The City of Portland – Maine’s most liberal municipality – tried to prevent the Maine GOP from collecting signatures at…
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Lawmakers on Maine’s State and Local Government Committee held a public hearing Monday on LD 2115, “An Act To Implement…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Labor and Housing Committee will hold work a work session Thursday on a bill that would give…
The pressure is on Janet Mills as the public comment period on the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the…
This upcoming Tuesday will be Maine’s first primary election for president since 2000, and the first ever to occur on…
On Wednesday, lawmakers on Maine’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee held a public hearing on LD 2104, “An Act to…
This item was originally published in the Portland Press Herald. Maine consumers – myself included – are understandably frustrated with Central Maine…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Taxation Committee will hold a work session Thursday to debate the merits of LD 1254, “An Act…
A recent report by London Economics International (LEI), a Boston-based financial advisory firm specializing in energy market analysis, commissioned by…
Maine has a $232 million annual transportation funding shortfall. Nursing homes that care for our seniors are closing left and…
A little over one year into her tenure as governor, Janet Mills is responsible for an explosion of new spending…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Taxation Committee will hold a work session Tuesday to debate the merits of LD 2011, “An Act…
This session, lawmakers on Maine’s Energy, Utility and Technology Committee is considering LD 2055, “An Act To Require State Agencies…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee held a public hearing Wednesday on LD 2067, “An Act To Authorize…
This op-ed was originally published in the Anchorage Daily News on February 9, 2020. In 2016, Maine voters approved a ballot initiative that established…
Twenty-two public policy organizations filed amicus briefs last week urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Reisman v. Associated Faculties…
On Tuesday, February 4, the Maine Republican Party announced they are launching a People’s Veto campaign to repeal LD 1083.…
Governor Janet Mills released a supplemental budget proposal Monday that calls for $127 million in additional spending, which comes in…
On Tuesday, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court struck down a law requiring police officers–without a warrant–to draw a blood sample…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing Thursday on LD 1981, “An Act Regarding the Regulation of…
Maine’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing Wednesday on LD 1988, “An Act To Prohibit the…
Maine’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology is holding a public hearing Tuesday on LD 2021, “An Act To Provide…
Maine’s Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry held a public hearing Thursday on a bill that would eliminate needless bureaucracy…
Maine Gov. Janet Mills delivered her first State of the State address Tuesday evening, calling on lawmakers to work together…
Organizations representing each New England state convened in Boston last week to voice their concerns about the Transportation Climate Initiative…
Members of the Maine Legislature’s taxation committee will hold a public hearing Tuesday on LD 1929, “Resolve, Establishing the Commission…
The Big Picture Since 2005 Maine’s carbon dioxide emissions have fallen 41 percent, three times faster than the United States…
Progressive lawmakers are in pursuit of an ever-expanding state government in Augusta. Their neglecting to properly fund our infrastructure, and…
The Transportation and Climate Initiative, a regional coalition of 12 states and Washington DC that seeks to price emissions within…
Jonathan Reisman, an associate professor of economics and public policy at the University of Maine at Machias, is appealing his…
On January 1, the state’s minimum wage and overtime exemption thresholds increased by more than nine percent. More specifically, the…
In addition to resolutions, 2020 brings new changes to state and local laws. Some examples include an increase to the…
Gasoline taxes may rise 17 cents a gallon and go up from there until everyone is driving an overpriced electric…
On Wednesday, the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices fined Governor Janet Mills’ inaugural committee $2,000 for continuing to…
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia,…
The Transportation and Climate Initiative on Tuesday released a draft Memorandum of Understanding shedding light on how gas and diesel…
This piece was first published in the Sun Journal. “We will develop a world-class workforce. Fewer than half of Maine…
Maine’s Legislative Council convened last Friday to consider appeals made by lawmakers regarding so-called “emergency” bills for the second session.…
The majority members of Maine’s Legislative Council voted Friday to kill along party lines a pair of nonpartisan emergency bill…
On October 23, Maine’s Legislative Council voted to advance LR 3100, a legislative request that would prohibit public employers from…
In June, Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 945, a resolve that created the Blue Ribbon Commission To Study and Recommend Funding…
The Maine Heritage Policy Center on Monday released a new policy brief, “A Lost Cause: The Local-Option Sales Tax.” The…
Earlier this year the legislature passed LD 1324, a bill that creates an 11-person committee to study the feasibility of implementing…
Governor Janet Mills is considering entering Maine into the Transportation & Climate Initiative, a regional collaboration of 12 states that…
On Monday, Portland City Councilors voted unanimously to put a measure on the March 3, 2020 ballot that would allow…
During the First Session of the 129th Legislature, Rep. Seth Berry introduced LD 1646, a bill that would create a consumer-owned…
The Portland City Council voted Monday night to postpone consideration of a proposal to ban city employees from obtaining, retaining,…
It’s no secret that the fees and requirements necessary to obtain an occupational license are barriers to entry that bar…
The Maine Heritage Policy Center and EdChoice recently filed an amicus brief in Carson et al v. Makin, a case before…
