Inside Augusta
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Coronavirus, Governor Mills, and the Constitution
Governors and bureaucrats are picking and choosing which parts of the Constitution they...
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Pressure mounts on Speaker Gideon, President Jackson to reconvene the Maine Legislature
The Maine Legislature may soon reconvene three months after lawmakers adjourned the 2020...
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Lawmakers express bipartisan frustration over labor commissioner’s absence
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle voiced frustration last Thursday after Department...
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Governor Mills and selective science
This piece was originally published in the Portland Press Herald Businesses throughout Maine...
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Maine Senate Republicans ask the presiding officers to convene the Legislative Council
The leaders of the minority Republicans in the Maine Senate on Wednesday sent...
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The governor is shifting COVID-19 costs to counties
On May 15, Governor Mills issued an executive order delegating authority to the Commissioner of...
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The governor shouldn’t be acting alone
Maine citizens are becoming increasingly divided. It didn’t have to be this way....
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New legislative proposal would curb emergency powers of Maine’s chief executive
In a press statement released late Monday afternoon, House Minority Leader Rep. Kathleen...
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Gov. Mills announces changes to her plan to reopen Maine
Governor Janet Mills announced changes to her plan to reopen Maine’s economy Friday...
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For how long will Maine be under a civil state of emergency?
On March 15, Maine Governor Janet Mills declared a civil state of emergency enabling her...
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Governor Mills signals changes are coming to her plan to reopen Maine’s economy
Governor Janet Mills alluded to forthcoming changes to her plan to reopen Maine’s...
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The Legislature must reconvene to rein in the governor’s emergency powers
On Saturday evening, the Republican leaders in the House and Senate, with the...
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Governor Mills issues order to stop evictions, foreclosures during coronavirus shutdown
Maine Governor Janet Mills signed an executive order Thursday that effectively prevents the...
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Gov. Mills announces plan to open two alternative care sites, floats postponement of June primary election
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Maine grew by 20 overnight to...
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Governor Mills extends state tax filing deadline, deems firearm retailers ‘non-essential’ businesses
Governor Janet Mills announced Thursday she is extending the state of Maine’s income...
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Gov. Mills issues new mandate for nonessential businesses to close for two weeks
Maine Governor Janet Mills and Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center...
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Maine Legislature acts on COVID-19, gives Gov. Mills broad authority to respond
The Maine Legislature adjourned Tuesday evening after a marathon session where the body...
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Maine Legislature to adjourn Tuesday due to coronavirus
The Maine Legislature will prematurely adjourn Tuesday in response to the coronavirus, Maine’s...
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Proposed bill would boost salaries of Maine’s governor, lawmakers and judges
Lawmakers on Maine’s State and Local Government Committee held a public hearing Monday...
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Focus shifts to Governor Mills on TCI gas tax
The pressure is on Janet Mills as the public comment period on the...
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Lawmakers exploring a $23 million ‘pack tax’
On Wednesday, lawmakers on Maine’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee held a public...
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Public control isn’t the answer to concerns about Maine’s power utilities
This item was originally published in the Portland Press Herald. Maine consumers –...
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Lawmakers wasting time on cage-free egg bill
Maine has a $232 million annual transportation funding shortfall. Nursing homes that care...
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Whoops, we forgot to fix the roads
A little over one year into her tenure as governor, Janet Mills is...
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The nanny state wants to take away your vape
Lawmakers on Maine’s Health and Human Services Committee held a public hearing Wednesday...
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Bill seeks to limit Mainers’ free speech within 60 days of an election
Maine’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing Wednesday on...
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Gov. Mills attempts to appease critics, stretches the truth in first State of the State address
Maine Gov. Janet Mills delivered her first State of the State address Tuesday...
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Southern Maine lawmakers want to build a taxpayer-funded convention center in Portland
The Maine Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing...
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Pay attention to looming gas tax increase
Progressive lawmakers are in pursuit of an ever-expanding state government in Augusta. Their...
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Lawmakers to address the grave emergency of electric school buses
Lawmakers on Maine’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee are holding a public hearing...
