Inside Augusta
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Requiring Photo ID to Vote Protects Our Democracy
There is no question that our right to vote is fundamental to our...
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Maine’s General Assistance: A Flawed Program
Maine might just be the most lavish state in the U.S. – at...
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The Disneyland Measles Outbreak Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Mainers
The measles do not seem like a fun time. Neither does diphtheria, polio,...
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If you Like your $2.00 gasoline and heating oil, You can Keep It
Well, not so much. The Obama Administration last week through the EPA issued the...
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LePage Budget Proposes Significant Tax Changes
On Friday, Governor Paul R. LePage released his biennial budget. The highly anticipated...
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How Misinformation Pollutes Public Policy
At its best, research can be the backbone of policymaking. It can provide...
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Minimum Wage Increase Wrong for Maine
There is no denying that the low wages earned by Maine people are...
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Medical professionals condemning LePage quarantine policy are Michaud donors
A group of medical professionals submitted a letter to Maine’s newspapers warning against...
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The Precautionary Principle Strikes Back
The Precautionary Principle has been used by progressive environmental and public health advocates...
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Press Herald owner Sussman is top Maine political donor
The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting has produced an analysis of the...
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Desperate campaigns relying on deception
Every election year Mainers can count on a handful of desperate political campaigns...
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Maine candidate, People’s Alliance member falsely claims she’s a licensed physician
LEWISTON – A Lewiston Democrat and former Maine People’s Alliance co-chair has been...
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Michaud on Ebola: Give West African immigrants Medicaid
At Wednesday’s gubernatorial debate, U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud, the Democratic candidate, suggested U.S. policymakers...
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Déjà vu? Maine’s top pollster shows shifting race for Maine governor
Maine’s top-rated pollster on Thursday released a new poll showing Republican Gov. Paul...
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Higher Sales Taxes Will Drive Mainers to Shop in New Hampshire
On October 1, 2013, Mainers felt the sting of a 10 percent increase...
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Cutler, LePage and Michaud Debate
PORTLAND – The three candidates in Maine’s hotly contested race for governor gathered...
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Cato Institute ranks LePage among top four U.S. governors on fiscal policy
The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., released its...
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The Embarrassing Governor
Author’s note: A previous version of this column appeared in the Portland Press...
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Big Labor drops money bomb for Michaud
A top union boss spoke out in favor of Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael...
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Lockman: Dem majorities crush welfare reform, workplace freedom
Greetings from Amherst to all readers of the Maine Wire: With fewer than...
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Sorensen crushes liberal spin on Maine’s economy
Maine’s liberals are at it again, cherry picking data in an attempt to...
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Maine GOP sets record straight on hospital repayment
AUGUSTA – The Maine Republican Party has issued the first edition of what...
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Frary: Tempest in a Chamber Pot
By John Frary — Last year presidential consigliore John Podesta snarled that Republicans...
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Maine AG Janet Mills clashes with LePage on welfare
Maine Attorney General Janet Mills makes no attempt to conceal her contempt for Republican...
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The Maine Democrats’ Fiscal Epiphany
By Jonathan McKane — Maine Democrats and the Maine press are fed up....
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Maine GOP’s young guns lead state candidates in fundraising
Two young guns in the Maine Republican Party are leading candidates for the...
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Does Mike Michaud want the teachers union setting education policy?
Should teachers’ unions set Maine’s education policy instead of local school boards and...
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Who funds the Maine Democrats?
The Maine Democratic Party relies heavily on union funding and contributions from national...
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Maine political players attend conference for shadowy Democracy Alliance
When a group of left-wing millionaires and billionaires held a secret meeting in...
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GOP Leaders: Nursing homes facing funding loss as Democrats refuse to take action
AUGUSTA – Republican leaders say funding for nursing homes across the state has...
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Obamacare Medicaid expansion dead
AUGUSTA – The final chance to expand Maine’s Medicaid program pursuant to the...
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On LePage’s Prolific Veto Pen
Heading to “Veto Day” at the State House, a newspaper headline asks, “Are...
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Bill to Nullify Alexander Group Contract Draws Bipartisan Opposition
From House Communications Director David Sorensen: AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives...
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Frary: Jesus Christ in the Maine State House
Jesus wants Maine’s House of Representatives to expand Mainecare coverage. We know this...
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Poll: Mainers’ support for Medicaid expansion soft
A poll released Wednesday by opponents of Medicaid expansion found support for the...
