House GOP plan seeks to solve the problems in education not simply throw money at it Maine House Republicans have put forward a 2-year budget that is a reasonable compromise in hopes that all parties can agree. The new proposal includes $125 million in new education funding along with significant education and economic reforms we believe will move Maine forward. House Republicans have been consistent in their position that they would only… Read More

Monday, Maine House Democrats voted against a pair of bills that would have better protected our law enforcement officers and first responder, opting instead to side with criminals. The following bills were struck down by Maine House Democrats: LD 1512 “An Act To Protect the Health and Safety of First Responders” which makes it a crime for a person, knowing the person is infected with an aggressive blood-borne pathogen, to intentionally, knowingly… Read More

Plan would reduce top rate to 6.99 and drop corporate tax rate to 8.33% House Republicans laid out their budget report in the Appropriations Committee that not only eliminates the disastrous 3 percent surcharge, but also reduces the income tax for working Maine families and Maine businesses.   The House Republican budget report would do the following:   Repeal the 3 percent surcharge entirely.   Reduce the top income tax rate from… Read More

House Republicans renewed their call for a voluntary statewide teacher contract, insisting that the bill be part of the education reforms included in any budget proposal that House Republicans will support.   Currently, Maine teacher contracts are negotiated with officials from each individual school district. This bill would authorize the State of Maine to bargain for a statewide educator contract that chooses to opt-in for standard salary and benefits in Maine’s public… Read More

Wednesday, House Democrats argued in opposition to LD 250 “An Act To Increase the Penalty for Aggravated Sex Trafficking” sponsored by Rep. Trey Stewart of Presque Isle. This bill seeks to increase the crime of aggravated sex trafficking to a Class A crime allowing a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Current law only classifies it as a Class B crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.   On… Read More

Senate President and House Republican Leader Say Budget Cannot Include Highest in the Nation Tax Bracket April 27, 2017 AUGUSTA – With the state budget deadline approaching, Maine Senate President Michael Thibodeau (R-Waldo) and House Republican Leader Ken Fredette (R-Newport) today announced any two-year budget agreement cannot include an onerous three-percent surcharge that will give Maine the dubious distinction of having the highest tax bracket in the nation. Republican leadership has been… Read More

Maine now has the least amount of government workers and highest private sector workforce ever Maine’s unemployment rate continues to be headed in the right direction and Friday, the Maine Department of Labor released the latest numbers showing it has now reached a new historic low. According to the Maine DOL: “The preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.0 percent for March was the lowest on record since the current estimation methodology… Read More

Tuesday, flanked by members of the House Republican caucus, House GOP Leader Rep. Ken Fredette of Newport was pleased to announce he will be sponsoring the welfare Reform for Increased Security and Employment Act (RISE Act) put forward by Governor Paul LePage. The bill codifies many of the most successful welfare reforms implemented by the LePage Administration. Among the reforms that would be codified as a result of the RISE Act: Require… Read More

Speaker has failed to take action on blatant violation of the law Rep. Ryan Tipping (D) of Orono is in clear violation of the Maine ethics laws and as the law clearly states, Rep. Tipping now “is presumed to have a conflict of interest on every question and must be precluded or subject to penalty…” Below is the timeline and the statute Rep. Tipping has violated: In May of 2016, Rep. Ryan… Read More

Last Thursday, Assistant House Republican Leader Rep. Ellie Espling of New Gloucester sent a letter to Senate President Mike Thibodeau and House Speaker Sara Gideon requesting they convene a Joint Select Committee that would work solely on the drug crisis that is crippling Maine. “It is with the utmost respect to the Speaker and Senate President and the difficult decisions they have in front of them that I make this request,” said… Read More