Author: Steve Robinson

In choosing not to accept the federal Medicaid expansion, Gov. Paul LePage and key legislators in Augusta have acted prudently. Certainly, the prospect of receiving millions more dollars in federal assistance to prop up the state’s ailing program was hard to resist. But for MaineCare, the priority must be to make the program affordable for the long haul — so that 10 or 15 years down the line, Maine still can offer the most vulnerable a health care safety net. When it comes to Medicaid reform, Washington would do well to make Augusta’s priority its own. For all its “promises”…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage on Wednesday said President Barack Obama’s decision to delay the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate validates criticisms that the controversial health care overhaul, also known as ObamaCare, will be devastating for businesses. “I have said all along that ObamaCare will drive up costs and bury both businesses and families in more government regulation,” LePage said in a statement. “It is good to see Washington finally recognize more major problems with this law,” he said. “It is time Congress and the President repeal ObamaCare and give each state the flexibility we need.” “It is…

AUGUSTA – Maine Gov. Paul LePage released a video on Thursday explaining why he could not support the Legislature’s two-year budget. “My fellow Mainers, I am not a politician,” he said. “I am blue collar governor and I represent the hard-working people of Maine.” LePage said that Maine’s “elite” will never vote for him, but that’s fine in his book. “I’m not worried about the next election, I’m worried about the next generation,” he said. The hard-talking governor, who has faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans over a style of communicating that is, to say the least, politically incorrect,…

More than 60 organizations in 35 states, including 11 national groups, on Sunday began a week-long campaign to inform union members about their legal right to leave their labor union. National Employee Freedom Week (NEFW) is a project of the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI) and the Association of American Educators. The groups involved in the project, including the Maine Heritage Policy Center, are taking advantage of NEFW to help union members understand whether and how they can leave their union. The national campaign follows NPRI’s successful efforts at the local level to help Las Vegas area teachers leave the…

AUGUSTA – The Maine State Legislature on Wednesday voted to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of the $6.3 billion legislative budget. In the House of Representatives, 114 members voted in favor of overriding the governor, while 34 voted to sustain his veto. In the Senate, the vote fell 26 to 9. “Let’s be honest, our state government has outgrown our economy and our ability to pay for it,” said Senate Minority Leader Michael Thibodeau (R-Waldo) in his floor testimony. “Absolutely no one in this chamber, nor in the other chamber, nor the governor, is advocating for a state shutdown,” he…

AUGUSTA – Maine Gov. Paul LePage on Monday officially vetoed the Legislature’s proposed budget for the next two years, citing cuts to education spending and tax increases he calls unacceptable. The Legislature approved the budget proposal (L.D. 1509), which includes a sales tax rate increase of 10 percent and meals and lodging tax rate increase of 14.3 percent, on June 13. According to Maine law, LePage had ten days, or until Wednesday, to sign or veto the bill. In a letter to lawmakers in the 126th Legislature, LePage explained the reasoning behind his veto, focusing on cuts to education spending…

BATH – A Republican contender to become the next state senator from Sagadahoc County has emerged following a top Democrat’s decision to accept a position in the U.S. Small Business Administration. Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall (D-Sagadahoc) announced his resignation at the beginning of June, triggering a scramble among both political parties to find a replacement. Last week, former State Sen. Paula Benoit of Phippsburg said in a statement that she is “strongly considering” a run for the seat she once held. “I have been touched and overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and encouragement by many from Sagadahoc County.…

AUGUSTA – Maine Gov. Paul R. LePage announced Thursday that he intends to veto the Legislature’s budget proposal and called on Democratic leaders to join him in negotiating a 60-day continuing resolution (CR) to fund state government so a better budget can be crafted. “This budget makes us all victims,” said Maine State Director of Americans for Prosperity Carol Weston during a rally in the Hall of Flags at the State House. “Even though you work harder, you’ll bring home less,” said Weston, who introduced the governor. “This budget needs a veto.” Standing before an enthusiastic crowd of several dozen supporters,…

The Bangor Daily News published an editorial on Monday that urged the Maine Legislature to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a Medicaid expansion bill. The editors, in their zeal to blast a governor they clearly dislike, substituted facts for Democrat Party talking points and snide down-talking. “We didn’t expect him to be open to the idea of extending health insurance to tens of thousands of Maine’s poorest,” the editors oozed. Medicaid is not health insurance. It is a welfare program. It is also a broken and dysfunctional welfare program that has strained Maine’s budget for more than a decade.…

AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to sustain Gov. Paul R. LePage’s veto of the controversial expansion of Medicaid proposed under President Barack Obama’s sweeping healthcare overhaul. Medicaid expansion was originally mandated under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly known as Obamacare. However, the 2012 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court found the mandate unconstitutional, giving states the freedom to choose whether to expand the welfare program, which is known in Maine as MaineCare. Following House lawmakers 97-52 vote to sustain the governor’s veto, House Democrats immediately proposed a reconsideration and, after some parliamentary squabbling…

By Paul Blair — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has friends in Portland, Maine. They’ve taken his call to impose government overreach and will not be stopped by science, threats to local small businesses, or any possible costs to consumers.  The quest? Stopping the use of those pesky Styrofoam cups and containers. On Wednesday, the Portland City Council’s Transportation, Sustainability, and Energy Committee will consider a recommendation that polystyrene (or as it is commercially known, Styrofoam) be prohibited in Portland. The ban is being modeled after a 1990 ban enacted in Freeport. Facing a national economy struggling to regain footing, massive…

AUGUSTA – Reporters from three of Maine’s largest newspapers will no longer have access to Gov. Paul LePage or his communications staff following his administration’s decision to stop indulging a news service that nowadays seems more like an extension of the Democratic Party. LePage Press Secretary Adrienne Bennett broke the news to the Portland Press Herald’s top political reporter Steve Mistler  on Tuesday. Mistler, she said, was speechless. Mistler declined to comment on this story and attempts to reach his editors for comment were unsuccessful. “We’ve been monitoring this for a long time,” said Bennett. She said that over the…

