If all 300 workers received the $1,500 benefit, the grant program has already paid out $45,000, or 4.5%, of the $10 million available.
Browsing: News
The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 123-23 and the Senate by a vote of 32-3. It received bipartisan support in both chambers.
In its July 5 piece, the editorial board of the Bangor Daily News opines that while Governor Mills’ 15-months-plus-long State…
A new report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quotes an analysis from economists who found that states that have…
Between 2019 and 2020, drug deaths in Maine rose by 33% according to a report funded by the Maine Office…
On June 21, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision in the case of NCAA v. Alston…
Gov. Mills recently issued vetoes for seven pieces of legislation approved by the Maine Legislature. Her veto of several of…
A measure that would have compensated for the expected loss in revenue from banning flavored tobacco was not included in…
Should Mainers have to pay more in taxes for buying a new piece of real estate? The Legislature says yes,…
A new bipartisan budget agreement might prove that lawmakers learned a valuable fiscal lesson from the fallout of the pandemic,…
This week, Maine lawmakers will vote on LD 221, Governor Janet Mills’ supplemental budget proposal. Also known as the governor’s…
In an 8-1 vote, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of cheerleader Brandi Levy last week regarding the First Amendment…
Proponents of big government spending have desperately argued that mounting price inflation is just temporary. But multiple alarming inflation metrics…
The governor’s office recently posted veto messages for seven bills rejected by Gov. Janet Mills, the first batch of vetoes…
Governor Mills recently signed into law several bills that affect campaigns and elections in the state of Maine. L.D. 1363:…
A new Harvard analysis of various data points throughout the pandemic shows that poor Americans, those earning under $27,000 a…
Bills passed by the Maine Legislature during its recently convened special session have begun making their way to Gov. Janet…
On June 16, Gov. Mills announced the creation of a sweepstakes for Mainers who have received at least one dose…
L.D. 231 aims to increase voter turnout and bipartisanship in an increasingly partisan era. In a stark and polarized time, it is refreshing to see lawmakers come together to pass meaningful election reform that transcends party lines.
This study on the nationwide impacts of the historically high UI has simply confirmed what many have been sounding the alarm on for weeks: if you pay people to stay home, they will.
On June 17, the Maine Legislature is expected to adjourn a special session without voting on the supplemental budget or…
On June 14, Gov. Mills announced a program to incentivize unemployed Mainers to return to work. Called “Back to Work,”…
The Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) began in 2010 when 11 states and the District of Columbia signed a Declaration of…
On June 11, Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced she was renewing the state of civil emergency, which was set to…
On June 9, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) updated its PreK-12 and Adult Education Public Guidance. Though Gov. Janet…
If a bill recently approved by the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology (EUT) is passed, Maine voters…
On June 2, the Maine House of Representatives defeated eight bills aimed at reforming the use of executive emergency powers.
A prominent refrain in the pandemic recession-recovery story has been the persistent labor shortage seen across the United States. Coupled…
After more than a year away, the Maine Legislature returned to the State House on June 2. As coronavirus case…
Many advocates in Maine and around the nation have highlighted the need for more stable and faster internet speeds, especially…
A pair of bills recently voted out of the Committee on Taxation have the potential to raise taxes on Mainers. …
Maine Gov. Janet Mills is on pace to exercise her executive authority almost twice as frequently as any of her…
Seven Maine lawmakers were stripped of their committee assignments on Monday by House Speaker Ryan Fecteau following a spat at…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee held a public hearing last Thursday on a bill sponsored by Rep.…
Maine’s Department of Labor currently has no plans to end enhanced employment benefits.
In four of the last six weeks, Maine has led the nation in COVID-19 infection rate in nursing homes.
