Tag Archives: Legislature

Democrats slay welfare reform under cover of darkness

On Monday night, Augusta Democrats — desperate to kill off as many good ideas to save taxpayers money as they could before session ended — held a series of debates and votes on welfare reform initiatives. Last year, welfare reform proved to be a crucial issue for Republicans across the state. GOP candidates, from Gov. […]

Crafts, Sanderson and other Republicans win reelection

You likely didn’t notice, but yesterday Republican Representatives Dale Crafts of Lisbon, Deb Sanderson of Chelsea, Stacy Guerin of Glenburn, Carol McElwee of Caribou, and Beth Turner of Burlington all won reelection, long before November. In addition, newcomers Paul Sterns and Sheldon Hanington clinched their seats in the Legislature without a vote being cast. How […]

Beware the perils of fake bipartisanship

Not all bipartisanship is created equal: There’s real bipartisanship and fake bipartisanship. There was plenty of both on full display in the Legislature this week. In real bipartisanship, both sides actually come together to solve a problem. They negotiate to find a solution that both of them can support. They make sacrifices, and nobody gets […]

Compromise on budget deal can be a boost for cooperation in Augusta

Over the past week, something unexpected and — of late at least — rather remarkable happened: bipartisanship in the Maine Legislature. The powerful Appropriations Committee, which seemed to have broken down in a remarkably public partisan spat over a bill that used reserves from the state’s rainy day fund to pay for municipal revenue sharing, rediscovered its […]