The Latest
Track the issues shaping Maine’s future with up-to-date coverage on Maine politics, legislation, and statewide news. Explore current bills, news, and conservative commentary that helps us understand how the government affects our daily lives.
In the News
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Plan to boost child care in Maine gains support, but funding remains uncertain
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, opposed LD 1955 and said it didn’t address the structural problems she sees and hears about from constituents. She said…
Read full story: Plan to boost child care in Maine gains support, but funding remains uncertain -
Maine towns are using AI for policing, lawmaking and budgets. Safeguards are optional.
Maine municipalities are turning to AI like ChatGPT for tasks including policy drafting, emails, and budgets amid staffing shortages, with some using surveillance cameras…
Read full story: Maine towns are using AI for policing, lawmaking and budgets. Safeguards are optional. -
A new charter school will open near Maine Mall this fall
Maine’s 10th charter school is coming to South Portland. MOXIE Public Schools’ building will be able to support up to 420 students.
Read full story: A new charter school will open near Maine Mall this fall -
Poll Finds New England Women Feel Misled About Climate Policies
With Winter Storm Fern wreaking havoc across the country, New England women are worried about energy affordability. Yet many do not connect rising energy…
Read full story: Poll Finds New England Women Feel Misled About Climate Policies -
Study: New England ratepayers would save up to $700 billion replacing wind, solar with natural gas, nuclear
A new study has found that New England ratepayers would save an estimated $400-$700 billion by replacing planned offshore wind and solar projects in…
Read full story: Study: New England ratepayers would save up to $700 billion replacing wind, solar with natural gas, nuclear -
Maine’s 2026 Hikes to Hit Smokers, Streamers, and Sportsmen with Higher Taxes and Fees after Thursday
Maine residents will see higher taxes and fees across multiple everyday purchases starting January 1, 2026, as a slate of new state laws take…
Read full story: Maine’s 2026 Hikes to Hit Smokers, Streamers, and Sportsmen with Higher Taxes and Fees after Thursday -
Maine electric bills to rise $12 to $16 in January
Mainers will see their monthly electricity supply costs jump $12 to $16 on average come January. Regulators approved new rates this week for the…
Read full story: Maine electric bills to rise $12 to $16 in January -
Maine could be asked to vote on health care for all in 2026
Maine could be asked to vote on a referendum next year requiring state lawmakers to come up with a plan to provide publicly funded…
Read full story: Maine could be asked to vote on health care for all in 2026 -
Maine electricity bills surge over 36% in a year, highest in US
The average residential customer in Maine experienced a significant increase in electricity bills, with a surge of just over 36% in one year, according…
Read full story: Maine electricity bills surge over 36% in a year, highest in US -
Mississippi Schools Are Better Than Yours
Believe it or not, Mississippi has become the fastest-improving school system in the country.
Read full story: Mississippi Schools Are Better Than Yours
Opinions & Insight
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The New Millionaire Tax Is a Gamble We Can’t Afford
Read full story: The New Millionaire Tax Is a Gamble We Can’t AffordThis tax is not fiscal stewardship. It is a gamble, and everyday Mainers will be left with the bill when it doesn’t pay off.
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The Fix to Maine’s Child Care Crisis is Not What Augusta is Selling
Read full story: The Fix to Maine’s Child Care Crisis is Not What Augusta is SellingThe data is damning. All but a single county in Maine lost licensed child care providers between 2018 and 2025.…
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Libby: Maine businesses are getting squeezed and you’re paying the price
Read full story: Libby: Maine businesses are getting squeezed and you’re paying the priceOur state should be an affordable place to live. Augusta is making that harder than it needs to be.
