Inside Augusta
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An Open Letter to All State Employees
Dear State Employees, Recently, the print media and the union bosses at the...
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Welfare Reform in Maine Continues with New Law Taking Effect Today
Between 2010-2014, 4,865 lottery tickets with a prize of $1,000 or more were...
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Critics Should Focus on SNAP Reform, Not Attacking LePage
The nonsensical backlash aimed at Gov. LePage following his attempt to ban junk...
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Governor Calls on Attorney General to Get Serious About Welfare Fraud
Since less than half of the welfare fraud cases presented to Attorney General...
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Maine People’s Alliance Should Put Its Money Where Its Mouth Is
The debate on whether or not voters should increase Maine’s minimum wage continues,...
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Sierra Club Symbolic of Left’s Hypocrisy on Clean Elections
Recently I received a candidate questionnaire from the Sierra Club, a left-leaning organization...
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Democrats’ Reckless Spending Habits Put Programs and People at Risk
Democrats cannot break their bad spending habits. This week I had to sign...
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LePage Questions Funding Source for Four Bills, Calls for Special Session
Yesterday, House Republican Leader Ken Fredette met with Governor LePage, House Speaker Mark...
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Governor Issues Executive Order to Identify Risks Associated with Ethanol Use
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has issued an Executive Order in an...
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MDOL Comments on Minimum Wage Ballot Question
On Monday, June 13, 2016, the Maine Department of Labor formally submitted public...
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LePage: NRCM Should Meet with Me to Create Jobs for Mainers
Last week the executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine was...
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DHHS Error Rates Story Blown Out of Proportion
Recently, the Bangor Daily News (BDN) published this article which describes the supposed...
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Why Are Mainers Poor?
Yesterday, The Maine Heritage Policy Center released a new report, “Top 10 Things...
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Four Things Other New England States Are Doing Worse Than Maine
New England, on the whole, is an economically-depressed region. Between 2004 and 2014,...
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Question 1 Ballot Committee Claims Immunity to Law They Helped Enact
Last November, Mainers voted to pass Question 1, nearly tripling the amount of...
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Man Who Burns His Food Goes Hungry
When thinking about ethanol, I am reminded of a song my children listened...
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House Majority Leader’s Stunt to Shame Elderly Woman Recklessly Goes Too Far
In a shameless effort to promote his environmentalism, Representative Jeff McCabe took to...
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Regulations Drive Up Cost of Child Care in Maine
For many families with young children, especially single-parent households, child care is critical...
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Maine DHHS Puts Limit on Automatic Replacement of EBT Cards
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has implemented a new...
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NRCM is Ignoring the Will of Rural Mainers
The Natural Resources Council of Maine is at it again. First, they denied...
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MPA: Need, Want, Demand!
This morning in my email, I received a MPA Campaign Vote! Candidate Questionnaire. Naturally,...
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Energy Costs and Fairy Dust
I requested (actually, I begged) to serve on Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee,...
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Many Questions Remain Unanswered Following National Monument Forum
“Maine people know that it isn’t about conservation. It is about control and...
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It’s Not About the Children, It’s About the Union
The Maine Education Association is putting a dishonest initiative on the November ballot....
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EXCLUSIVE: LePage’s Most Beloved Veto
With all the news coverage of Governor LePage’s adoption of a Jack Russell...
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Who Would Really Benefit from Education Tax Initiative?
This November, Maine voters will decide on an initiative to provide further public...
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“Job” is Not a Dirty Word
Today, Mary Mayhew, commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, was...
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Blame Dill and Liberals for Poor Economic Record, Not Me
As a shameless shill for liberal causes, it’s no surprise that Cynthia Dill...
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Subsidies and Cost Shifting Won’t Power Maine’s Economy
Anyone remotely familiar with Maine’s economy knows it’s at a crossroads. Between 2004...
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Setting the Record Straight on My Solar Vote
“Despite the fact Greg Kesich wrote a nearly 800 word editorial defaming five...
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Legacy of Mark Eves: Failed Witch-Hunts and False Sense of Entitlement
Yesterday, Rep. Mark Eves’ lawsuit against Governor Paul LePage was dismissed by a...