AUGUSTA – Maine Gov. Paul R. LePage on Tuesday applauded a regional effort that seeks to bring Canada’s competitively priced hydroelectric power to Maine and New England. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont have launched an initiative to secure cleaner, cheaper power options by importing large amounts of hydro into New England. According to a statement from the Governor’s Office, the New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE) will evaluate the expansion of large hydro and create a strategic plan to be presented to New England Governors later this year. Gov. LePage has long said he would like to…

Snowmobile registration fee hike just one in series of recent increases on Mainers AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives voted Monday in favor of yet another fee increase measure. The bill, L.D. 1263, imposes a 13 percent increase on resident snowmobile registration fees with a $5 hike, from $40 to $45.  This fee hike comes on the heels of Democrat-led increases to ATV registration fees, registry of deeds fees, and municipal agent fees for passenger vehicle registrations. “We all want to make sure the trails are properly groomed,” said Assistant House Republican Leader Alexander Willette (R-Mapleton).  “The problem is that state government keeps demanding…

AUGUSTA – The Maine Legislature voted on Monday to enact legislation intended to repeal Republican-backed health insurance reform known as Public Law 90 (PL90), helping members of the Democratic Party meet a top promise of the 2012 campaign season. Gov. Paul LePage signed the comprehensive reform legislation (L.D. 1333) into law in May of 2011 following bipartisan approval in both the House and Senate, including support from three Democratic senators. Democrats and liberal activists began campaigning against PL90 before its effects could even be measured, dubbing it the “Republican rate hike law.” Despite evidence suggesting the law is lowering health…

AUGUSTA – On Thursday night, the Maine Senate voted 23-12 to pass a bill that would expand Maine’s Medicaid program under the federal Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The bill will now head to Gov. Paul LePage. “This is a disaster in the making,” said Sen. Jim Hamper (R-Oxford), the ranking Republican on the Health and Human Services Committee. “On two occasions in the past decade, Maine has expanded Medicaid beyond its ability to pay. Now we are about to do it again.” Senate Minority Leader Michael Thibodeau said Maine should not be expanding Medicaid, a welfare program…

By Pierre Lemieux – The history of New England and Québec have been intertwined through wars, commerce, culture, and migrations. Until the end of the 20th century, people drove through the border between Québec and, on the other side, Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine without even (in most cases) showing identification papers. The scope of north-south migrations over more than a century is witnessed by the large number of French Canadian surnames in these states. History has witnessed many famous travelers crossing the border. Henry David Thoreau published his A Yankee in Canada after an 1850 trip to Québec. From 1662 to 1665,…

AUGUSTA – The Maine Legislature on Thursday night gave final approval to a controversial $6.3 billion budget for 2014-15 that includes significant tax increases and virtually no spending reductions. The lawmakers’ budget will land on Gov. Paul LePage’s desk more than five months after he presented his own plan. Despite strong indications that LePage intends to reject the budget bill (L.D. 1509), the new spending and tax increases contained therein will likely become law, as enough House and Senate Republicans are expected to join their Democratic colleagues in voting to override the governor’s veto. Senate Minority Leader Michael Thibodeau (R-Winterport)…

AUGUSTA – On Wednesday, the Maine House of Representatives reaffirmed that taxpayer dollars can be used to pay for politicians’ post-election parties. In a 60-85 vote that fell sharply along party lines, House Democrats approved a major substantive rule change (L.D. 1543) that will affect how candidates for public office can spend funds provided to them under the Maine Clean Elections Act (MCEA). The Senate approved the bill under a suspension of the rules and without holding a roll call vote. The rule change, which was called for by the Maine Ethics Commission in April, will prevent candidates from spending…

AUGUSTA – Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives voted Monday to enact a bill that would raise by 15 percent the registration fee for residents and non-residents who own an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) . L.D. 911 was sponsored by Rep. Sheryl Briggs (D-Mexico) and is intended to support the ATV Recreational Management Fund. According to the fund’s authorizing legislation, the money raised through fees is used for a host of ATV-related causes: The fund may be used to conduct research on issues related to the management of ATVs; assist in the formation of nonprofit ATV groups; make grants-in-aid to…

AUGUSTA – The Maine Ethics Commission has launched a preliminary investigation into the lobbying activities of the Maine State Director of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a powerful anti-hunting lobbying organization. The investigation follows a legislator’s complaint that Katie Hansberry, HSUS’s Maine State Director, has not filed basic lobbying paperwork despite having conducted extensive political advocacy throughout the current legislative session. “We will be requesting a response from Katie Hansberry,” said Maine Ethics Commission Executive Director Jonathan Wayne. “She disclosed that she was new in her position and might not have been aware of the filing requirements.”…

By Pem Schaeffer — Dr. Thomas Sowell, the prolific scholar and author at the Hoover Institution, sometimes writes columns he calls ‘Random Thoughts.’  He passes along seemingly unconnected thoughts on a variety of subjects, so he can cross them off his ‘to do’ list. Sowell is brilliant, and to the dismay of many, a black conservative, which makes him persona non grata in most serious discussions about social and political policy. Especially in enlightened places like Maine.  Would that I could spend an internship under his tutelage. Here’s hoping he won’t take offense at my borrowing of his ‘random’ theme. Random…

AUGUSTA – Great Schools for ME, a project of the Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC), on Monday released a set of case studies touting the successes of customized learning in Maine. “Maine has a rich history of customized learning,” said MHPC’s Education Policy Analyst Amanda Clark. “These case-studies provide a look at educational opportunities available to Maine families beyond the traditional public school system.” Customized learning, said Clark, is an educational model that allows students and parents to choose an education that best meets their needs and interests. Such options include home schooling, charter schools, town academies, online learning and…

By Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst) For compelling evidence that Maine’s public schools are long overdue for an overhaul, check out the May 10 Kennebec Journal story about Cony High School students who were disappointed at the C grade their school received from the state department of education. Members of the student council gave their school much higher marks on a report card that graded the school in 10 different categories, none of which included academics. The most disturbing aspect of this sad story is the enabling role played by grown-ups who should know better, including members of the local school…

