All posts tagged "Opinion"
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New hands-free driving law takes effect on Thursday
On September 19th, many bills passed during the First Regular Session of the...
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Alaska AG moves to protect public employees’ First Amendment rights
Last month, Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson released a formal opinion that said...
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Unity charter school approved to fill 10th and final spot available in Maine
Hundreds of bills failed to become law in the First Regular Session of...
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Congress must reject the federal internet power grab
One of the issues Congress will be considering when they return from August...
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Governor Mills lets RCV for presidential elections become law without her signature
Maine Governor Janet Mills decided Friday to let LD 1083, “An Act To...
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Friday is the deadline for Governor Mills’ decision on LD 1083
Governor Janet Mills has until the end of the day Friday to decide...
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MECEP praise for labor unions misses the mark
This week, in honor of Labor Day, the Maine Center for Economic Policy’s...
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What does a state-based health insurance exchange mean for Maine?
Last week, Governor Janet Mills announced that Maine will pursue a state-based health...
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Maine’s decision to raise taxes on e-cigarettes was a mistake
Following a national trend, Maine lawmakers decided in June to raise taxes on...
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Activists failed to secure enough signatures to expand ranked-choice voting in Maine’s most liberal city
This week, Portland city officials notified Fair Elections Portland, a pro-ranked-choice voting group,...
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Will Governor Mills sign or veto bill that expands RCV to presidential elections?
The Maine Legislature reconvened on Monday to consider four bond proposals that failed...
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Lawmakers reject 3 of 4 bonds, approve RCV for presidential elections during special session
Lawmakers returned to Augusta on Monday to debate several bonds proposed by Governor...
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On energy, Maine’s politicians keep making a bad situation even worse
Politicians everywhere should have to take a version of the Hippocratic Oath, swearing...
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Maine Legislature reconvenes next week to consider governor’s bond proposals
Governor Janet Mills issued a proclamation Monday calling the legislature back to the...
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Does ranked-choice voting live up to its promises?
The Maine Heritage Policy Center today released its newest report, “A False Majority:...
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Government dependency will grow as Maine reverses course on welfare to work
Laura Catevenis, a resident of Lewiston, was close to rock bottom. She was...
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The minimum wage myth that persists
Advocates of a higher minimum wage rarely appeal to scholarly research to bolster...
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Maine’s burdensome death tax should be repealed, not expanded
When it comes down to it, Maine is an amazing place to live...
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Allowing public employees to strike would disrupt our schools and communities
The state of Maine currently prevents employees who work in the public-sector from...
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Right-to-Work would bolster Maine’s manufacturing sector
The decline of Maine’s manufacturing sector, whose workforce has shrunk by nearly half...
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Proposed overtime rules will result in lost wages and benefits
The Maine Legislature next session will consider another bill that would be harmful...
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The affordable housing paradox
Governments spend a good deal of time and money attempting to solve problems...
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What Maine could learn from New Hampshire about fiscal responsibility
Last month, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a two-year state budget because...
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Does Maine spend too much on school administration?
There has been quite a bit of debate in recent years about whether...
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Net neutrality stifles investment and innovation
Lawmakers and special interests always seem to title their bills with buzzwords that...
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Lawmakers will consider more than $2.1 billion in bonds next session
The Maine Legislature is slated to debate more than $2.1 billion in bonds...
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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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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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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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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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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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More victories for ballot initiative transparency
Governor Janet Mills on Thursday, June 20 signed into law LD 534, sponsored...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Empower Maine families with school choice
Quite often we hear politicians and special interests say that the quality of...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Maine Open Checkbook should be more transparent
In 2013, former Maine Gov. Paul LePage established the Maine Open Checkbook website...
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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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Vehicle inspections do not make our roads safer
Lawmakers on the Transportation Committee today will hold a public hearing on LD...
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How lawmakers can add much-needed transparency to the ballot initiative process
Lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing...
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It shouldn’t be so hard to earn a living in Maine
Occupational licensing exists as a mechanism for government to promote public health and...
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Medicaid expansion will cost our state dearly
Liberals in Augusta are likely elated with the latest communication from Maine’s Department...
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Home sharing should never be a crime in Maine
Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government today is holding a...
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Maine should end tax increases at the ballot box
This week, lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee will hold a...
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Gov. Mills’ budget grows Maine government to unsustainable levels
Maine Gov. Janet Mills is trying to pass off her budget proposal, released...
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Don’t close the book on virtual charter schools
State Representative Michael Brennan of Portland recently introduced a pair of bills concerning...
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Ballot initiatives should reflect the ambitions of Mainers in both congressional districts
Citizens Initiatives should be reserved for Maine citizens.
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Mandatory snow tire bill has been withdrawn
Approximately 96 hours after this publication questioned the merits of a bill to...
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Legislators can take steps to prevent Maine’s coming regulatory storm
This piece first appeared in the Portland Press Herald. During her recent inaugural...
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Police checkpoints for snow tires?
As previously highlighted in this publication, there are a number of strange, ridiculous...
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Minimum wage law hurting small business and Maine’s most vulnerable
They say elections have consequences, and in the case of the minimum wage...
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It didn’t take long for tax increases to be proposed in Augusta
It was only a matter of time, right? In a piece that read...
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New analysis shows there are 113,862 regulatory restrictions on the books in Maine
The 2018 Code of Maine Rules is home to 113,862 restrictions and 8.1...
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Maine taxpayers cannot afford the costs of universal health care
Among the many harebrained schemes that will be considered in the Maine Legislature...
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Medicaid expansion is here. Now what?
For the second time in 17 years, Maine has expanded Medicaid. Governor Mills...
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Is the three percent surtax back from the dead?
During the biennial budget battle in 2017 that led to Maine’s first government...
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The costs of universal pre-K are not worth the benefits
It is no secret that the Mills administration and legislative Democrats are planning...
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Lawsuit seeks to undo exclusion of religious schools from Maine’s school choice program
Maine’s town tuitioning program, first adopted in 1873, is the second oldest school choice...
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Medicaid expansion must be funded responsibly
When I took office, MaineCare was running biennial budget deficits of more than...
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‘The Will of the People’ and the home care hypocrisy
If you’ve followed Maine politics in the last two years, you know that...
