this is Governor Paul LePage. (Click here for audio) Playing politics is easy; governing effectively is hard. As Chief Executive, I take my responsibilities on behalf of the people of Maine seriously. Our Administration has worked hard to change the attitude within government and has brought more transparency to government than any recent administration. We work with citizens and businesses to solve problems. We strive to be efficient and responsible with taxpayer dollars. And we only introduce public policy that benefits Mainers and our state. There are nearly 500 new bills that will become law in October or earlier…

ReasonTV’s Nick Gillespie explains the top three reasons Social Security is in need of immediate reform.

AUGUSTA – Republicans and Democrats across the state are squabbling over Gov. Paul LePage’s record number of vetoes in the wake of a final round of rejected legislation. While Democrats claim LePage’s record 83 vetoes in the current session have scuttled too many worthwhile bills, Republicans say Majority Democrats are ignorant of how to operate in divided government and have pushed too many far left proposals. In a fundraising email to Democrats, Maine Democratic Party Field Director Jonathan Hillier drew attention to LePage’s veto of bills to increase the state’s minimum wage, impose stricter environmental regulations, and expand welfare programs.…

AUGUSTA – The Maine Republican Party is calling on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael Michaud to denounce Democratic lawmakers for their anti-U.S. military vote Tuesday night. “Mike Michaud must either stand up and rebuke this offensive anti-U.S. military action by Maine Democrat legislators, or explain why he thinks it is okay to take a hard line against our honorable servicemen and servicewomen,” said Executive Director of the Maine Republican Party Jason Savage. [RELATED: Maine Dems take stand against U.S. military recruiters, call high-ranking military official liar…] “If Mike Michaud wants to be Governor, he no longer has the luxury of just…

AUGUSTA – Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives on Tuesday defeated a proposal that would have ensured the nation’s military recruiters unhampered access to Maine’s public schools. Although Democratic critics of L.D. 1503 claimed that military recruiters’ access has not been limited, a top military official described the problem in detail in a May 22 email to Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen. “In the Northern portion of the State we are very fortunate,” wrote Battalion Command Sergeant Major Richard L. Hannibal. “Almost all of the schools allow our recruiters full access.” In predominantly liberal Southern Maine, however, Hannibal described recruiters’…

BATH – A Democratic candidate running in a special election to replace Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall (D-Sagadahoc) in Senate District 19 told the Bangor Daily News on Monday that he believes low taxes and small government are harmful to society. According to BDN, Will Neilson of Arrowsic, a former Republican who announced his Democratic candidacy on Monday, said, “I’ve become convinced that the ideas of low taxes and small government are actually harmful to society as a whole.” Bath City Councilor David Sinclair and workforce development specialist Eloise Vitelli have also announced that they will run as Democrats in the…

From the Office of the House Republicans AUGUSTA – In a surprise turn of events Tuesday, several House Democrats flipped their votes on LD 1503, a bill that would have allowed military recruiters the same access to Maine public schools as civilian career recruiters and would have further allowed them to wear their uniforms while visiting schools. Education Committee Democrats initially voted against the bill and Democrats narrowly killed a similar bill on the House floor.  However, passionate debate by House Republicans, many of them veterans, persuaded Democrats to reject their committee’s majority report and vote in favor of LD 1503, 115-28, on June 4. Democrats then…

AUGUSTA – House Minority Leader Kenneth Fredette (R-Newport) said in a statement on Tuesday that Democrats were jeopardizing the $100 million transportation bond by maneuvering to politically weaken Republican Gov. Paul LePage. “Democrats are proving once again that they are willing to jeopardize the passage of a jobs initiative that enjoys broad, bipartisan support just so that they can get their way on contentious spending initiatives,” said Fredette. “Every Mainer knows that our roads need repairs and that our state needs jobs.  The problem is, over the years, our roads and bridges have fallen victim to a liberal spending addiction…