AUGUSTA – Conservative lawmakers on Wednesday delivered a set of recommendations to the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee as it enters the final weeks of negotiations over the next biennial budget.The combination of spending reductions and new revenues adds an interesting twist to discussions underway in the Appropriations Committee, where sources say the general consensus is that a sales tax increase is inevitable. Senate Minority Leader Michael Thibodeau (R-Winterport), Sen. Andre Cushing (R-Hampden), Sen. David Burns (R-Whiting), Sen. Doug Thomas (R-Ripley) and a vocal minority of House Republicans suggested options for reducing spending and raising revenues. The purpose of the event, according…

From the House Republican Office  GOP rallies to convince Dems to vote for bills to ensure recruiter access to schools AUGUSTA – The House on Tuesday took up two bills concerning military recruiters in public schools.  The first, LD 1502, requires that public high schools allow recruiters to administer the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test to students who elect to take it.  Under the bill, recruiters, not school staff, would take the time to administer the test, which would remain voluntary for the students. That bill was rejected mostly along party lines, 74-68.  Majority Democrats on the Education Committee had previously…

By Julie Norsworthy On Friday May 17th my sons and I entered the Cross building for our first experience in the political world. I was there to testify in support of L.D. 1529. The boys were with me for a hands on lesson in government. It was a lesson for us all. There were many bills being addressed that day. We sat there listening to the Maine Principles Association, the Mane Education Association, and others who were opposed to anything that represented a change to the current public school system, opposing anything holding the professional educators accountable. They each got up…

The Washington D.C.-based Heritage Foundation’s Daren Bakst reports that the agriculture bill currently under debate in the nation’s capital has less about farms than expanding food stamps: Congress is once again taking up the farm bill — and continuing to treat agriculture like it was 1933, not 2013. The result: billions of taxpayer dollars going to waste. This is unacceptable. It’s time for lawmakers to make reforms that reflect the reality of modern-day agriculture. Even calling it the “farm bill” doesn’t reflect reality. Both the Senate and House versions are projected to cost close to $1 trillion over 10 years.…

WESTBROOK, Maine – The Westbrook schools have hired an attorney to help navigate a legal dispute with an equipment consultant who has accused the district of violating the terms of a service contract. A Westbrook school official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the legal matter is ongoing, said the district has hired a law firm to help settle its dispute with Specialized Purchasing Consultants (SPC), a New Hampshire-based consulting firm that serves as a middleman between photocopier vendors and clients, such as school districts. SPC President Skip Tilton also confirmed the existence of a legal dispute. “They…

House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) has been the driving force behind the Maine Democrat’s relentless campaign to expand Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Speaker Eves wrote a Feb. 26 opinion editorial in the Sun Journal, for example, arguing that expanding Medicaid eligibility is morally and financially proper. And, in his very first floor speech of the 126th Legislature, Eves descended from the rostrum to deliver a resounding call to expand Medicaid. In addition to his public service, Speaker Eves has served since October of 2011 as the Director of Business Development for…

AUGUSTA – Democratic lawmakers announced on Wednesday an alternative to Gov. Paul LePage’s five month old budget proposal that includes more than $400 million in tax increases. Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Portland) and Speaker of the House Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) proposed their tax increases during a State House press conference. The plan is outlined in a letter from the Taxation Committee to the Appropriations Committee. According to the letter, the Democrats’ final budget recommendations include delaying two tax code changes enacted by the 125th Legislature: a reduction in the income tax and an increase in the amount…

UPDATE: The Maine Wire has learned that a member of the Messalonskee Middle School “Leadership Team” – a group of teachers and students run by Principal Mark Hatch – intends to voice objections to this story during Wednesday night’s school board meeting. Please be sure to follow The Maine Wire’s coverage of this very important debate unfolding in communities all across the state.  Teachers at the Oakland area schools are objecting to a controversial new teaching system they claim has turned their students into guinea pigs in a failed educational experiment, but administrators contend that Mass Customized Learning (MCL) is…

Maine could face a drastic surge in Medicaid spending for long-term medical care if nothing is done to address a broken estate recovery system, according to a report released on Thursday by the nonpartisan Center for Long-Term Care Reform (CLTCR). The current system, according to CLTCR President Stephen A. Moses, allows individuals to artificially self-impoverish – i.e. hide their wealth – in order to be eligible for taxpayer-funded long-term care coverage under MaineCare. “Maine should look at this problem through the windshield and not the rearview mirror, because you’re speeding headlong toward a brick wall of fiscal reality,” said Moses during…

WATERBORO, Maine – Training, Education, and Accountability in Christian Homes (T.E.A.C.H.), a Waterboro-based group of York County families who home school their children, gathered at the South Waterboro Bible Chapel on Friday for a World War II workshop. More than 75 students of all ages participated in the day-long event which featured interactive learning exhibits, musical performances, costume contests, and conversations with five WWII veterans. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn,” said Heidi H. Sampson, member of the Maine Board of Education and T.E.A.C.H. leader. That quote, which is variously…

The lone dissenting voice on the five-member Commission to Study the Conduct of Elections in Maine has warned state officials that Maine’s election system is vulnerable to fraudulent voting. “I believe that the testimony and evidence presented reveal a clear and present danger to our voting process in Maine,” wrote former Bangor Mayor N. Laurence Willey in a memo to the Democratic co-chairs of the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee. The commission voted 4-1 in February on their report, which stated, in part, that there is “little or no history of voter impersonation or identification fraud.” That statement was…

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) on Thursday released the 6th edition of Rich States, Poor States – a comprehensive review of states’ fiscal policies designed highlight pro-growth policies for lawmakers around the country. The study, written by Arthur B. Laffer, Stephen Moore, and Jonathan Williams, uses a host of economic variables to gauge the relative success of state-level policies. The ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index provides two rankings – economic performance and economic outlook. The performance ranking is a backward-looking measure based on three variables: state gross domestic product, domestic migration, and non-farm payroll employment. The outlook ranking is…

AUGUSTA – Scripted chants filled the air Wednesday as activists from the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA) and the Maine People’s Alliance (MPA) arrived at the State House on school buses to voice religious objections to Gov. Paul LePage’s biennial budget. “Hey, hey, ho, ho, this budget’s got to go,” they chanted, referring to the budget proposal the governor introduced in January. Hallowell Mayor and Associate Director of the Maine Women’s Lobby Charlotte Warren served as the master of sessions for the state workers’ union ceremony, which featured Leslie A. Manning, a former state worker and current board director for the…

