Freshman Senator Eric Brakey (R-Auburn) is continuing the effort to mandate that new Maine citizens live in the state for…
Maine Democrats have finally responded to Governor LePage’s budget proposal, announcing their plan last week exactly three months after the…
For generations, hard-working Maine families have balanced their checkbooks at the kitchen table. I can remember nights when my parents…
Shortly after Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin released his fundraising numbers for the first quarter, his presumptive opponent in the 2016…
Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin has a strong start to a re-election bid come 2016, as the 2nd District representative raised an…
On Monday, Governor LePage vetoed LD 122, An Act to Standardize Pints of Beer Sold in Maine, proposed by Sen.…
What is going on with the Maine Democratic Party? Former Democratic Rep. Stan Short has quit the party. Former Rep.…
Recently on Twitter, a very non-political friend of mine posted something about the failures of Obamacare. It was only seconds before a…
Before I begin, let’s go over a few basics. “Food stamps” are a thing of the past, and the program…
On Wednesday, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released the 8th edition of Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index.…
Late last October,  a political pundit turned to me and said “You know the Democrats are struggling when they start…
Governor LePage’s effort to end revenue sharing in Maine is being combated in Augusta with a proposal for local option…
As you may know, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) was created as a provision of the Balanced Budget Act of…
This year, lawmakers in Augusta will once-again consider right-to-work legislation in the form of LD 489, a bill which would…
Harry Reid gave us a warning. In a video produced to announce his retirement, Reid told us not to be…
In case Portland citizens have forgotten, the City Council’s ordinance regarding disposable bags will be implemented on April 15th, and…
On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the Maine Fourth Amendment Protection Act, a bill introduced by…
Wearing a cap and gown I sat on the field at the University of Maine contemplating my years in college.…
Last week, the House Financial Services Oversight and Investigations subcommittee held a hearing regarding Operation Choke Point with Federal Deposit…
With voters last November resoundingly supporting fiscally conservative candidates who campaigned on reducing government spending, Democrats would be wise to…
Early Friday morning, Senate Republicans passed their first budget since 2006. Â The vote was split along party lines 52-46, with…
No two children are alike—so why must we insist upon educating them like they are? Common Core isn’t necessarily a…
The Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) provides some of the best and sometimes only coverage of statewide policy issues. That…
According to Governor LePage’s administration, 9,000 fewer Mainers have been using SNAP benefits, commonly called food stamps, since last year…
Last month, the Tax Foundation released a study analyzing the relationship between cigarette taxes and smuggled cigarettes in each state.…
As I have repeatedly said, too many of our hard-working families and small businesses continue to be hurt by the…
On Thursday, Congress passed a resolution aimed at limiting so-called “ambush elections” for union representation, but the legislation is expected…
On Monday, the Maine State Legislature will host public hearings on bill requests made by members of the Maine House…
On Tuesday, U.S. House Republican leadership unveiled their conservative budget proposal that seeks to eliminate the federal deficit over the…
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep…
“As the body of rules grows, the legal landscape becomes more thickly populated and harder to traverse. Concealed declivities, sudden…
In a bipartisan push for reform, Maine Sen. Andre Cushing III (R-Penobscot County) and Maine Rep. Justin Chenette (D-Saco) have…
On Thursday, hundreds of union supporters packed into the State House to stump for higher wages and voice their anger…
On Tuesday, Hillary Rodham Clinton admitted it may have been a mistake to exclusively use a private email server during…
As Chair of the Legislature’s Labor, Commerce, Research, and Economic Development Committee (LCRED), and as a member of the committee…
Today, the Maine Supreme Court issued its ruling on a case involving the ongoing public dispute between Governor Paul R.…
From putting my son through college to overseeing the management of Maine’s 529 plans as the State Treasurer, I understand…
Voters and legislators across Maine are just beginning to sort through Governor LePage’s ambitious new tax reform package. While many…
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in King v. Burwell, the latest case challenging the Affordable Care…
On Thursday, the Portland Green Independent Committee announced that it will be pushing to double the minimum wage in Maine’s…
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released their report on civil rights violations in the Ferguson police department, finding…
Several months ago, Maine Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, and former Maine Sen. Dick Woodbury, I-Yarmouth, announced an initiative to change…
I remember testifying several years ago in front of the Health and Human Services Committee in support of then Representative…
Over the last 60 days, I have finally settled in to all my offices and am working hard to help…
There is no question that our right to vote is fundamental to our freedom. It only makes sense, then, that…
On Thursday, investigators announced that they had discovered over 30,000 emails related to the targeting of conservative groups by the…
Checkmate, Mr. Mayor. With the revelation that Portland’s homeless shelters have knowingly been giving shelter to frequent stayers who have…
As someone who has left the state and become a Mainer-in-exile, it can be tough to keep in touch with…
On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torrensen ruled that federal law prohibits Maine residents from buying prescription drugs from…
On Friday, the Obama Administration admitted that approximately 800,000 Healthcare.gov customers have received incorrect tax forms. The administration is asking…
Maine seems to have taken a side in the U.S. Supreme Court case regarding Obamacare subsidies – but it’s not…