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The 127th Maine Legislature Cut Taxes, Controlled Spending and Reformed Welfare
The 127th Maine Legislature has now adjourned for good and House Republicans are...
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Solar Veto Sustained in Spite of Lobby’s Best Efforts
Despite 8 legislators taking a walk on the solar bill vote today and tremendous...
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Secretary of State Validates Marijuana Legalization Petition
AUGUSTA – Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap has issued an amended determination on...
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Three Bills You Should Be Grateful LePage Vetoed
Tomorrow, legislators will assemble under the dome for “Veto Day.” Here is a...
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Statement of Governor on Theodora J. Kalikow Education Center Dedication Ceremony
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage today issued a statement regarding the Theodora...
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How Can We End Poverty in Maine?
In a BDN column earlier this month, David Farmer attacked the LePage administration and...
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The Good, Bad and Ugly on Maine Energy
Through my service on the Energy, Utilities and Technology (EUT) Committee in Maine,...
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Despite Excessive Welfare Spending, ME Remains Poor
I must say, as a conservative, I found parts of Rep. Archie Verow’s...
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Researching the Minimum Wage
On April 15 Nathan Strout’s “Fuzzy Math in Push for Raising the Minimum...
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AGs United for Clean Power Fail to Fulfill Their Mission
A coalition of Attorneys General (AG) have launched a full-fledged witch hunt into...
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Governor Signs Major Opioid Prescribing Reform Bill
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage on Tuesday signed into law LD 1646,...
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MHPC Reveals Most Expensive Hospitals in Maine
Today in Augusta, the Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) unveiled the latest research...
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Maine Senate Passes Welfare Reform
AUGUSTA – The Maine Senate passed legislation to ban the use of welfare...
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Fuzzy Math In Push For Raising The Minimum Wage
As I watch the campaign to raise the minimum wage to $12 an...
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Maine Uncovering Record Amount of Welfare Fraud
This week, the Maine Department of Health and Human Service announced that they...
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Governor Signs Bill to Provide Tuition for National Guard
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage signed LD 1612 into law today, which...
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Governor LePage Signs Public Subsidized Housing Rights Bill
Governor Paul LePage and the state legislature scored a victory for public subsidized housing...
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House Republicans Hold Firm Against Medicaid Expansion for 6th Time
Wednesday night, House Republicans once again said no to Medicaid expansion for the...
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Emily Cain Courts Anonymous Hollywood Billionaires For Campaign Cash
Career politician and Democratic challenger for Maine’s 2nd congressional district, Emily Cain, will...
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McCabe Continues to Block Public Hearings on Immigration Policy
As the Legislature lurches toward adjournment in the next week or two, Maine...
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Mainers Are One Step Closer to Affordable Health Care
Today, the state Senate voted on a party-line vote of 20-15 to pass...
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Local Voices Must Be Heard On the National Monument Debate
This week, Maine’s State Legislature passed LD 1600, a bill that would require...
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LD 1492: More Is Said Than Done
Last week, Governor Paul LePage delivered a letter to the 127th Legislature vetoing...
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Both Sides Like This Solution to High Health Care Costs
It is quite rare that ideas are proposed that transcend partisanship. Even rarer...
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Superior Court Remands Determination on Marijuana Legalization Petition
AUGUSTA – In a decision handed down today, Justice Michaela Murphy of the...
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Senate Narrowly Votes to Advance National Monument Bill
Yesterday, the Senate voted in favor of the minority report of LD 1600...
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Another Common Core Bait and Switch
Every state in the country that has claimed to have “repealed” the Common...
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Welfare Programs Harm Recipients
America’s $700 billion per year welfare system is actually doing more harm than...
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Cutting Cronyism and Taxes are a Maine Source of Opportunity
Sad news struck Maine’s once-thriving paper industry recently. Only months after Verso Corp....
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Important Pro-Employer Bill Killed by Labor Unions
Another pro-employer bill has died at the hands of the divided 127th Legislature....
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Bill to Protect Gun Owners in Subsidized Housing Heads to Governor’s Desk
AUGUSTA –The legislation proposed by Senator Andre Cushing (R-Penobscot) to protect the rights...