AUGUSTA – In a late night session of the Maine House of Representatives, state lawmakers clung mostly to party lines in what some lawmakers called the biggest vote of the 126th Legislature. Voting 87-57, the House Democrats overcame bipartisan opposition to pass L.D. 1546, An Act to Strengthen Maine’s Hospitals, Increase Access to Health Care and Provide for a New Spirits Contract. The bill, which passed the Senate 20-15, is a combination of Gov. Paul LePage’s hospital repayment plan and a Democratic proposal to expand Medicaid. The evening began with House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick), in his first…

AUGUSTA – Sen. Dawn Hill (D-York), chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs, refused to allow Gov. Paul LePage to testify to budget writers on Sunday regarding the May 28 deadline the Department of Health and Human Services is facing. Hill’s decision to censor the governor came during an unusual weekend meeting of the Appropriations Committee. Budget writers had gathered to discuss the implications of a letter from DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew to the governor warning of an impending budget deadline. Following Mayhew’s testimony, LePage took to the microphone, but Hill politely denied him the opportunity to…

Tax economist and CEO of The Maine Heritage Policy Center J. Scott Moody testified Wednesday before the Rhode Island House of Representatives in support of a proposal to eliminate entirely that state’s sales tax. As Maine’s own Legislature debates the so-called Gang of Eleven’s proposal to expand the sales tax base and increase the sales tax rate, Moody shared with a fellow New England state how high sales taxes undermine economic growth. “Increasing taxes on the private sector has two consequences,” said Moody. “First, higher taxes will mean less money in the pockets of individuals and businesses which will reduce…

AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul R. LePage on Friday delivered a letter to to Democratic leaders challenging their decision to merge payment of Medicaid debt with Medicaid expansion. “While Democratic leadership is engaging in Washington-style politics and strong-arming members of its caucus to vote against the wishes of the Maine people, crisis is looming that will affect our most needy citizens,” LePage wrote in a letter to Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Portland) and House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick). “Democratic leaders are so focused on expanding welfare to cover able-bodied people, they have forgotten about the Mainers who are already on…

AUGUSTA – Top lawmakers on the so-called Gang of Eleven said Friday during a work session of the Legislature’s Taxation Committee that services provided by labor unions will be exempt under their proposed expansion of Maine’s tax code. The revelation came about after Sen. Doug Thomas (R-Somerset), the Tax Committee’s top Republican, asked the plan’s supporters  exactly which services the plan’s expansion of the sales tax would include, mentioning collective bargaining services specifically. “It is our intent to tax legal fees,” said Rep. Gary Knight (R-Livermore), the lead sponsor of L.D. 1496, An Act to Modernize and Simplify the Tax Code.…

AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats, led by Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Portland) and House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) announced Thursday that the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee would combine Gov. Paul R. LePage’s hospital repayment bill with a separate proposal to expand Medicaid. “Later this afternoon, our proposal will be taken up by the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee,” said President Alfond. The announcement came during a press conference in the State House, with nearly every Democratic lawmaker present. Within hours the VLA Committee voted on strict party lines to merge the bills. The amended proposal now…

AUGUSTA – The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee voted Wednesday against limiting Medicaid coverage of methadone and suboxone treatments, and in favor of repealing the two-year limit on reimbursement for the controversial opiate addiction treatment drugs. Members of the HHS Committee voted mostly along party lines as they rejected a Republican-backed bill (L.D. 802) that would have prevented MaineCare, Maine’s Medicaid program, from providing reimbursement for certain medication-assisted treatment for addiction. The bill, introduced by Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst), would take effect beginning January 1, 2015. Lockman said his bill would save the State $15 million a year…

AUGUSTA – Democratic infighting continued at the State House on Wednesday as members of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee voted to peer pressure the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee to combine Gov. Paul R. LePage’s hospital repayment plan with a Medicaid expansion bill. “In a 10-4 vote, the Majority of the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services voted to strongly recommend that the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs include language directing the State of Maine to accept federal health care dollars in the committee bill to make a final payment to Maine’s hospitals,” said…

Here, I’d like to discuss the so-called Gang of Eleven’s LD 1496, designated “An Act to Modernize and Simplify the Tax Code.” This bill should actually be named “An Act to Increase Tax Revenues While Sponsors Croon ‘Don’t Tax You, Don’t Tax Me, Tax the One Behind That Tree.’” Why?  Referring to the current version of the bill, we find this introduction: This bill would overhaul Maine’s tax code. It is designed to raise a larger share of tax revenues from nonresidents, while relieving the tax burden on year-round residents. The bill reduces Maine state income taxes, corporate income taxes…

The Mercatus Center, a project of George Mason University, has released a new video analyzing the expansion of states’ Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Watch the video (below):

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said on Friday it had targeted conservative groups for more thorough scrutiny during the 2012 presidential election. Groups with suspect words like “patriot” and “tea party” included in their names – roughly 75 in all – were selected for what many have called an unreasonable audit process. Now, an information request the IRS sent to a Richmond, Virginia-based tea party group in January of 2012 has surfaced, revealing stunning overreach on behalf of tax collecting bureaucrats aimed at silencing conservative political opposition. The request was sent from an IRS center in Cincinnatti, Ohio on January…

Watch the viral video of the Maine Democrats staging a press conference to attack Gov. Paul LePage, but failing spectacularly: [RELATED: Maine Democrats refuse to answer simple question about A-F alternative…]

YORK – He totaled a company van and subsequently failed a drug test, but according to workers at the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL), he still deserves to receive employer-funded unemployment benefits. “This is what we’re dealing with as employers in the state of Maine,” said Michael Estes, president of York-based Estes Oil Burner Service, Inc. Estes said the former employee got into a car accident while driving a company van and was therefore drug tested as is company policy. “He failed the drug test, so we terminated him,” said Estes. The worker then filed with MDOL for unemployment benefits.…

AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage on Monday met with representatives from the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA) to demand that the union stop spreading “fear and misinformation” about a shutdown of state government. “You are lying,” the governor told Tim Belcher, general counsel for MSEA. “I, as Chief Executive of the State, have had no plan to shut down state government. It did not come from the executive branch,” he said. “Why are you scaring people?” [RELATED: Maine Democrats reaffirm State’s role as union’s collections agent…] According to copies of letters distributed by the Governor’s Office, the MSEA…

AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul R. LePage on Saturday used his weekly radio address to once again call for action on a bill that would compensate Maine’s hospitals for nearly half-a-billion dollars in unpaid Medicaid bills. “More than one hundred fifteen days have passed since I put a plan on the table to pay the hospitals,” said Gov. LePage. “Nearly four months later, the hospitals are still waiting for the $484 million the state owes them,” he said. “By paying the State’s bills, we strengthen our economy and the hospitals that care for and employ Maine people. Hospitals will be able…

AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul R. LePage on Friday continued to roll out his education reform initiatives, releasing a pair of bills designed to increase school choice and educator accountability. The bills are expected to meet heavy opposition from school unions. The first bill, L.D. 1510, An Act to Ensure Statewide School Accountability and Improvement, would establish and implement school improvement plans based on the governor’s A-F grading system. The school improvement plans, according to the bill, must set specific, measurable objectives for substantive and continuous improvement in student outcomes. If the governor’s bill passes, under-performing schools will receive special, directed assistance to…

AUGUSTA – In a surprise move, House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) ordered Democrats on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee (HHS) to kill a bill from Gov. Paul R. LePage that would allow the state to exclude junk food from eligible food stamp purchases. State House sources said Friday that Democrats’ last-minute decision to oppose the bill came after the House Speaker’s top legal adviser  Alysia Melnick of Cape Elizabeth, entered the committee room and delivered marching orders for Democratic leadership. Sources said that prior to Melnick’s involvement, the Governor’s bill seemed destined for passage, and that the…

AUGUSTA – The Gang of Eleven defended its controversial tax overhaul on Friday during a packed public hearing of the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. “I dare say there’s not a person in this state who does not recognize that our current tax code is antiquated and inadequate,” said Rep. Gary Knight (R-Livermore), lead sponsor of L.D. 1496, An Act to Simplify and Modernize the Tax Code. “We are severely hampered by an inordinately high income tax,” Rep. Knight said. “Everyone feels compelled to solicit professional help when filing their taxes,” he said. “Some will say we can just cut…

Maine is the 6th worst place to retire, according to a study produced by Bankrate.com that considered a host of variables. “The Pine Tree State can boast excellent access to medical care and a relatively mild crime rate,” the study says. “Yet it ranks No. 6 on Bankrate’s list of bad places to retire for a few reasons.” In addition to Maine’s frigid temperature, the study states, “Both the cost of living and state and local taxes are among the highest in the country.” The study comes as lawmakers on the Taxation Committee are slated to debate the so-called Gang…

AUGUSTA –The Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday considered a resolve that would spend $500,000 over four years to study the theory of anthropogenic climate change, also known as global warming. Rep. William Noon (D-Sanford) introduced L.D. 825 in order to study climate change theory and implement the recommendations of Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). His resolve directs DEP to resume its study on climate change pursuant to a 2009 resolve in preparation for a bill that would be presented to the 127th Legislature. According to the fiscal note attached to L.D. 825, the resolve would pull $244,447…

AUGUSTA – The Gang of Eleven’s tax plan is only one week old, but supporters say the version that emerges from the Taxation Committee will look quite different from the draft bill presented to the public last Wednesday. According to Rep. Gary Knight (R-Livermore Falls), lead sponsor of the bipartisan group’s plan, supporters of his bill are already discussing ways to make the complex tax overhaul more palatable for Mainers. “The final bill will not tax home heating fuel,” said Knight. He added that the Taxation Committee, on which he is the top House Republican, would make changes to the…

AUGUSTA – Top Democrats refuse to say how long the Party has been working on their school evaluation system or how that system will work, but said Wednesday their plan is definitely better than the Governor’s. Sen. Rebecca J. Millett (D-Cumberland) and Rep. W. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay), co-chairs of the Education Committee, announced during a State House press conference that Democrats intend to present a proposal at some point in the future to assess – not grade – Maine’s schools according to a yet-to-be-determined formula that will be devised by an undefined group of “stakeholders.” While the ostensible purpose of…

U.S. Sen. Angus S. King Jr. (U-Maine) has obtained the services of NGP Van, Inc. — the same Washington, D.C.-based campaign service provider utilized by all national Democratic committees, thousands of Democratic political campaigns and hundreds of labor unions. In an April 30 email subject line “My First 100 Days,” Sen. King thanked supporters and told them to read the piece Bill Nemitz wrote for U.S. Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree’s news company, Maine Today Media. Wrote King, “[Nemitz] was with me practically full time and got a pretty good feel for what I have been doing during my first 100 days in…

AUGUSTA – A top Democratic committee chair on Tuesday came out in opposition to the decision of Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Cumberland) and House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) to link Medicaid expansion to repaying the nearly half-a-billion dollar Medicaid debt owed to Maine’s hospitals. The Democratic leaders in the 126th Legislature have had plenty of trouble keeping their caucus in line, and according to reporting from the Bangor Daily’s Matt Stone, a high-ranking Democratic committee chairman has said he opposes their decision to demand that Gov. Paul R. LePage’s hospital debt repayment bill be linked to a…

AUGUSTA – Maine taxpayers rallied at the State House on Tuesday in support of economic freedom. Despite multiple advanced notices, Maine’s traditional media outlets decided the event was unworthy of coverage. Only taxpayer-funded Maine Public Broadcasting Network attended the rally, which featured speakers from Americans for Prosperity, The Maine Heritage Policy Center and Maine Taxpayers United. Watch a video of the rally below: Want the news the liberal media won’t cover? Be sure to “Follow” The Maine Wire on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook!