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The new year brings changes to state and local laws
In addition to resolutions, 2020 brings new changes to state and local laws....
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Understanding Governor Mills’ 10-year economic plan
Governor Janet Mills earlier this month released her 10-Year Economic Development Strategy for the state,...
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Governor Mills finally resolves inauguration debt and receives $2,000 fine
On Wednesday, the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices fined Governor Janet...
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TCI would raise gas prices by up to 17 cents per gallon, do little to curb emissions
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and...
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Maine must fund waitlists for people with intellectual disabilities
On October 8, 2019, the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) released...
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Plan for universal health care in Maine calls for massive tax increases
The 129th Maine Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee met Monday...
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Like others that preceded it, Governor Mills’ economic plan will be a bust
Governor Mills on Wednesday released her 10-year economic development plan for Maine, the...
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Lawmakers approve more fake emergencies for consideration in upcoming session
Maine’s Legislative Council convened last Friday to consider appeals made by lawmakers regarding...
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Leg Council rejects crucial workforce development bill, denies public employees their First Amendment rights
The majority members of Maine’s Legislative Council voted Friday to kill along party...
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How to fix Maine’s transportation funding shortfall
In June, Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 945, a resolve that created the Blue...
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Should a prescription be necessary to purchase vape products?
Last month, Maine’s Legislative Council allowed LR 2765, “An Act To Enact Restrictions...
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Is it feasible to provide a universal basic income in Maine?
Earlier this year the legislature passed LD 1324, a bill that creates an 11-person...
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Video: Understanding the Transportation & Climate Initiative
Governor Janet Mills is considering entering Maine into the Transportation & Climate Initiative,...
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Leg Council rejects universal recognition, undermines public employees’ First Amendment rights
The Legislative Council on Wednesday met to vote on nearly 400 bills submitted...
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Legislative Council approves dozens of non-emergencies
The Legislative Council convened Wednesday to consider roughly 400 bill requests submitted by...
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Here are some of the ’emergencies’ lawmakers want to debate in the Second Session
It is everyone’s favorite time of the legislative cycle – preparing for the...
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People’s Veto effort to repeal vaccine mandate qualifies for March 2020 ballot
Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap confirmed Thursday his office had certified the...
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Maine lawmakers are moving in the wrong direction on vaping
Following a national trend, Maine lawmakers decided in June to raise taxes on...
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Lawmakers submit nearly 400 bills for consideration in Second Session
They’re at it again. On September 27th, lawmakers were required to submit all...
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Should ballot questions be reserved for general elections?
When the legislature adjourns from session, all non-emergency legislation that was passed becomes...
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Unaccommodating regulation threatens the future of tiny homes in Maine
Tiny houses are a relatively new phenomenon and are becoming a modern lifestyle...
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Does Maine have 500 problems that only government can solve?
The Constitution of Maine explicitly states all bills passed by the legislature become law 90...
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After years of resistance, Maine is rolling out new rules for autocycles
Hundreds of new Maine laws will take effect later this week. Among them...
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New hands-free driving law takes effect on Thursday
On September 19th, many bills passed during the First Regular Session of the...
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Governor Mills lets RCV for presidential elections become law without her signature
Maine Governor Janet Mills decided Friday to let LD 1083, “An Act To...
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Friday is the deadline for Governor Mills’ decision on LD 1083
Governor Janet Mills has until the end of the day Friday to decide...
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Will Governor Mills sign or veto bill that expands RCV to presidential elections?
The Maine Legislature reconvened on Monday to consider four bond proposals that failed...
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Lawmakers reject 3 of 4 bonds, approve RCV for presidential elections during special session
Lawmakers returned to Augusta on Monday to debate several bonds proposed by Governor...
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Lawmakers and voters should reject new borrowing
Earlier this week, Governor Janet Mills issued a proclamation calling the Maine Legislature back to...
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The governor’s outstanding inauguration debt poses real questions for state ethics regulators
Maine Governor Janet Mills still has not paid the full cost of her...
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Lawmakers will consider more than $2.1 billion in bonds next session
The Maine Legislature is slated to debate more than $2.1 billion in bonds...
