All posts tagged "Commentary"
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How unworkable government rules separate man from his bacon
Farmer Randy Canarr of Souder Station Farm has been farming and raising livestock...
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Skewed priorities in the Mills administration
Yesterday, Governor Janet Mills announced that her administration has urged the federal government...
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The inconvenient truth about Maine’s tax code
Every two years, the Maine Office of Tax Policy releases a lengthy report...
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CBO report shows $15 federal minimum wage would hurt US economy
A $15 federal minimum wage would wipe out 1.3 million low-income jobs and...
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Our people and politics will suffer if we continue to stray from the Constitution
There is a very profound reason that the American constitutional republic has created...
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Governor Mills defies ‘foolish, unsupported and ill-advised’ regulations on Maine lobster industry
In a fiery letter sent Thursday, July 11, Governor Janet Mills announced her...
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Maine should follow Kentucky’s lead on right to work, labor reforms
Last week, Governor Matt Bevin gave the keynote address at The Maine Heritage...
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REAL ID is a privacy-eroding overreach by the federal government
In 2005, the United States Congress passed the REAL ID Act, with the...
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What did Maine lawmakers accomplish in 2019?
The first session of the 129th Legislature adjourned in mid-June, making it critical...
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The clean energy agenda in Augusta is crony capitalism
On Wednesday, June 26, Governor Janet Mills signed into law a pair of...
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Last-minute licensing reform bill will expand opportunity in Maine
Just before the conclusion of Maine’s most recent legislative session, lawmakers passed an...
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Governor Mills found her veto pen and used it against government unions
After the First Regular Session of the 129th Maine Legislature came to a...
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Lawsuit challenging exclusion of religious schools from town tuitioning program headed to higher court
On Wednesday, June 26, United States District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby issued...
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Jurists undermine individual potential when they stray from the Constitution
Societal stability is achieved by making fads, social theories, and passions of the...
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Common sense home healthcare reform provides relief for vulnerable Maine families
Governor Janet Mills on Friday, June 28 signed into law LD 84, a...
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Private sector workers need Right-to-Work
For decades, the liberty of Maine’s workers has been continually limited by onerous...
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Government workers remain in the dark one year after Janus decision
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Janus...
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Net neutrality is bad policy for Maine and the nation
In our modern day and age, roughly nine out of 10 American adults...
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Maine now has automatic voter registration. How will the new system impact our elections?
In a utopian society where there is no ill will or mistakes made...
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Increasing the passenger facility charge at airports is a bad deal for Mainers
With a humming U.S. economy and airline traffic at an all-time high, the...
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More victories for ballot initiative transparency
Governor Janet Mills on Thursday, June 20 signed into law LD 534, sponsored...
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Calls to break up ‘Big Tech’ are misguided
In recent weeks, Americans have heard much about the problems with “Big Tech.”...
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Maine’s estate tax should be repealed, not expanded
The effort to expand Maine’s estate tax, more aptly known as the “death...
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Governor Mills signs bloated budget agreement into law
Both the Maine House and Senate voted Friday, June 14 in favor of...
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Local option sales tax bill still alive in Maine Legislature
On Tuesday, June 11, the Maine House of Representatives voted 73-70 in favor...
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Maine House rejects bid to give 2nd District greater voice in ballot initiatives
Two days after the Maine Senate voted 24-11 in favor of passing LD...
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Don’t cap Maine’s charter schools
As we approach the ten-year anniversary of Maine’s historic public charter school system,...
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Despite new internet privacy law, your private data can still be sold and shared without consent
Governor Janet Mills last week signed into law LD 946 “An Act To...
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How Augusta overcharges you for milk
To advocates of a limited public sector, there’s a lot to dislike about...
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Proposed workers’ comp changes the wrong step for Maine
In the early ‘90s, times were very different than they are today. Maine’s...
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‘Green New Deal for Maine’ bill has nothing to do with climate change
The Maine House of Representatives on Wednesday considered LD 1282, “An Act to...
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National Popular Vote would steal Maine’s voice in presidential elections
On May 14th, the Maine Senate took the first step to allocate Maine’s four...