AUGUSTA – Liberty-minded Mainers gathered at the State House Tuesday for an Economic Freedom Rally featuring speakers from The Maine Heritage Policy Center, Americans for Prosperity-Maine, and Maine Taxpayers United. The event focused on tax, regulatory and spending bills winding through the 126th Legislature, including the so-called Gang of Eleven’s proposed tax increase. (Recommended: Gang of Eleven Touts Tax Increase…) “The politicians and the bureaucrats and the lobbyists aren’t used to rallies like this,” said Carol Weston, state director of Americans for Prosperity – Maine (AFP). “When the Left storms the State House with their buses, their bull horns and…

Renowned tax reform crusader Grover Norquist, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Americans for Tax Reform, said Monday that the tax bill Maine’s so-called Gang of Eleven has proposed is like offering Mainers a pizza sprinkled with glass shards. “The gang of eleven’s plan is like baking a pizza and sprinkling glass shards on top,” Norquist said. “And when you say you don’t want to eat it, they say, ‘what, you don’t like pepperoni?’” Norquist said the pizza – i.e. cutting Maine’s income tax to four percent and eliminating the estate tax – would be a great idea without the shards…

AUGUSTA – State Democratic leaders have suspended a rule providing for transparency in the proceedings of the Legislature. Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Cumberland) and Speaker of the House Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) informed lawmakers in an email Wednesday that they are suspending the public notice requirement for advertising public hearings. “Effective today, the notice requirement for advertising public hearings for bills that are referred to committee after May 3rd is waived entirely,” the Democratic leaders wrote in an email to state lawmakers. Suspending the public notice requirement will make it difficult for Maine citizens to monitor the progress…

AUGUSTA – Republican and Democratic leaders held dueling press conferences on Tuesday over Gov. Paul R. LePage’s proposal to pay nearly $500 million owed to Maine’s hospitals and a separate Democratic proposal to expand Maine’s Medicaid program. “Paying Maine’s hospitals is incredibly important for our economy,” said Senate Minority Leader Mike D. Thibodeau (R-Winterport). “It seems just recently Maine Democrats put a new wrinkle in this agreement trying to attach the whole Medicaid expansion debate with paying Maine hospitals,” he said. “It’s unfortunate.” “I would call on the Democrats to do what they know is the right thing to do…

Reduce Maine’s income tax to four percent: Working Mainers would see their income taxes cut in half, from eight percent to a maximum rate of four percent. Nearly all tax deductions would be removed in order to simplify Maine’s income tax policy. Eliminate the estate tax: Also known as the Death Tax, an estate tax is assessed on the property of deceased individuals. Reforms signed into law by Gov. Paul LePage in 2011 raised the estate tax exemption from $1 million to $2 million effective January of 2013. The Gang of Eleven’s proposal would eliminate the estate tax entirely. Reduce…

AUGUSTA – Giving hope to those who believe democracy flourishes through compromise, Republicans and Democrats in the so-called Gang of Eleven joined forces Wednesday to unveil legislation that would amount to a net tax increase for Maine. “This is huge,” said Rep. Gary Knight (R-Livermore), top House Republican on the Taxation Committee and lead sponsor of An Act to Modernize and Simplify the Tax Code. Knight said the goal of his bill is to improve Maine’s archaic tax code and attract businesses to the state. His plan is an attractive one: it cuts Maine’s income tax in half, from eight…

AUGUSTA – Expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare – will cost Maine taxpayers $40 million dollars over the first biennium, according to a preliminary report from the Office of Fiscal and Program Review. The final price tag for L.D. 1066, a bill from Rep. Linda F. Sanborn (D-Gorham) that would expand Maine’s Medicaid program (MaineCare), is not yet available online, but from the preliminary numbers it is apparent that expansion will hit Maine taxpayers hard. That expanding Medicaid, an anti-poverty program in conception, will cost Mainers $40 million over the first two years may come as a…

According to a new report from the Washington, DC-based nonpartisan Government Accountability Institute (GAI), President Barack Obama has spent more than twice as much time on vacation and golfing (976 hours) than he has spent in meetings about the economy (474.4 hours). The report, “Presidential Calendar: A Time-Based Analysis,” analyzed the official White House calendar and other media reports starting at the president’s inauguration and running through March 31, 2013. Other findings from the GAI report include: President Obama has devoted 3.6 percent of his working hours to economic meetings throughout his presidency. So far this year, President Obama has…

AUGUSTA – With less than two months remaining in the current legislative session, Democrats in Augusta appear to be in complete disarray over whether to pay Maine’s nearly $500 million hospital debt – and what, if anything, to demand in return. Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage has made repaying the hospitals a chief priority of the 2013 legislative season, but he has encountered an ideologically rigid Democratic Party that is interested more in partisan games than solving problems. LePage introduced his hospital repayment plan, which uses bonds taken against liquor contract revenues to pay the half-a-billion-dollar debt, four months ago.…

AUGUSTA – After more than a month of consideration, Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Cumberland) has refused to allow any Senate Republicans to sit on the Marine Resources Committee — an act Republicans say is part of a worrisome pattern. Senate Republican Leader Michael Thibodeau (R-Waldo) said Monday that Alfond has decided to put party politics over the best interests of the people of Maine by refusing to allow a Republican to take a committee seat that Sen. Richard G. Woodbury (UD-Cumberland) would rather not have. Said Thibodeau, “In mid-February, [Senator Woodbury], who serves on the Marine Resources Committee, told…

AUGUSTA – Maine Republican Party Chairman Richard M. Cebra on Monday called on Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Cumberland) to convene the Conduct and Ethics Committee in response to a growing pattern of irregularities and disruptions during State House hearings. “The Legislature currently has some very serious issues to consider that will have a profound impact on all of our citizens. Maine taxpayers deserve to have their elected representatives act in a professional manner,” Cebra said in a statement. According to Republicans, several legislative committees have been plagued with lapses in proper parliamentary procedure and egregious breaches of decorum. Sen. Gary Plummer…

AUGUSTA – While many Mainers have long believed the Maine Democratic Party is comprised of fools, two Democratic State Senators proved as much on Wednesday by donning clown noses during a public hearing of the Health and Human Services Committee. Sens. Colleen Lachowicz (D-Waterville) and Margaret M. Craven (D-Lewiston) performed their asinine act as several Maine citizens — many who waited more than six hours to do so — testified on a bill concerning availability of beds for low-income Mainers in nursing homes. “It’s one thing not to agree on issues,” said Maine GOP Chairman Richard M. Cebra. “It’s entirely…

An Investigation by The Maine Wire finds the Clean Election Act has failed to keep big money out of politics, but rather served as a piggy bank for Democrat campaigns Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage announced his intention to reduce taxpayer funding for political campaigns – also known as the Maine Clean Elections Act –  in his 2014-2015 biennial budget. Of course, Democrats want you to know they are fighting to continue a program that last year spent $1.9 million in taxpayer cash on politics. What they don’t want you to know, is why. One reason why Democrats are fighting…

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, DC, has released a new video with clips of Congressional Democrats who are opposed to the Market Place Fairness Act, otherwise known as the Internet Sales Tax.

