Inside Augusta
-
The new year brings changes to state and local laws
In addition to resolutions, 2020 brings new changes to state and local laws....
-
Understanding Governor Mills’ 10-year economic plan
Governor Janet Mills earlier this month released her 10-Year Economic Development Strategy for the state,...
-
Governor Mills finally resolves inauguration debt and receives $2,000 fine
On Wednesday, the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices fined Governor Janet...
-
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...
-
Maine must fund waitlists for people with intellectual disabilities
On October 8, 2019, the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) released...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Lawmakers approve more fake emergencies for consideration in upcoming session
Maine’s Legislative Council convened last Friday to consider appeals made by lawmakers regarding...
-
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...
-
How to fix Maine’s transportation funding shortfall
In June, Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 945, a resolve that created the Blue...
-
Should a prescription be necessary to purchase vape products?
Last month, Maine’s Legislative Council allowed LR 2765, “An Act To Enact Restrictions...
-
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...
-
Video: Understanding the Transportation & Climate Initiative
Governor Janet Mills is considering entering Maine into the Transportation & Climate Initiative,...
-
Leg Council rejects universal recognition, undermines public employees’ First Amendment rights
The Legislative Council on Wednesday met to vote on nearly 400 bills submitted...
-
Legislative Council approves dozens of non-emergencies
The Legislative Council convened Wednesday to consider roughly 400 bill requests submitted by...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Maine lawmakers are moving in the wrong direction on vaping
Following a national trend, Maine lawmakers decided in June to raise taxes on...
-
Lawmakers submit nearly 400 bills for consideration in Second Session
They’re at it again. On September 27th, lawmakers were required to submit all...
-
Should ballot questions be reserved for general elections?
When the legislature adjourns from session, all non-emergency legislation that was passed becomes...
-
Unaccommodating regulation threatens the future of tiny homes in Maine
Tiny houses are a relatively new phenomenon and are becoming a modern lifestyle...
-
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...
-
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...
-
New hands-free driving law takes effect on Thursday
On September 19th, many bills passed during the First Regular Session of the...
-
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...
-
Friday is the deadline for Governor Mills’ decision on LD 1083
Governor Janet Mills has until the end of the day Friday to decide...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Lawmakers and voters should reject new borrowing
Earlier this week, Governor Janet Mills issued a proclamation calling the Maine Legislature back to...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Skewed priorities in the Mills administration
Yesterday, Governor Janet Mills announced that her administration has urged the federal government...
-
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...
-
REAL ID is a privacy-eroding overreach by the federal government
In 2005, the United States Congress passed the REAL ID Act, with the...
-
What did Maine lawmakers accomplish in 2019?
The first session of the 129th Legislature adjourned in mid-June, making it critical...
-
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...
-
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...
-
How Augusta overcharges you for milk
To advocates of a limited public sector, there’s a lot to dislike about...
-
Proposed workers’ comp changes the wrong step for Maine
In the early ‘90s, times were very different than they are today. Maine’s...
-
National Popular Vote fight not over yet
Just last week, an amazing thing happened in the Maine House. Twenty-one Democrats...
-
Bill to adopt national popular vote compact fails in Maine House
The Maine House voted to reject a bill Thursday that would bind the...
-
How to submit testimony via the Legislature’s new online system
Background The Legislature has developed a new automated tool for submitting electronic testimony....
-
Maine would be wise to undo its ‘blue laws’
Maine is one of a small handful of states that still impose so-called...
-
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...
-
Lawmakers squander opportunity to ease vehicle inspection requirements
In 1994, Maine rolled out the United States Emissions Test, a program that...
-
Don’t fall for the seasonal gas tax gimmick
Roads across Maine are in rough shape this time of year, and a...
-
Able-bodied adults should work to receive Medicaid benefits
Lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee yesterday held a public hearing...
-
Maine Open Checkbook should be more transparent
In 2013, former Maine Gov. Paul LePage established the Maine Open Checkbook website...
-
Vehicle inspections do not make our roads safer
Lawmakers on the Transportation Committee today will hold a public hearing on LD...
-
Home sharing should never be a crime in Maine
Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government today is holding a...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Why must new vehicles be inspected?
Vehicles are far safer and more reliable than they were nearly a century...
-
What issues will Maine lawmakers debate in 2019?
At the start every new legislature, Maine’s Office of the Revisor of Statutes...
-
Medicaid expansion is here. Now what?
For the second time in 17 years, Maine has expanded Medicaid. Governor Mills...
-
The Legislature fails to make our elderly a priority
Legislative leaders caved to the Maine Municipal Association and watered down my bill....
-
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...
-
The legislature has one last shot to get things done
Here we are in August. It’s the dog days of summer, and the...
-
Where have the state employee unions been when it mattered?