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Maine House votes to gut bill providing free speech protections to college students
The Maine House of Representatives on Monday, June 3 voted 87-51 along party...
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Progressive theory and the Constitution
U.S. constitutional law depends on the purpose and limitations of our written constitution,...
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National Popular Vote fight not over yet
Just last week, an amazing thing happened in the Maine House. Twenty-one Democrats...
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Bill to adopt national popular vote compact fails in Maine House
The Maine House voted to reject a bill Thursday that would bind the...
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Should Maine and other states end state-run lotteries?
To an obdurate defender of economic theory’s central simplifying assumption — that people...
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Misguided policy drives high energy costs for Maine manufacturers
There is a legislative agenda to “make Maine green again” that could make...
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Governor Mills signs bill to increase transparency in ballot initiative process
Governor Janet Mills yesterday signed LD 1209, “An Act To Require Legislative Hearings...
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Is mandatory licensing of certain professions doing more harm than good?
Maine is one of twenty-two states that currently require occupational licensing for sign...
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Maine House passes bill to make wording of ballot questions ‘as simple as is possible’
The Maine House on Tuesday voted to approve a bill that would simplify...
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Efficient expansion of broadband requires responsible, targeted investment
This week, lawmakers on Maine’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee will hold a...
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Debt-free college bill ignores troubling realities of higher education in Maine
The Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business heard several bills last...
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On taxes, lawmakers should exercise restraint
It is a fallacy that individual clauses in the Constitution can be considered...
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Governor Mills’ revised budget grows spending but sends $20 million to rainy day fund
Since Governor Janet Mills released her biennial budget proposal in February, the fiscal...
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Speaker Gideon’s paid leave plan illustrates lawmakers’ propensity to tax and spend
The First Session of the 129th Maine Legislature has been filled with proposals...
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Portland should put people at the heart of economic development
What creates jobs? What goes into building a healthy and vibrant economy that...
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Stop unconstitutional initiatives from appearing on the ballot
Lawmakers are considering a flurry of ballot initiative reforms this session, from requiring...
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CMS finalizes rule to end dues skimming of in-home caregivers
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule...
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Maine cannot afford ‘debt-free’ college
This session, lawmakers in the Maine Legislature are considering a pair of bills...
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Maine should embrace autonomous vehicle technology
It’s no secret that our state is inhospitable – to put it mildly...
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Progressive democracy cannot supplant our constitutional republic
I have always contended that it was a mistake to refer to our...
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Empower Maine families with school choice
Quite often we hear politicians and special interests say that the quality of...
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Is privacy dead? The true cost of technological advancement
Without a doubt, the digital age has brought innumerable advantages to modern life....
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Single-payer health care: rationed services, worse outcomes and exorbitant tax increases for all Mainers
For years in the Maine Legislature lawmakers have grappled with countless ideas to...
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What’s next for workplace freedom?
Three employees of Kent State University on Monday, April 29 filed suit against...
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Government intervention in child care continues to hamper its affordability
Expanding access to affordable child care is of pressing concern to many Maine...
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LD 665: Protect free speech on college campuses
I have sponsored LD 665, “An Act to Enact the Campus Free Expression...
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Expand apprenticeships to reduce student debt, build Maine’s workforce
To become a hairdresser in the State of Maine, you must be at...
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Dependency diminishes government’s role to protect property
Karl Marx said that “Religion is the opium of the people.” Marx should...
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Free speech should never be censored on college campuses
Lawmakers on Maine’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee on Monday held a public...
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Progressive groups seek to solidify their referendum racket
Lawmakers on Maine’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee today will consider a bill...
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LD 1451: Mandatory disclosures of private information as a condition of employment
Are you a public employee? Public sector labor unions in Maine want access...
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How to submit testimony via the Legislature’s new online system
Background The Legislature has developed a new automated tool for submitting electronic testimony....
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Lawmakers to consider plastic bag ban, paper bag fee
It has not been difficult to find bills this legislative session that would...
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Maine would be wise to undo its ‘blue laws’
Maine is one of a small handful of states that still impose so-called...