WASHINGTON, DC – Maine’s Sen. Angus King, an un-enrolled Democrat, took to the Senate floor Thursday for his inaugural speech and used the time in the spotlight to offer his colleagues a history lesson on the origins and history of the United States government. Roughly 15 minutes into his speech, King referred to the so-called Ryan Budget passed in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives as a “political document.” “I don’t believe that the Ryan budget is really about debts and deficits,” said King. “It’s about shrinking government.” King then offered what for many will be a surprising statement: “Federal spending isn’t…

This column originally appeared in the April 24, 2013 edition of the New Hampshire Union Leader By Charles M. Arlinghaus Other states have always been annoyed by states like New Hampshire without a sales tax. Tax competition is distressing to the uncompetitive. But few tax grabs are as ill considered, unfair, and anti-competitive as the federal government’s attempt to impose a massive new internet sales tax. New Hampshire in particular needs to be careful. The new tax will lead to the elimination of the sales tax competitive advantage that is the foundation of our retail economy. Under the American tax…

AUGUSTA – In a party line vote Wednesday, the Maine House of Representatives passed L.D. 230, An Act To Establish the Commission on Health Care Cost and Quality.  The bill would establish a partisan commission to develop a health improvement plan for Maine, with members to be appointed solely by the Senate President, Speaker of the House, and two legislative committees. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) testified in opposition to the bill because the measure is wasteful in its duplication of existing efforts at the DHHS Office of MaineCare Services and the Maine Centers for Disease Control (CDC).…

AUGUSTA – Maine’s mayors and municipal officials have done a lot of complaining about Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage’s budget proposal and its cuts to revenue-sharing agreements with towns and cities. But one thing critics of the Governor’s budget proposal have not done is offer a better plan. On Thursday, LePage called on municipal officials to offer solutions, rather than belly-aching and political rhetoric, during negotiations on the upcoming biennial budget proposal. “The problem is there are only three large budget areas – education, welfare and revenue sharing,” LePage wrote in a letter to officials in Maine’s cities and towns.…

AUGUSTA – In a strict party-line vote Wednesday, State Democrats defeated a Republican-backed proposal to end forced unionism in Maine’s private sector. Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst), the sponsor of L.D. 831, An Act to Prohibit Mandatory Membership in a Union or Payment of Agency Fees as a Condition of Unemployment, said Wednesday’s 92-53 vote rejecting his bill is just a temporary setback in a nationwide movement that will inevitably come to Maine. “This bill was inspired both by principle and by economics,” said Lockman. “The principle is liberty, the bedrock of our uniquely American heritage of limited government and…

“President Obama does not want an immigration bill to pass,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during a Wednesday interview with CBS News’ Jan Crawford. Cruz, a darling of the Tea Party movement, has taken a no-holds-barred approach to tangling with the Obama Administration. Said Cruz, “I think that the president wants to campaign on immigration reform in 2014 and 2016. And I think the reason that the White House is insisting on a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is because the White House knows that insisting on that is very likely to scuttle the bill.” “Like”…

AUGUSTA – Due to “inadequate internal control procedures,” the Maine Department of Labor gave more than $100,000,000 in jobless benefits to Mainers who might not have been actively searching for a job, according to the 2012 report of the Maine State Auditor. State Auditor Pola A. Buckley, a Democratic political appointee, delivered her bombshell report to Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Cumberland), House Speaker Mark W. Eves (D-North Berwick) and Republican Governor Paul R. LePage on March 28. Buckley wrote in the audit, “Approximately $42 million in federally funded unemployment claims and $61 million in claims funded by Maine’s employers…

AUGUSTA – State workers who have been forced to pay fees to the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA) since 2007 will suffer forced wage garnishment for at least another two years after the Legislature’s decision to reject an Amherst Republican’s bipartisan proposal. Standing on the floor of the Maine House of Representatives, Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst) testified in support of his bill, L.D. 786, which would eliminate the MSEA’s monopoly over public sector collective bargaining rights thus rendering union membership voluntary. “Simply put, if the unions were doing their job and offering services that workers are willing to pay…

AUGUSTA – Lawmakers at Tuesday’s public hearing of the Taxation Committee heard testimony for an amorphous blob of policy proposals that could become the largest middle class tax hike in Maine history. The handful of tax proposals will likely become one omnibus bill, but the basic elements of the final proposal Democrats will produce are predictable: repeal of the 125th Legislature’s tax cut and the creation of a new Robin Hood Assessment. [RELATED: Fee Hike: Democrats allow $3 million motor vehicle registration fee increase…] The hearing began with a bill from Rep. W. Bruce MacDonald (D-Boothbay) to repeal tax cuts passed…

WASHINGTON – National Journal conducted an analysis of Sen. Angus S. King, Jr.’s voting record to date and found Maine’s allegedly independent junior senator votes with Democrats as often as the former chairman of the Democratic Party. Read the full National Journal report: When Maine’s Angus King ran as an independent candidate for the Senate last year, he carefully guarded which party he would caucus with in Washington and how he would vote. “They’ll know the answer when they get to the K’s,” King said of roll-call votes. The answer is: with the D’s. In his first 100 days casting…

AUGUSTA – As demonstrators gathered at the State House Tuesday to support a Farmington Republican’s push for better labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), new information has come to light regarding U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree’s financial and political ties to top GMO firms. In advance of the Agriculture Committee’s public hearing for Rep. Lance Harvell’s (R-Farmington) bill to regulate food containing GMOs, crowds gathered shouting “No, No, G-M-O!” and brandishing signs and slogans – even some that appeared on the backs of old Pingree for Senate signs. That Pingree’s old political materials are being recycled to protest…