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Baldacci condemns Maine Democrats’ “murder” message on Medicaid expansion
Former Maine Gov. John Baldacci, a Democrat, condemned the Maine Democrats’ Medicaid expansion...
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Medicaid expansion passes House without veto proof margin
AUGUSTA – A proposal to expand Medicaid pursuant to the Affordable Care Act...
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Ciampi: A vote for Medicaid expansion is a vote against your neighborhood doctor
By Michael Ciampi, M.D. — As the Maine Legislature and the public debate Medicaid...
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DOJ: More than 1/3 of new Medicaid eligibles have criminal history
More than one-third of individuals covered under the Affordable Care Act’s proposed expansion...
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Katz-Saviello Medicaid expansion passes senate, 22-13
AUGUSTA – The Maine Senate approved a Medicaid expansion proposal Wednesday, but the...
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Maine Obamacare enrollment goal beat with help from Republicans
Maine has exceeded the Obama administration’s enrollment goal for the HealthCare.gov insurance exchanges...
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Maine Democrats: LePage is a murderer
The Democratic activist group Maine People’s Alliance is calling Gov. Paul LePage and...
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NFIB Survey: Small Business Owners Opposed to Medicaid Expansion
AUGUSTA – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) on Monday released a...
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Daily Catch: Big Macs and Medicaid, Putin the Peaceful, and the Continuing IRS Scandal
$800 Million or a Big Mac?: Critics of a plan to expand Maine’s...
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Progressives score hollow victory with Medicaid expansion committee vote
AUGUSTA – In a 5-7 party line vote, the Legislature’s Health and Human...
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For parents of disabled children, MaineCare waitlists are a nightmarish prospect
When doctors discovered that Jeff and Kirsten Martin’s child would have serious medical...
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Donald Sussman’s newspaper censors a conservative voice (again)
The Portland-based Press Herald newspaper, a publication majority-owned by Democratic Party mega-donor S....
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Medicaid Expansion In Any Form Bad for Maine
(Editor’s Note: The Portland-based Press Herald newspaper refused to publish this opinion editorial,...
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Maine commissioners say Medicaid spending threatens natural resource agencies
AUGUSTA – Members of Gov. Paul LePage’s cabinet gathered at the State House...
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Report: Medicaid expansion is a job killer
PORTLAND – The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) on Thursday released a study...
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Maine House GOP Reps to Sweetser Speaker: Recuse yourself from Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA – Twenty-six Republican state representatives delivered an open letter to House Speaker...
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Advocate or Analyst: Emails raise questions about non-partisan staffer’s role on HHS Committee
AUGUSTA – A top Republican lawmaker on the Health and Human Services (HHS)...
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Video: Alfond delivers Democrat response to LePage State of the State
Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland) delivered the Democratic address in a video released...
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Left-wing advocates manipulate statistics to levy partisan attacks
Robyn Merrill of the Maine Equal Justice Partners attacked the LePage administration on...
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Schaeffer: Tooth Fairy Government: Bringing Medicaid expansion to a town near you
“It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for...
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Has Maine’s safety net turned into a hammock?
I was surprised to read in a recent op-ed column by state Sen....
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Has Maine's safety net turned into a hammock?
I was surprised to read in a recent op-ed column by state Sen....
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Medicaid expansion gets another public hearing
AUGUSTA – For the second time in the 126th Legislature, the Health and...
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Expert gives HHS Committee reality check on Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA – Gary Alexander, founder and president of The Alexander Group, on Tuesday...
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Schaeffer: A Medicaid Bubble – and How to Get There
Maine Wire readers should be well aware that the most controversial policy issue...
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Frary: Maine’s Medicaid Expansion Follies
Mark Giangreco, my new friend at the Democratic Governor’s Association (DGA), just sent...
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Frary: Maine's Medicaid Expansion Follies
Mark Giangreco, my new friend at the Democratic Governor’s Association (DGA), just sent...
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Report: Cost, welfare rolls to soar under Obamacare Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA – Expanding eligibility for Maine’s medical welfare program, known as Medicaid or...
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Study: Expanding Medicaid does not reduce ER trips, it increases them
Would expanding medical welfare reduce visits to the emergency room? A new study...
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Liberal think tank seeks analyst who can rebut Amherst Republican
AUGUSTA – The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), a liberal think tank,...
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Medicaid expansion fight unfolds in polls
The Maine People’s Alliance, a liberal advocacy group, claimed on Thursday that...
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This is what transparency looks like under the Alfond-Eves Regime
Transparency and accountability are core functions of government. Democracy does not equal self-government...