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LTE: If Maine punishes energy companies, it punishes itself
Read full story: LTE: If Maine punishes energy companies, it punishes itselfMaine winters are not theoretical. There are propane tanks that need filling, heating oil deliveries budgeted months in advance and…
Current Legislation
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An Act to Establish Procedures for Restricting Access to State Property, Access to State Services and Communication with or Through State Entities
Read more: An Act to Establish Procedures for Restricting Access to State Property, Access to State Services and Communication with or Through State EntitiesThis bill gives new authority to state agencies so they are allowed to restrict Mainers’ access to government property, services, and communications for up to 90 days *without* prior court…
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An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations from the General Fund and Other Funds for the Expenditures of State Government… for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2026 and June 30, 2027
Read more: An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations from the General Fund and Other Funds for the Expenditures of State Government… for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2026 and June 30, 2027This supplemental budget proposal exists because Augusta has overtaxed Maine people, even during tough economic times, and is faced with a “revenue surplus.” Lawmakers should use this to pay for…
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An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets and Tax Rates
Read more: An Act to Bring Fairness in Income Taxes to Maine Families by Adjusting the Tax Brackets and Tax RatesChanges Maine’s income tax scheme starting in 2026, including an increase to top income tax rate from 7.15% to 8.95%. This increase would bump us from the 11th highest top…
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An Act to Permanently Fund 55 Percent of the State’s Share of Education by Establishing a Tax on High-income Earners
Read more: An Act to Permanently Fund 55 Percent of the State’s Share of Education by Establishing a Tax on High-income EarnersLD 1089 would impose a 2% income tax surcharge on income above $1 million for single filers, $1.5 million for heads of households, and $2 million for married couples filing…
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An Act to Facilitate the Development of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities by Exempting Certain Facilities from the Requirement to Obtain a Certificate of Need
Read more: An Act to Facilitate the Development of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities by Exempting Certain Facilities from the Requirement to Obtain a Certificate of NeedMaine’s Certificate of Need (CON) law requires healthcare facilities to get state approval before building, expanding, or spending more than $3 million on projects. Originally created in the 1970s to…
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An Act to Lower Electric Rates for Maine Ratepayers by Requiring the Payment of Certain Costs from the General Fund
Read more: An Act to Lower Electric Rates for Maine Ratepayers by Requiring the Payment of Certain Costs from the General FundRight now, every Maine electricity customer pays a hidden charge on their monthly bill to cover the cost of the state’s Net Energy Billing (NEB) solar subsidy program. These “stranded…
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An Act to Amend the Requirements Governing Self-insurance Plans in the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program
Read more: An Act to Amend the Requirements Governing Self-insurance Plans in the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits ProgramIn 2023, Maine created a Paid Family and Medical Leave program that costs businesses about 1% of every worker’s paycheck. Businesses can either buy insurance or pay for it themselves…
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An Act to Create a Residential Rental Unit Registry
Read more: An Act to Create a Residential Rental Unit RegistryLD 1806 would require owners of residential rental properties to register annually with the state, submitting detailed ownership and unit information to be maintained in a government-run database. While promoted…
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An Act to Define “Public Education” and Clarify That a Private School Receiving Approval for Public Tuition Must Be Located in the State
Read more: An Act to Define “Public Education” and Clarify That a Private School Receiving Approval for Public Tuition Must Be Located in the StateLD 2109 seeks to codify a specific definition of “public education” and impose a requirement that private schools seeking approval to receive public tuition funds must be located within the…
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An Act to Abolish 72-Hour Waiting Period for Gun Purchases
Read more: An Act to Abolish 72-Hour Waiting Period for Gun PurchasesLD 1230 would restore the ability of law-abiding Mainers to complete firearm purchases without an arbitrary 72-hour state-imposed delay, affirming that once an individual has passed all required background checks,…
Today the ocean was calling… can’t ignore it! First of MANY visits this year. Who can name the beach??
Maine is the 3rd highest taxed state in the country. “No, we’re the 4th.” “No, the 5th!” Does it really matter which??
I’m sharing a Lead Maine post today on the rural hospital argument, because it’s the one I get pushed back on most when I talk about CON reform. I understand why rural hospital administrators might support CON, they’re running tight margins and genuinely worried about the competitive landscape. But as a nurse, I’ve seen the other side: the patient in a rural community who can’t get a procedure close to home because there’s no facility allowed to offer it. The family that drives two hours because the nearest surgery center that takes their insurance is in Bangor. CON laws don’t just block out-of-state chains from coming in and “cherry-picking” profitable patients. They also block the local physicians’ group that wants to open a surgery center in Oxford County. They block the rural imaging clinic that would serve patients who currently drive an hour for an MRI. The rural communities CON is supposed to protect are often the ones it hurts most. The evidence backs that up. Its time to unleash our healthcare capacity and FULLY repeal Maine’s CON laws.