AUGUSTA – Less than six weeks after its first stint in the Maine House of Representatives, Democratic representatives voted Tuesday to enact L.D. 405, a bill to allow motor vehicle registration fee increases of 50-67 percent—or $3 million. The House accepted the Transportation Committee’s divided ought-to-pass report on March 14 and the Senate concurred on April 4.  Today’s House vote – 89-57 mostly along party lines – puts the fate of the bill in the Senate. House Republicans said Democrats are asking Mainers to pick up the tab for the rapidly growing government of their dreams. “Just yesterday, Democrats rejected millions of…

AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday on Rep. Corey A. Wilson’s (R-Augusta) proposal to exempt concealed hand gun permits from Freedom of Access Act requests. The final vote was 106 yeas to 40 nays. How did your Representative vote on L.D. 345? “LIKE” us on Facebook “Follow” us on Twitter

The Center for American Progress – a leftist think tank with intimate ties to the White House– recently published a fact sheet about gun violence in Maine. The sheet is true propaganda that omits important contextual information about gun deaths in Maine in order to advance an ideological agenda — namely, that more than 90 percent of gun-related deaths in Maine are self-inflicted. The Center states the following: “In Maine, 113 people were killed in gun-related violence in 2010, or one every three days.” True. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 113 Mainers died in firearm-related incidents. What the Left…

According to the Associated Press, the Tsarnaev brothers were motivated by radical Islam: BOSTON (AP) — The two brothers suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon appear to have been motivated by a radical brand of Islam but do not seem connected to any Muslim terrorist groups, U.S. officials said Monday after interrogating and charging Dzhokhar Tsarnaev with crimes that could bring the death penalty. The brothers, ethnic Chechens from Russia who had been living in the U.S. for about a decade, practiced Islam. Read the full AP story 

Ten – that’s how many bullets Democrats think Mainers’ firearm magazines should hold. Twenty-one – that’s how old Democrats think Mainers should be before they can obtain a concealed carry permit. AUGUSTA – Despite President Barack Obama’s incontestable failure to force his sweeping national gun-control agenda through Congress, Maine Democrats are continuing their push for controversial state-level gun-control legislation. During a Monday afternoon meeting of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, state lawmakers considered two Democrat-backed proposals to restrict the purchase and use of firearms in Maine. [RELATED: Angus King: “Pretty Disappointing Obama’s gun-control bill died…] The first proposal,…

AUGUSTA – The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on Monday heard testimony regarding several bills Democratic lawmakers are pushing to make severe — and costly changes to voting in Maine. Two of the proposals would change Maine’s popular election system into a run-off election system, while two additional bills would enact ranked choice voting. All four proposals will impose significant costs on the state and its municipalities and are designed to prevent candidates from winning elections with a plurality of the popular vote. Sen. John Tuttle (D-York) has introduced L.D. 1358, An Act To Amend the Election Laws To Require…

Contrary to media reports, there is no federal investigation of Governor LePage. Rather, the U.S. Department of Labor will be cooperating with the LePage administration to conduct an audit of Maine’s unemployment insurance system. AUGUSTA – The acting Secretary of the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) and Maine Gov. Paul R. LePage agreed Wednesday to cooperate on an audit of Maine’s unemployment insurance program. “I have said repeatedly that the unemployment compensation system must maintain a fair and consistent application of the law throughout the process,” said LePage. “That will benefit both employees as well as employers.” If the…

The Way Life Should Be. Our motto rings true as Maine consistently ranks high in quality of life. However, for the past three years Maine ranked last on Forbes Magazine’s best places to do business list. It’s not surprising considering Maine has the second highest corporate tax burden, third lowest productivity per worker, and a shrinking economy and population. Recently, our legislators had an opportunity to help restore Maine’s competitiveness, and squandered it. (Recommended: Big Labor: Democrats kill bipartisan bill to protect state workers’ paychecks from union…) Two bills, L.D. 831 and L.D. 786, sponsored by Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman…

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. Angus S. King, Jr., an un-enrolled Democrat, said Friday in his weekly YouTube address that it was “pretty disappointing” to see President Barack Obama’s much-ballyhooed gun control legislation die. “There really wasn’t any good reason to go against it,” said King. “It was pretty much a straight party line vote, not entirely, but largely.” “It’ important to know that the bill got a majority of the Senate. It got 55 votes. And normally – in a normal universe – that would be enough votes to pass it,” said King. “But of course, down here, we have…

Defense against land trust costs Limington taxpayers funds, property In rural town of Limington, a dozen miles or so southwest of Sebago Lake, the quiet balance of country life has been upset over the past few years by a number of land use and property rights disputes between a local land trust and residents, as well as the desire of a land trust to receive the designation of property tax-exempt. While land use disputes have caused much discord for the local population, the tax exemption case has garnered statewide attention, as land trusts across Maine watch carefully for a precedent-setting…

Republican State Senators are co-sponsoring a Democratic proposal to restore the Maine Education Association’s (MEA) “virtual monopoly” of teachers’ taxpayer-funded health insurance. Sens. Roger Sherman (R-Aroostook) and Tom Saviello (R-Franklin) are co-sponsors of An Act to Protect School Administrative Units and Taxpayers (LD 300), introduced by Rep. Henry Beck (D-Waterville). Beck’s bill would repeal a law passed in 2011—and subsequently upheld by two federal courts—that allows school districts to obtain medical loss information from the MEA Benefits Trust (MEABT) which manages a statewide health insurance plan for most of Maine’s public school work force. Ralph W. Sarty Jr., former Republican…

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Wednesday the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare – could become a “train wreck” as the Obama administration readies to implement the massive healthcare overhaul. According to a report from TheHill.com, Baucus, the chairman of the Finance Committee and a “key architect” of the healthcare law, is concerned that people – especially small business owners – do not understand how the law will work. [RELATED: Maine Democrats assail MGARA amid Obamacare chaos…] “I just see a huge train wreck coming down,” he told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, according to…

A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Colorado’s 21-year old Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) could have dire implications for constitutional restraints on spending and taxation in almost every other state, including Maine. At issue is the very essence of republican self-government. The case – Kerr v. Colorado – is winding its way through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers is representing the state against individual plaintiffs. The plaintiffs in the case – 34 current and former state legislators and local officials, mostly Democrats – are arguing that when a state constitution or…