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Skewed priorities in the Mills administration
Yesterday, Governor Janet Mills announced that her administration has urged the federal government...
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Governor Mills defies ‘foolish, unsupported and ill-advised’ regulations on Maine lobster industry
In a fiery letter sent Thursday, July 11, Governor Janet Mills announced her...
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REAL ID is a privacy-eroding overreach by the federal government
In 2005, the United States Congress passed the REAL ID Act, with the...
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What did Maine lawmakers accomplish in 2019?
The first session of the 129th Legislature adjourned in mid-June, making it critical...
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Governor Mills found her veto pen and used it against government unions
After the First Regular Session of the 129th Maine Legislature came to a...
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Maine now has automatic voter registration. How will the new system impact our elections?
In a utopian society where there is no ill will or mistakes made...
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How Augusta overcharges you for milk
To advocates of a limited public sector, there’s a lot to dislike about...
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Proposed workers’ comp changes the wrong step for Maine
In the early ‘90s, times were very different than they are today. Maine’s...
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National Popular Vote fight not over yet
Just last week, an amazing thing happened in the Maine House. Twenty-one Democrats...
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Bill to adopt national popular vote compact fails in Maine House
The Maine House voted to reject a bill Thursday that would bind the...
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How to submit testimony via the Legislature’s new online system
Background The Legislature has developed a new automated tool for submitting electronic testimony....
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Maine would be wise to undo its ‘blue laws’
Maine is one of a small handful of states that still impose so-called...
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Mainers have been so active this session, the legislature has new procedures for submitting testimony
It’s true – citizens have been so active this session that the Maine...
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Lawmakers squander opportunity to ease vehicle inspection requirements
In 1994, Maine rolled out the United States Emissions Test, a program that...
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Don’t fall for the seasonal gas tax gimmick
Roads across Maine are in rough shape this time of year, and a...
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Able-bodied adults should work to receive Medicaid benefits
Lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee yesterday held a public hearing...
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Maine Open Checkbook should be more transparent
In 2013, former Maine Gov. Paul LePage established the Maine Open Checkbook website...
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Vehicle inspections do not make our roads safer
Lawmakers on the Transportation Committee today will hold a public hearing on LD...
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Home sharing should never be a crime in Maine
Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government today is holding a...
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It didn’t take long for tax increases to be proposed in Augusta
It was only a matter of time, right? In a piece that read...
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New analysis shows there are 113,862 regulatory restrictions on the books in Maine
The 2018 Code of Maine Rules is home to 113,862 restrictions and 8.1...
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Why must new vehicles be inspected?
Vehicles are far safer and more reliable than they were nearly a century...
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What issues will Maine lawmakers debate in 2019?
At the start every new legislature, Maine’s Office of the Revisor of Statutes...
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Medicaid expansion is here. Now what?
For the second time in 17 years, Maine has expanded Medicaid. Governor Mills...
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The Legislature fails to make our elderly a priority
Legislative leaders caved to the Maine Municipal Association and watered down my bill....
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Question 1’s new surtax would be detrimental to Maine’s economy
This commentary was originally published in the Bangor Daily News. The state economist recently...
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The legislature has one last shot to get things done
Here we are in August. It’s the dog days of summer, and the...
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Where have the state employee unions been when it mattered?
Last week I spoke to you about the reforms we are proposing for...
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Liberals are holding tax conformity hostage to fund their elections with taxpayer dollars
It’s summer in Maine. We should be enjoying it. Instead, at the State...
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Let’s work together and do the right thing for our seniors
Over the last seven and a half years, the Legislature and I have...
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The Legislature is coming into special session to take the easy way out
A year ago, House Republicans shut down state government to make sure bad...
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‘Reprehensible partisan behavior’ paralyzed the Maine House
Have you ever wondered what government officials do all day? I am going...
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Speaker Gideon kills good legislation that would benefit the Maine people
The Maine people elect legislators to represent them in Augusta. They expect these...
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Adjournment fiasco underscores dysfunctional legislative session
The clock struck midnight, but what did that mean? The second regular session...
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Gun confiscation orders will make Maine less safe
Ever since Cain slew Abel with a rock, human society has struggled with...
