Yes, I know, I know. This past November, voters narrowly passed a referendum presented by liberal special interest groups that…
Browsing: Commentary
I’ve said it for years, and I will say it again. There is no amount of your money the Legislature…
Our administration has done a good job bringing accountability to the Maine Turnpike Authority. Mainers are still counting on us…
Disparities in medical prices in Maine are enormous. If you have insurance through Anthem, for instance, the cost of a…
One of Maine’s most pressing public policy challenges is controlling the cost of healthcare. In 2009, the most recent year…
During his first term in the legislature, Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, R-Androscoggin, spearheaded legislation that established the first charter…
Rep. Heather Sirocki, R-Scarborough, is clearly among the straightest of all straight arrows in our state’s legislative quiver. She would…
If at first you don’t succeed, try, and try again… with all of the money and misinformation you can accumulate.…
Maine voters faced a number of far-reaching ballot initiatives last November, including Question 5, which enacted Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) in…
In the course of his tenure, Gov. Paul LePage and conservatives in Augusta have implemented reforms to Maine’s welfare system…
If your car is less than 12 years old, you may be saving money in the near future. Rep. Richard…
Policy creation should always be rooted in factual information and statistics. This is the only way we have a shot…
When the Maine Clean Elections Act (MCEA) was passed in 1996, it had noble intentions. Maine has a long history…
Mainers who have overcome drug addiction have powerful stories and when they share their struggle it is hard to ignore.…
Interesting how the Democrats’ “Opportunity Agenda” converges with the British Labour Party’s recently leaked “transformational programme.” Although it’s generally acknowledged that…
In August 2016, during the week celebrating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, former President Barack Obama designated the Katahdin…
Speaker of the House Sara Gideon is trying to pull a fast one on Mainers. She is pushing a bill…
My faith in government was restored yesterday when the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee (LCRED) voted 11-2 in…
It’s a busy and important day for conservatives in Augusta, where the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development (LCRED) Committee…
FACT: Connecticut’s current budget year is deep in the red and next year’s deficit has risen to $2.2 billion. FACT:…
Around the state, liberals are touting Maine Democrats’ “Opportunity Agenda” as the solution to our state’s budget woes. There’s no…
Are you tired of being forced to have your car inspected every year? Are you skeptical that the only ones…
I agree with Governor LePage. Teachers should be paid what they are worth. More broadly, everyone should be paid what…
Good teachers are critical to Maine’s future, so let’s pay them adequately. Our children are our most valuable asset, and…
Gov. Paul LePage announced late Monday he has filed a lawsuit in Kennebec County Superior Court against Maine Attorney General…
In the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency, the American political left has disconnected itself from hard-working American voters…
I hate it when partisan hacks stink up my Sunday morning news programs. Ironically, this weekend it was Maine’s “Independent”…
Let’s set the record straight on a lot of the propaganda you are going to see from Democrats on the…
He strikes again. Mike Tipping, the communications director of the Maine People’s Alliance (MPA), may be the king of tweeting…
Almost 40 years ago, the Hoover Institutions’ Policy Review journal published a letter I wrote criticizing surveys published by several…
Maine needs to enact common sense reforms of its welfare system. The public funds we devote to lifting our struggling…
Democrats say they want to reduce property taxes. But they don’t have the courage to actually do it. You can’t…
While liberals ridicule Gov. Paul LePage’s stance on school regionalization, the real issues plaguing Maine’s public school system get lost…
“Consulting” with the Maine Ethics Commission prior to engaging in unethical behavior does not save one from being culpable for…
There’s nothing more enjoyable as a constituent than seeing your elected officials keep their word. Last July, I attended the…
Democrat politicians in Augusta will take every opportunity to spend more of your money, and most Mainers simply can’t afford…
It’s generally recognized that Angus King’s political persona is a geometrical miracle, all surface and no depth. But when we…
In a heated legislative session where many important issues divide us, there is one that I thought would unite all…
I was in awe Wednesday morning. Just after 8 a.m., the halls of the Burton M. Cross Building began filling…
Over the past six years, welfare reform has been at the forefront of my agenda as your Governor. Some of…
The Maine People’s Alliance (MPA) is looking more like a gaggle of used car salesmen these days. After grassroots activists…
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell intends to secure 60 votes for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, before…
Potential ethics violations are piling up for Democrats in Augusta. Earlier this week, Rep. Sheldon Hanington, R-Lincoln, submitted a letter…
Those who read the first half of my take on the aftermath of Question 2 know that Maine will need…
The debate around the destructive 3 percent surtax on Maine’s individual income has turned largely toward one key issue: How…
We are going to miss Matt Gilman. Chances are you don’t know him, but he lives in Alfred. He was…
There’s been a lot of talk in Augusta lately about the implications of the referendum questions passed on last November’s…
Protecting our natural resources is a priority. It is also a priority for me to make sure Mainers can afford…
Any members of the Senate Judiciary Committee interested in SCOTUS nominee Neil Gorsuch’s judicial and constitutional philosophy will find a…