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Maine National Guard Tuition Waiver Passes House
LD 1343 among five bills aimed at helping Maine veterans passed as part...
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Maine doesn’t need Michael Bloomberg’s gun control agenda
Last week, the Senate joined the House of Representatives in voting to indefinitely...
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Maine Becomes 25th State to Pass Right-to-Try
Yesterday, Governor Paul LePage (R) signed LD 180, “An Act To Allow Terminally...
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Bill to Protect Gun Owners in Subsidized Housing Wins Bipartisan Support in House
Augusta – On a vote of 92-54, the legislation proposed by Senator Andre...
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Common Sense & the Minimum Wage
As I’m sure you already know, certain politicians in the state of Maine,...
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Let’s Tear Down the Wall Between Breweries and Brewpubs
Perhaps as early as Wednesday, the Maine House of Representatives has a chance to...
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Bill to Offer Energy Relief to Businesses Clears Final Legislative Hurdle
Augusta – A bill which would provide businesses in Maine with energy cost...
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Should Maine Teachers Be Armed?
Should we allow our teachers to be trained and armed like some schools...
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Ranked Choice Voting: Wrong for Maine & Blatantly Unconstitutional
Until recently, I assumed that all measures placed on the ballot were lawful....
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Patients, Customers and Taxpayers Should Be Worried
Community Health Options (CHO) has decided to increase prices for patients and customers...
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Lawmakers Come Together to Pass Right-to-Try Legislation in Augusta
Amidst all of the disagreement over controversial issues such as welfare reform and...
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HHS Committee Divided on Welfare Reforms
Augusta – Following a committee vote today on the welfare proposals brought forward...
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Diane Russell’s Unethical PAC Spending
In the past, I’ve written about the Maine version of the Hillary Victory...
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Medicaid Expansion Bill Before HHS Committee Today
Following the scheduled public hearings and work sessions today, the Health and Human...
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More than $89 Million Saved Through Welfare Reforms
AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced yesterday its...
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Senate Advances Bill to Offer Energy Relief to Businesses
Augusta – A bill which would provide businesses in Maine with energy cost...
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Meaningful Welfare Reform Is More Than a Campaign Slogan
Due to pressure from some socialist legislators and progressive lobbyists, Senator Nathan Libby...
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$500 Million Price Tag on Latest Medicaid Expansion Bill
AUGUSTA — Today the Department of Health and Human Services released the fiscal...
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Who Are These People, Anyways?
Two organizations with interesting names are making a play on your Second Amendment...
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Why Make a Monument out of Land with No Buttes?
I’m not generally excited about parks. I like nature, there is no mistaking...
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How Economic Ignorance Kills Jobs
For the life of me I can’t understand why anyone would have the mentality...
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House Democrats Threatening to Take Over State Government
Regardless of your party affiliation, what happened in the Maine House of Representatives...
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No More Spending
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531...
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Don’t Let Bloomberg Buy Your Rights!
Members of the House of Representatives may have Bloomberg’s gun control ballot initiative...
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Solutions That Work for Maine
For several years in a row, Maine’s business climate has ranked among the...
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Unnecessary Regulations Strangle Maine’s Economy
Maine’s harsh regulatory climate continues to hinder our state’s economic growth, especially for...
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Tax Committee Votes to Kill the Death Tax
For Immediate Release: Friday, March 11, 2016 Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531...
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TANF Work Participation Rate a Staggering 19%
Amidst the chaos under the dome yesterday surrounding the Democrat’s new “welfare reform...
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The Democrats Are Pretending to Care About Welfare Reform
It’s an election year, so Democrats in the State Legislature are again feigning...
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Democrats Release Hostages in Augusta
I have good news from the Coliseum on the Kennebec! The State House...
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HHS Committee to Address Lax Welfare Policies Tomorrow
For a number of years, Maine law has been more lenient than federal...
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Maine Businesses and Taxpayers Deserve More
It appears that State legislative leaders and Governor Paul LePage may finally reach...
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Don’t Increase the Minimum Wage
Proponents of a higher minimum wage, led by the Maine People’s Alliance, have...
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Blue, Orange, and Green: The Case for Sunday Hunting in Maine
Vincent Van Gogh once said, “There is no blue without yellow and without...