Last week I spoke to you about the reforms we are proposing for...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
‘Reprehensible partisan behavior’ paralyzed the Maine House
Have you ever wondered what government officials do all day? I am going...
-
Speaker Gideon kills good legislation that would benefit the Maine people
The Maine people elect legislators to represent them in Augusta. They expect these...
-
Adjournment fiasco underscores dysfunctional legislative session
The clock struck midnight, but what did that mean? The second regular session...
-
Gun confiscation orders will make Maine less safe
Ever since Cain slew Abel with a rock, human society has struggled with...
-
Will Mainers get the chance to weigh in on Universal Home Care?
If you were pushing one of the largest tax hikes in history on Maine citizens,...
-
Do the right thing with Downeast Correctional Facility
As Governor, it’s my responsibility to make the tough decisions. The upcoming closure...
-
Democrats play politics with our elderly homeowners
I have been working hard to protect our elderly Mainers and to help...
-
Maine should resist taxing the ‘sharing economy’
The sharing economy, including platforms like Lyft, Uber and Airbnb, present new and...
-
Maine businesses struggle under minimum wage law
Advocates claim that by raising the minimum wage, hard-working Mainers working in these...
-
Emergency bill brings common sense reform to in-home care services
One of the few bills making it through Legislative Council this session that...
-
A Christmas message from Governor LePage
At this time of year, we gather with loved ones to celebrate Christmas,...
-
Legislature did not thwart voters’ will with changes to referendum bills
Perhaps the most inaccurate narrative being pushed by lobbyists and special-interest groups in...
-
We must not be fiscally irresponsible in implementing Medicaid expansion
It took a lot of work to balance Maine’s budget, bring fiscal responsibility...
-
Legislature votes to delay and potentially repeal ranked-choice voting
The Maine Legislature voted on Monday to delay the implementation of ranked-choice voting...
-
Maine’s ranked-choice voting law still needs 16 amendments for proper implementation
For those who attended or streamed the public hearing for LD 1646, “An...
-
Taxpayers should not pay to give ‘free’ healthcare for able-bodied adults
Special-interest groups are using the ballot box to push initiatives that are bad...
-
Pair of high-profile Republican lawmakers eyeing gubernatorial bid
Two leading conservative lawmakers, Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason of Lisbon and House...
-
Now is the time to invest in Maine’s future
After years of fixing Maine’s balance sheet, now is the time to make...
-
Mainers deserve better than rushed budget deals
Where is the accountability in Augusta? Lawmakers agreed on Tuesday to establish a...
-
Turnpike tolls are not the answer to better roads and bridges
Our administration has done a good job bringing accountability to the Maine Turnpike...
-
House Democrats are afraid of the truth
Policy creation should always be rooted in factual information and statistics. This is...
-
‘Opportunity Agenda’ rapidly expands government with your tax dollars
Interesting how the Democrats’ “Opportunity Agenda” converges with the British Labour Party’s recently leaked...
-
Let’s Fix Questions 2 and 4 for Working, Taxpaying Mainers
It’s a busy and important day for conservatives in Augusta, where the Labor,...
-
Sick of Inspection Stickers?
Are you tired of being forced to have your car inspected every year?...
-
LePage Files Lawsuit Against Attorney General Janet Mills
Gov. Paul LePage announced late Monday he has filed a lawsuit in Kennebec...
-
Nobody in Maine Asked Angus King for a Lecture on Bipartisanship
I hate it when partisan hacks stink up my Sunday morning news programs....
-
Let’s End the National Nightmare of ObamaCare
Let’s set the record straight on a lot of the propaganda you are...
-
Empty Analysis and Flawed Statistics: MPA Struggling to Grasp Impact of Question 2
He strikes again. Mike Tipping, the communications director of the Maine People’s Alliance...
-
Welfare Funds Should Stay in Maine
Maine needs to enact common sense reforms of its welfare system. The public...
-
Regional Services Can Improve Funding for Education
Democrats say they want to reduce property taxes. But they don’t have the...
-
LePage Offers Real Solution to Combat Rising School Costs
While liberals ridicule Gov. Paul LePage’s stance on school regionalization, the real issues...
-
Ethics Official ‘Disappointed’ in AFL-CIO’s Decision to Hire Goode as Lobbyist
“Consulting” with the Maine Ethics Commission prior to engaging in unethical behavior does...
-
Legislature to Consider Removing Cap on Maine’s Charter Schools
There’s nothing more enjoyable as a constituent than seeing your elected officials keep...
-
Democrats’ Budget Is One Page of Talking Points
Democrat politicians in Augusta will take every opportunity to spend more of your...
-
Brakey Introduces Bill to Keep Unconstitutional Measures Off Maine Ballots
After facing a number of referendums last November with questionable constitutionality, one state...