Despite recent controversy surrounding its House Chair, the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation is forging ahead. The Maine Republican Party…
The Maine People’s Alliance is the state’s lone defender of a provision in Question 4 that removed the tip credit…
Tired of being forced to have your car inspected every year? Do you think the only beneficiaries of Maine’s inspection…
As your Governor, I want all Mainers to prosper. Providing opportunities for people to help themselves is the best pathway…
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Someone should relay this message to Rep. Ryan Tipping, D-Orono, who…
Since the release of the House Republican “plan” for repealing Obamacare, conservative reaction has been dismal at best. It has…
Maine’s energy profile is composed primarily petroleum, natural gas, biomass and renewable energies like wind and solar. Natural gas prices…
It’s been an exciting time in politics as of late, with the liberal media frothing at the mouth and eagerly…
Our fellow Americans want Washington to fix the serious problems which are hurting our families and their jobs, and they…
They’re at it again. Having repeatedly failed to achieve Medicaid expansion through the legislative process, liberals in Maine have succeeded…
Our electricity rates are far above the national average—Maine has moved up from the 12th highest rates to the 11th…
Union lobbyist Ryan Tipping should resign his House seat. Legislators who line their own pockets rather than represent their constituents…
As recently as 2009, America’s liberals could look to a glorious future. Barack Obama, newly installed in the Oval Office,…
Under Maine Clean Elections Act, outside money continues to pour into the system through indirect independent expenditures. This is unacceptable.…
Are you as concerned as I am about campus leftists shutting down debate on urgent public policy issues? Do you…
Few things are more enjoyable than watching liberals eat their talking points. Prior to Paul LePage’s gubernatorial run and victory…
While politicians were scrambling to pass a moratorium on marijuana legalization, their credibility went up in smoke. As usual, politicians…
After predicting that President Trump’s inaugural speech would include something about “bringing the nation together.” I have sifted through the…
One of my greatest duties as the representative of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District is serving on behalf of our more…
Legislators may not understand how taxes work, but experts recognize the tax reforms in my budget would make Maine more…
Note: The following Op-Ed was submitted to the Portland Press Herald Editorial Page Editor for consideration and ignored. 75,000…
It was a surreal time in Washington D.C.. My wife and I spent three days in the city. We attended…
Today a new president takes office. He has been called the most divisive president in history during a time when…
Maine voters – by a margin of less than 1 percent – approved a 3 percent income tax “surcharge” on…
In 2002 when Governor Angus King left office the State was seeing red—big time. He left a billion-dollar structural deficit…
If it weren’t for double standards, Speaker of the House Sara Gideon (D-Freeport) wouldn’t have any standards at all. Yes,…
For those concerned about the education of Maine’s youth, Gov. Paul LePage has taken another step toward improving the efficiency…
The American People spoke loudly in November. They sent us to Congress to immediately work on issues that are critical…
Gov. Paul LePage’s biennial budget has been released for only a matter of days and already we are hearing the…
If we want to put more money in our classrooms, we need a more efficient education system. We often hear…
A “factoid” is not a piece of trivia. A factoid is a falsehood, or part of the truth, that is…
As we look forward to the New Year, we think of those who are struggling to get by. Unfortunately, their…
I want to take the time to thank the anti-Trump demonstrators for their civility as they greeted the elector for…
When our side wins, democracy happens. When our opponents win, democracy fails. The rule cited above does not explain every…
Every two years, the citizens of Maine get to sit back and watch a spectacle of drama and high-pitched emotion…
Sometimes when you hit a road block, you have to find a detour. I was appalled when Democrats recently voted—twice—to…
Every year, hundreds of thousands of wreaths are laid on the graves of fallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery in…
Emily Cain wants you to believe that she has anything in common with the average person living in Maine’s Second Congressional…
When Steve Collins, the new reporter for the Lewiston Sun Journal was hired, most Maine politicos had never heard of…
There was much good news, along with a splash of bad news, in this week’s controversial poll from NBC-Wall Street…
Ask any average person what they hate most about their government, and you’ll get a variety of answers. Typically they…
There will be no problem with money in politics this year. Such problems arise only when Republicans have more money…
Maine Democrats have finally responded to Governor LePage’s budget proposal, announcing their plan last week exactly three months after the…
Wearing a cap and gown I sat on the field at the University of Maine contemplating my years in college.…
There is no question that our right to vote is fundamental to our freedom. It only makes sense, then, that…
The measles do not seem like a fun time. Neither does diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, the mumps, or chickenpox. Thankfully,…
Well, not so much. The Obama Administration last week through the EPA issued the 2nd punch into the oil and gas…
At its best, research can be the backbone of policymaking. It can provide the numbers that illuminate problems for lawmakers…
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…
There is no denying that the low wages earned by Maine people are a major concern for state policy makers.…