In 2015, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) released Statement Number 77, advising local and state governments to disclose the…
In 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that requiring public-sector workers to pay dues or fees to a union…
On Tuesday, Portland residents went to the polls to cast their ballots to determine who will carry the progressive baton…
The following letter was submitted by The Maine Heritage Policy Center to the Transportation and Climate Initiative regarding the draft…
The following piece highlights The Maine Heritage Policy Center’s recent report “A False Majority: The Failed Experiment of Ranked-Choice Voting”…
Over the last few months, the debate regarding the future of Auburn’s Agriculture and Resource Protection Zone (Ag Zone), which…
The Legislative Council on Wednesday met to vote on nearly 400 bills submitted by lawmakers for consideration in the second…
The Legislative Council convened Wednesday to consider roughly 400 bill requests submitted by lawmakers for consideration in the Second Session.…
In June 2010, under Governor John Baldacci, eleven states and the District of Columbia began collaborating on the Transportation and Climate…
It is everyone’s favorite time of the legislative cycle – preparing for the second session, or the emergency session, as…
Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap confirmed Thursday his office had certified the petitions submitted by Mainers for Health and…
This summer, Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson released a formal opinion that said the state is not in compliance with…
In an attempt to curb the effects of climate change, state governments across the nation have adopted renewable portfolio standards…
Maine is currently the oldest state in the nation and is experiencing a labor shortage. According to the U.S. Census…
They’re at it again. On September 27th, lawmakers were required to submit all of their legislative requests to the Revisor’s…
In April last year, the Press Herald ran my Maine Voices submission; it began with this: “Nobody spends somebody else’s…
The internet in Maine is getting faster and easier to use than ever before. But recent improvements in Maine are…
Last session, lawmakers considered LD 218, a bill that would have prohibited Maine Clean Election Act candidates from soliciting, accepting…
News outlets across the state last week reported that some signers of the petition advancing a people’s veto of LD…
When she addressed the United Nations earlier this week, Governor Janet Mills announced that she signed an executive order stating…
On October 31, 2019, The Maine Wire will transition to a new email delivery service. If you currently receive The…
When the legislature adjourns from session, all non-emergency legislation that was passed becomes effective 90 days thereafter. However, Article IV,…
It’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t have the internet. From email to streaming music and videos to…
Tiny houses are a relatively new phenomenon and are becoming a modern lifestyle choice for individuals and families who enjoy…
The Constitution of Maine explicitly states all bills passed by the legislature become law 90 days after adjournment. That means all non-emergency…
Hundreds of new Maine laws will take effect later this week. Among them is LD 1627, “An Act to Authorize…
On September 19th, many bills passed during the First Regular Session of the 129th Legislature will become law. While several…
Last month, Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson released a formal opinion that said the state is not in compliance with…
One of the issues Congress will be considering when they return from August recess is so-called “net neutrality” — how…
Maine Governor Janet Mills decided Friday to let LD 1083, “An Act To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for Presidential Primary and…
Governor Janet Mills has until the end of the day Friday to decide on the fate of LD 1083, a…
This week, in honor of Labor Day, the Maine Center for Economic Policy’s James Myall published an article claiming that…
The Maine Legislature reconvened on Monday to consider four bond proposals that failed to garner enough votes for passage in…
Lawmakers returned to Augusta on Monday to debate several bonds proposed by Governor Janet Mills during a special legislative session…
It’s no secret that Maine state government’s primary sources of revenue are generated through the individual income tax and sales…
Earlier this week, Governor Janet Mills issued a proclamation calling the Maine Legislature back to Augusta for a special session to consider…
Conservatives are often accused of favoring wealthy individuals and corporations over those in poverty. While some social welfare programs are…
Politicians everywhere should have to take a version of the Hippocratic Oath, swearing the laws they enact to solve problems…
The Maine Heritage Policy Center today released its newest report, “A False Majority: The Failed Experiment of Ranked-Choice Voting.” The…
When Portland City Councilors approved the city’s budget in May, it included a new manufacturing license for breweries, wineries and…
Laura Catevenis, a resident of Lewiston, was close to rock bottom. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and, two years…
Advocates of a higher minimum wage rarely appeal to scholarly research to bolster their case. Instead, you’re more likely to…
When it comes down to it, Maine is an amazing place to live and raise a family. The large blue…
The state of Maine currently prevents employees who work in the public-sector from using a common instrument in the organized…
Maine Governor Janet Mills still has not paid the full cost of her inauguration ceremony, according to the Associated Press.…
I’ve lived in Maine all my life, and I can’t remember a time when winter road conditions were worse than…
The decline of Maine’s manufacturing sector, whose workforce has shrunk by nearly half since the early 1990s, can seem inexorable,…
The Maine Legislature next session will consider another bill that would be harmful to Maine’s small business community and employers…
Last month, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a two-year state budget because it would have reversed the direction of…
Lawmakers and special interests always seem to title their bills with buzzwords that make them sound like they are going…
When Mainers pay their taxes, they fully expect their hard-earned dollars will be spent wisely and efficiently. However, outdated policies…