Governor Janet Mills unveiled a new supplemental budget last week that would grow state spending in Maine to record levels,…
Yesterday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released numbers indicating that the average price level of consumer goods has risen…
A disappointing new jobs report shows that hiring is down and the unemployment is rate is up, even as wages…
Over the past year, there have been numerous instances of top-down solutions being offered — by lawmakers in Washington, D.C.…
This week, my legislative colleagues on the Taxation Committee held a public hearing on my bill to reform Maine’s income…
On Monday, the US Census Bureau released its first estimate of state and national population numbers for the 2020 Census.…
Governor Janet Mills’ reign over Maine people doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon, unfortunately. Democrats on Maine’s State and…
The 100 percent increase in taxes on all tobacco products as proposed recently in the State legislature (LD 1423) doubles…
The Biden administration on Wednesday released a comprehensive $2+ trillion spending proposal ostensibly focused on infrastructure. But there’s much more…
On March 11, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a nearly $2 trillion spending…
Maine lawmakers convened at the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday to tackle the state’s next two-year spending plan. The budget…
Maine’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee met on Thursday to hold a work session on LD 715, a concept draft…
President Joe Biden is reportedly considering a plan to hike taxes on individuals and corporations in order to help offset…
Lawmakers on Maine’s Transportation Committee held virtual public hearings Thursday on five bills sponsored by members of both parties that…
State government spending has rapidly outpaced population growth in Maine over the last decade, according to a new report published…
On Tuesday, lawmakers on Maine’s Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement, and Business Committee held a virtual public hearing on LD 612,…
The internet is a critical service — everyone can agree on that — but some go as far to say…
The Maine Legislature convened in person on Wednesday at the Augusta Civic Center to tackle the state’s supplemental budget and…
Maine lawmakers will convene in-person in Augusta this week for the first time since December 2, when legislators met at…
A new citizens initiative was approved for circulation in Maine on January 25, yet the Secretary of State’s office has…
More than 70 elected Maine Democrats, including 13 of 21 Democratic senators, signed a letter last month calling for Chief…
The last year has been challenging for most people in the country and our state. Whether you’re a Maine student,…
This week, the anti-tobacco organization “Flavors Hook Kids” held an online news conference for Maine media. During the event, leaders…
Maine Governor Janet Mills issued a press release Tuesday outlining a proposed path forward on the PPP issue that took…
Advocates of ranked-choice voting again seek to expand the use of the voting system in Maine, this time hoping to…
The Paycheck Protection Program, part of the federal CARES Act passed last year, was crafted by Congress to provide loans…
A new “Hero Pay” mandate in Long Beach, California has inadvertently cost some frontline grocery workers their jobs. “Ralphs and…
Much of the Maine Legislature’s regular business looks different this year. The Clerk of the House and Secretary of the…
I sold my car when I went to New York City in 2019, so I’m one of the rare individuals…
At the peak of state-ordered lockdowns in response to COVID-19, 316 million Americans across 42 states lived under a stay-at-home order. Millions…
President Joe Biden is pushing a federal $15 minimum wage in his sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, and the…
Governor Janet Mills wants to balance her bloated budget on the backs of struggling small business owners, forcing them to…
As I dig deeper into the recent supplemental and biennial budget proposals from Governor Janet Mills, the truth about her…
After Maine Democrats sent a letter to the state’s top public safety official Monday calling for an investigation into the…
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, horrified Americans were ready to embrace virtually any proposal that promised to keep them safe.…
It’s no secret that restaurants have been particularly impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns and economic restrictions, both in Maine and across…
Last week our team offered a preview of the First Session of the 130th Maine Legislature based on a list…
The economic shock from the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, exacerbated by the response of many state governors, is just beginning…
The controversy over a hazardous-duty supplement to the minimum wage required by the recent referendum results in Portland is only…
Last week, the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) released its final Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was signed by the governors…
Earlier this month, the Maine Climate Council released its four-year plan titled, “Maine Won’t Wait”, a proposal covering a multitude…
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Center released a new survey this week that should have lawmakers and…
School officials and building committees involved in Portland’s elementary school renovations are seeking clarification on the energy requirements of the…
Certificate of Need (CON) laws are state regulatory procedures that require health care facilities to obtain permission from the state…
In a decision handed down late Thanksgiving Eve, a five-Justice majority of the Supreme Court struck down parts of New…
The Reason Foundation’s 25th Annual Highway Report highlights something Mainers of all political stripes know well: We need to “fix…
One of the overlooked stories on Election Day was the defeat of pro-carbon tax politicians across the nation and here in…
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recently came under fire for comments he made at the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention.…
Portland residents approved on November 3 an ordinance that increases the city’s minimum wage from $12 an hour to $15…
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the service sector, made millions unemployed, and forced many of us who still do have…
Portland voters approved Question A on their local ballots last week, an initiative opposed by the city’s mayor and most…
Governor Janet Mills’ latest batch of doomsday rhetoric is an admission that her coronavirus narrative is falling apart. In describing…
Should Americans be allowed to freelance? Progressive Democrats have been pushing legislation at the state and federal level that would force gig economy companies…
With more than 90% of the votes counted in Massachusetts, it appears that the initiative to implement Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV)…
COVID-19 has changed a lot about our lives in 2020, including how we vote. Millions more Americans are expected to…
A poll released Monday by UMass Amherst and WCVB is showing a tightening race among Massachusetts voters on Ranked-Choice Voting…
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled late last week that absentee ballots must be returned to municipal clerks by Election…
A recent Ipsos poll asked 1,001 Massachusetts adults about a number of issues, including their thoughts about ranked-choice voting (RCV).…
The recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg certainly sent massive political shockwaves throughout the country, as did…
Maine Policy Institute and a coalition of 17 other organizations sent letters to their respective governors this week urging them…
I listened last week to the questioning of Judge Amy Coney Barrett by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and…
In less than three weeks, or earlier if voting by absentee, you will be taking part in the 2020 election.…
Better late than never, I suppose. Maine finally began disbursing grants to struggling small businesses and nonprofits with CARES Act…
The Portland Press Herald’s editorial board isn’t buying what the Southern Maine Democratic Socialists of America are selling, and it’s…