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House Speaker will continue work for major Medicaid expansion beneficiary
The top advocate for expanding medical welfare in Maine confirmed Tuesday that he...
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Emails raise questions on House Speaker’s ties to major Medicaid expansion beneficiary
The chief Democratic advocate for Medicaid expansion may have misrepresented his professional relationship...
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Portland Democrats claim credit for paying hospitals
PORTLAND – Two Portland lawmakers are looking to capitalize on voters’ short memories,...
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Misleading Arguments for Medicaid Expansion
The present conversation over Medicaid expansion, as witnessed daily in editorial pages and...
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Top Republicans say broken Obamacare promises show Medicaid expansion is a bad deal
AUGUSTA – Top Republicans said Tuesday that problems with President Obama’s signature health...
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Lockman: Preserve the safety net for the truly needy
“Health care is a right, not a privilege.” How often have people heard...
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Liberal lawmakers refuse to explain vote against bill to help victims of human sex trade; main stream media ignores
Top liberal lawmakers, including Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Portland), House Speaker Mark...
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Lawmakers spar over Speaker’s potential conflict of interest
Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman (R-Amherst) and Assistant House Majority Leader Jeff M. McCabe...
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"Responsible" budget needs more tax increases, spending
AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats are calling the 126th Legislature’s Democrat-backed budget “responsible” —...
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Cutler would expand medical welfare
According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, unenrolled gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler of Cape...
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LePage's plan for welfare debt moves forward
AUGUSTA – As Democratic lawmakers plan a second major push to expand Medicaid...
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LePage blasts Alfond on "unconscionable" attack on public school
AUGUSTA – Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage on Wednesday hit back at Senate...
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Pingree's Press Herald smears LePage, gives Alfond free pass
In what is becoming de rigueur for newspapers owned by S. Donald Sussman and...
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Allumbaugh: Medicaid needs reform, not expansion
In choosing not to accept the federal Medicaid expansion, Gov. Paul LePage and...
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Maine lawmakers' approve $6.3 billion budget, tax increases; LePage's veto looms
AUGUSTA – The Maine Legislature on Thursday night gave final approval to a...
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M.D. Harmon: Texas Gov Rick Perry revives competitive federalism
The Politico website has noted that there is a Republican governor giving Democrats...
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Report: Stronger estate recovery laws can improve MaineCare
Maine could face a drastic surge in Medicaid spending for long-term medical care...
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Maine Democrats vote to expand welfare program despite costs
AUGUSTA – In a late night session of the Maine House of Representatives,...
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HHS budget deadline looms, LePage asks Eves-Alfond: What's your plan?
AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul R. LePage on Friday delivered a letter to to Democratic...
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Top Democrat M.I.A. as Eves-Alfond take hospital debt hostage
AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats, led by Senate President Justin L. Alfond (D-Portland) and...
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HHS votes to repeal 2-year limit on MaineCare coverage for methadone
AUGUSTA – The Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee voted Wednesday against limiting...
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Democratic infighting over welfare expansion threatens hospital repayment
AUGUSTA – Democratic infighting continued at the State House on Wednesday as members...
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Op-Ed: Life, Liberty and the Gang of Eleven
Here, I’d like to discuss the so-called Gang of Eleven’s LD 1496, designated...
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VIDEO: Optional Medicaid Expansion: Considerations Facing States
The Mercatus Center, a project of George Mason University, has released a new...
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LePage: Pay the hospitals!
AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul R. LePage on Saturday used his weekly radio address...
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Partisan Politics Stall Hospital Debt Repayment
AUGUSTA – Republican and Democratic leaders held dueling press conferences on Tuesday over...
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Two years of Medicaid expansion would cost Mainers $40 million
AUGUSTA – Expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act – also known as...
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As Republicans demand vote on hospital repayment, Democrats in disarray over Medicaid expansion
AUGUSTA – With less than two months remaining in the current legislative session,...
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Robin Hood: Democratic Leaders Contemplate Massive Tax Hikes for Maine
AUGUSTA – Lawmakers at Tuesday’s public hearing of the Taxation Committee heard testimony for...
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Democrats Allow $3 Million Vehicle Fee Increase
AUGUSTA – Less than six weeks after its first stint in the Maine House of...
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Gallup: 55% say taxes are fair
As Americans nationwide prepare to fork over Uncle Sam’s pound of flesh, 55...
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Maine Democrats Craft Health Insurance Rollback
AUGUSTA – Maine Democrats’ major campaign promise last year was the repeal of...