⏰ LAST DAY TO REGISTER!⏰ Don’t miss out on “Ranked Choice Voting Decoded,” coming up on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 PM. Learn more and RSVP at the link in the comments! Thanks for sharing, The Maine Wire!
Coming Tuesday: my conversation with Jason Isaac on how the future of human flourishing is tied to reliable energy. We chatted about how Augusta Democrats’ coziness with climate extremists will not go well for Mainers in the long run. We can’t have policy that puts ideology over affordability and accountability!
Once in a while, there’s some GOOD news from Augusta… let’s keep going!
Tonight I had the privilege of speaking at the inaugural Cumberland County Young Republicans meeting. What a fantastic group of young adults, all enthusiastic about getting engaged and involved in turning around our state. I left more optimistic for the future of Maine than ever!
When you are talking about being one of the highest taxed states in the nation, does third, fourth, or fifth place really matter??
🚨 5 PM TODAY is the deadline to submit comment on Secretary of State Shenna Bellows proposed wording for the Girls’ Sports ballot question. Have you submitted comment yet?? (Link in the comments!) Here’s mine: I strongly object to the current draft ballot question issued by the Secretary of State regarding the citizen initiative titled “An Act to Designate School Sports Participation and Facilities by Sex.” Under Maine law, the Secretary of State is required to present citizen initiatives in a manner that is “clear, concise, and direct.” Instead, the current draft question appears intentionally crafted to manipulate public perception and influence the outcome of the referendum before a single vote is cast. Unfortunately, this is becoming a pattern. Maine voters are increasingly watching the referendum process be weaponized through carefully chosen language designed not to neutrally describe citizen initiatives, but to politically frame them. The Secretary of State occupies a position that is supposed to be nonpartisan and administrative in nature. Yet this ballot question reads more like political messaging from an advocacy organization than an honest summary of the proposed law. The most glaring example is the repeated substitution of the word “gender” for “sex.” The proposed legislation does not use “gender” as the governing standard. It specifically defines and relies upon “sex,” meaning biological sex as recorded on a person’s original birth certificate. Those are not interchangeable terms, and replacing one with the other fundamentally alters the meaning and public understanding of the initiative. If the Secretary of State can simply replace statutory language with politically preferred terminology, then the citizen initiative process itself becomes compromised. Equally misleading is the claim that the proposal would “change civil rights laws.” That phrase is clearly designed to prejudice voters emotionally and politically against the initiative. The proposed legislation itself explicitly states that it does not constitute unlawful discrimination under the Maine Human Rights Act and that the MHRA may not be construed to conflict with the proposed act. That critical context is omitted entirely. The wording also selectively minimizes the scope of the initiative. The proposal addresses bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, and athletic participation categories based on sex. Yet voters are only presented with the narrower and more politically charged phrase “bathrooms and sports.” A ballot question should inform voters, not strategically simplify or sensationalize a proposal for political effect. Likewise, the phrase “allow students to sue the schools” is a deliberately inflammatory oversimplification of civil enforcement provisions that exist in countless areas of Maine law. Civil remedies are a standard component of rights-based legislation. The phrasing chosen here appears intended to provoke opposition rather than neutrally summarize the legal effect of the measure. The Secretary of State has a legal and ethical obligation to faithfully summarize citizen initiatives, not reinterpret them through a political lens. Maine voters deserve ballot questions that are accurate, readable, and neutral; not wording crafted to steer public opinion toward a preferred political outcome. At a minimum, the question should be revised to accurately reflect the actual language of the proposed legislation, including the use of the word “sex” rather than “gender,” and should remove politically loaded language that improperly biases the presentation of the initiative. Anything less is a disservice to Maine voters and further erodes public confidence in the integrity and neutrality of Maine’s referendum process.
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