Last month, Maine’s Legislative Council allowed LR 2765, “An Act To Enact Restrictions on Electronic Smoking Devices,” to proceed to…
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,…
In Maine and 12 other states, local governments have the ability to steal the equity you’ve built in your home…
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…
“One of the sad signs of our times is that we have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse…
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…
With the fourth quarter underway, small-business owners in Maine and across the country seem to be holding onto an optimistic…
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…
Last week, Maine’s Legislative Council admitted a bill into the second session that would make changes to the rules governing…
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…
Following a national trend, Maine lawmakers decided in June to raise taxes on tobacco products and e-cigarettes. Rep. Joyce McCreight,…
Maine is currently the oldest state in the nation and is experiencing a labor shortage. According to the U.S. Census…
Over the past 79 years, I have observed that the more socialism is “successful,” the more it destroys its economic…
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…
Last week in the news there was a teenage girl being exploited by the international community, and I couldn’t watch.…
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…
“In the 1950’s [America was] the richest nation, the richest city on earth was Detroit. They voted for change and…
The Constitution of Maine explicitly states all bills passed by the legislature become law 90 days after adjournment. That means all non-emergency…
Governor Mills’ first move in office was to sign an executive order expanding Medicaid to more than 70,000 Mainers. Maine…
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…
I have never been in jail. I have never been arrested. But I am probably a felon, and so are…
Last month, Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson released a formal opinion that said the state is not in compliance with…
Hundreds of bills failed to become law in the First Regular Session of the 129th Legislature. Among them was LD…
One of the issues Congress will be considering when they return from August recess is so-called “net neutrality” — how…
“A Fatal Tendency of Mankind…common among people. When they can, they wish to live and prosper at the expense of…
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…
Last week, Governor Janet Mills announced that Maine will pursue a state-based health insurance marketplace using the federal IT platform…
This week, Portland city officials notified Fair Elections Portland, a pro-ranked-choice voting group, that they did not acquire enough signatures…
The Maine Legislature reconvened on Monday to consider four bond proposals that failed to garner enough votes for passage in…
A powerful committee in the U.S. Senate is considering legislation that could have significant negative effects on Mainers seeking treatment…
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…
Governor Janet Mills issued a proclamation Monday calling the legislature back to the State House for a special legislative session…
“The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and…
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…
It is tempting to think of America’s economic classes as stable and sedentary. Talk of widening income inequality has cemented…
Governments spend a good deal of time and money attempting to solve problems of their own making. Endemic poverty, the…
Last month, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a two-year state budget because it would have reversed the direction of…
There has been quite a bit of debate in recent years about whether too much is spent on school administration…
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…
The Maine Legislature is slated to debate more than $2.1 billion in bonds when they reconvene next session, a staggering…
Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, is surely among the wealthiest institutions in Maine. Its capital assets, combined with its endowment, total…
In their first year at the helm of state government, Governor Janet Mills and the 129th Maine Legislature managed to…
Turn on the local news or pick up a Maine newspaper and it won’t take long for someone to mention…
Farmer Randy Canarr of Souder Station Farm has been farming and raising livestock in Winterport for almost 10 years, providing…
Yesterday, Governor Janet Mills announced that her administration has urged the federal government to provide financial aid to municipalities and…
Every two years, the Maine Office of Tax Policy releases a lengthy report on tax expenditures, the multitude of carveouts…
A $15 federal minimum wage would wipe out 1.3 million low-income jobs and boost the wages of at least 17…
There is a very profound reason that the American constitutional republic has created the highest standard of living, for more…
In a fiery letter sent Thursday, July 11, Governor Janet Mills announced her opposition to new federal regulations that aim…
Last week, Governor Matt Bevin gave the keynote address at The Maine Heritage Policy Center’s 2019 Freedom and Opportunity Luncheon.…
In 2005, the United States Congress passed the REAL ID Act, with the purpose of establishing “minimum security standards for…
The first session of the 129th Legislature adjourned in mid-June, making it critical to examine what exactly our lawmakers accomplished…
On Wednesday, June 26, Governor Janet Mills signed into law a pair of troublesome renewable energy bills: LD 1679, “An…
Just before the conclusion of Maine’s most recent legislative session, lawmakers passed an occupational licensing reform bill that will make…
After the First Regular Session of the 129th Maine Legislature came to a close, Governor Janet Mills vetoed two bills…
On Wednesday, June 26, United States District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby issued a ruling that upheld a current law…
Societal stability is achieved by making fads, social theories, and passions of the moment stand the test of time by…
Governor Janet Mills on Friday, June 28 signed into law LD 84, a bill sponsored by Rep. Patrick Corey of…
For decades, the liberty of Maine’s workers has been continually limited by onerous restrictions that deprive workers of their constitutionally…
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Janus v. the American Federation of State, County…