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Now is the time to reduce Maine’s tax burden
There has been plenty of legislation proposed this session that would increase taxes...
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Serious problems require serious solutions
Some things aren’t always what they seem. Such is the case in the...
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Progressivism is not for Maine
It is hard to make constitutional sense out of the cacophony of progressive...
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Sin taxes are not the solution to Maine’s public health problems
Lawmakers on Maine’s Taxation Committee on Thursday, April 11 held public hearings on...
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Lawmakers decline eliminating a licensing board that did not meet for four consecutive years
Occupational licensing exists to protect public health and safety in professions that pose...
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There’s no need to neuter the net in Maine
This week, the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology held a...
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Fair Workweek bill fails miserably in committee
This morning, lawmakers on the Labor and Housing Committee held a public hearing...
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‘Fair Workweek’ bill is anything but fair to workers who will suffer from its enactment
Lawmakers on Maine’s Labor and Housing Committee today will hold a public hearing...
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Efforts to undermine public charter schools only hurt Maine students
A lawmaker from Portland appears to have a personal vendetta against public charter...
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Lawmakers squander opportunity to ease vehicle inspection requirements
In 1994, Maine rolled out the United States Emissions Test, a program that...
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Don’t fall for the seasonal gas tax gimmick
Roads across Maine are in rough shape this time of year, and a...
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Medicaid expansion enrollment is on track to surpass projections
Medicaid expansion enrollment under Governor Janet Mills is taking off – almost 16,800...
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Maine’s higher minimum wage is doing tangible harm to young workers
Lawmakers in Augusta have proposed a spate of bills this session in an...
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New budget mandates will force property tax increases on hardworking Mainers
A few weeks ago, my radio address focused on the unsustainability of the...
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A Republic, if you can keep it
It is time to rein in the taxaholic phalanx of lawmakers in Augusta...
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Maine needs more young people to skip four-year degrees and work in the trades
High school guidance counselors, parents and popular culture have spent decades telling young...
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Able-bodied adults should work to receive Medicaid benefits
Lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee yesterday held a public hearing...
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Maine’s budget outlook worsens by the day
Governor Mills has proposed an $8.04 billion dollar General Fund budget. That is...
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Ranked-choice voting has not produced what we were promised
Lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday considered a bill...
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Medicare for All requires dismantling your private insurance
Health care itself is complicated and so is our health care system, yet...
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Governor Mills’ budget sets up Maine for fiscal ruin
The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) on Monday released a new analysis of...
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Numerous bills put in jeopardy the health of our small business economy
As a small business owner, I know firsthand that what is good for...
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The endless pursuit of power ends with limited government
Politics may be rough and tumble, but that is no excuse for outright...
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Income tax reductions will help tackle Maine’s demographic challenges
Lawmakers frequently pursue legislation under the guise of improving Maine’s economy and attracting...
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Efforts to broaden the ‘death tax’ in Maine will backfire
The estate tax, often referred to as the “death tax,” is assessed by...
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Alternative view: National Popular Vote would amplify Maine voices and empower small states
Any Mainer interested in amplifying the state’s role in electing a president, and...
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Legislative committee narrowly rejects National Popular Vote, but fight is not over
Our founders established a system of checks and balances designed to protect everyone,...
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Maine Open Checkbook should be more transparent
In 2013, former Maine Gov. Paul LePage established the Maine Open Checkbook website...
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A better measure of poverty? Lawmakers say ‘No thanks’
Have you ever wondered where the poverty figures you read in the paper...
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All Mainers should have a say in what issues make it on the statewide ballot
Lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee Monday held a public hearing...
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Bill to improve teacher quality would do just the opposite
Senator Rebecca Millett, the chair of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, has...
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In Maine, National Popular Vote makes your vote meaningless
There is no doubt that our Founding Fathers feared tyranny of the majority,...
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A carbon tax would hurt Maine’s most vulnerable
Lawmakers on the Energy, Utilities and Technology committee on Thursday, Feb. 28 will...
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Vehicle inspections do not make our roads safer
Lawmakers on the Transportation Committee today will hold a public hearing on LD...