On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration effectively ended any commercial attempts at drone delivery services in the U.S. Several companies…
Maine might just be the most lavish state in the U.S. – at least when it comes to General Assistance.…
The measles do not seem like a fun time. Neither does diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, the mumps, or chickenpox. Thankfully,…
Representative Poliquin, whose vote this week against repealing Obamacare provoked backlash among grassroots conservatives, has worked to explain his controversial…
Tell me if you’ve heard this one. A self-identifying progressive city, a home to a vibrant community of artists and…
Patriots Win Super Bowl After a perfect fourth quarter drive and an end-zone interception in the final seconds of the…
Bruce Poliquin isn’t wasting any time getting his feet wet in Washington. Yesterday, at his first Financial Services Committee meeting,…
Liberals in Maine and Washington, D.C. are suffering a new psychological condition, one that started very recently, in November. Symptoms…
State of the City: Portland Edition Last night, Portland Mayor Michael Brennan delivered his state of the city address. Brennan…
2015 State of the Union Address In case you forgot, or chose not to watch because you have more productive…
Well, not so much. The Obama Administration last week through the EPA issued the 2nd punch into the oil and gas…
Change in Maine Community Colleges Leadership Following statements by Governor LePage pressuring his resignation, John Fitzsimmons, the President of Maine…
Will LePage be Maine’s Next Senator? Despite remarks in an interview with radio talk show host Howie Carr, Governor LePage…
On Friday, Governor Paul R. LePage released his biennial budget. The highly anticipated budget includes significant changes to the state’s…
Okay, yesterday was a pretty busy day in Maine politics… let’s see if we can fit them all in here.…
Fairpoint Talks Resume On Sunday, Fairpoint Communications resumed negotiations with the union representing striking workers across New England. Neither side…
At its best, research can be the backbone of policymaking. Â It can provide the numbers that illuminate problems for lawmakers…
Fairpoint Wins Major Ruling In a tough ruling against the Fairpoint strikers, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that…
Governor Appoints Education Commissioner Due to health concerns, Governor LePage has replaced Education Commissioner James Rier with historian Tom Desjardin. …
Petroleum Prices Persistently Plummet For anyone who’s had to fill their gas tank over the last several days, this won’t…
The argument against expanding government run health care in America just got a lot stronger – thanks to the unlikeliest…
Nearly everyone knows that innovation, competition, and development are needed to bring Maine into the 21st century – but apparently…
Portland Looks to Regulate Uber In a desperate attempt to seem relevant, Portland officials are looking to regulate Uber, the…
Money Has Too Much Influence Except when it doesn’t. The final finance reports of the 2014 gubernatorial race show that…
Sony Hackers Threaten Theaters The individuals behind the Sony hack, who up to this point have released tons of private…
Grover Norquist, long considered by the left to be the dark marionette of conservative policymaking in America, and heralded as a…
Can’t Get Enough Cod Stories If you haven’t heard enough about the state of cod in the Gulf of Maine…
No Minimum Wage Increase for Portland…. Yet. After discussing a minimum wage increase in Portland last night, Portland’s Financial Committee…
Three Cheers for Integrity Check out MHPC CEO Matt Gagnon’s thoughtful piece up on his Pine Tree Politics blog about…
MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber, the architect of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), was commissioned by the Maine Bureau of…
What Phantom Ballots? Yesterday, a special Senate committee investigating the Senate District 25 race between Republican Cathy Manchester and Democrat…
Protests in Portland Over the weekend, two protests were held in Portland over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.…
In a press release Monday, Maine Republican Party Chairman Richard Bennett responded to a chorus of liberal accusations of voter fraud…
Scallop Season is Open Maine’s scallop fishing season begins today.  While the scallop stock has been recovering for years, officials with…
Unrest Continues Protests continued in Ferguson, Missouri last night over the results of a grand jury investigation into police officer…
Not Indicted Yesterday, a grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on several charges, including the first-degree…
There is no denying that the low wages earned by Maine people are a major concern for state policy makers.…
Is It Chilly in Here? The United States Department of Agriculture threatened to cut funding to Maine’s food stamp program over…
With Falmouth considering a ban or fee on plastic bags, it’s important to look at the facts instead of being…
On Monday, the FBI released Crime in the United States, 2013, a report detailing the estimated crimes in the United States…
In the newest iteration of Forbes’ Best States for Business report, Maine ranked 49th—one place higher than last year.  In…
You Can Come Out Now! Today marks the end of Kaci Hickox’s incubation period!  Hickox has faced numerous threats of quarantine…
Now that the elections are over and all the negative TV ads are gone we can all breathe a big…
Last month, the non-partisan Tax Foundation released its 11th annual State Business Tax Climate Index.  Maine received a below-average rank, coming in…
A group of medical professionals submitted a letter to Maine’s newspapers warning against Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s quarantine on nurse…
The Precautionary Principle has been used by progressive environmental and public health advocates to justify climate change, energy, food  and…
The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting has produced an analysis of the top political donors in Maine, and Portland…
Conservative muckraker James O’Keefe has struck again, this time in North Carolina, where State House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican,…
Monday marked the 50th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s famous speech, “A Time for Choosing,” delivered on October 27, 1964,…