Republicans Proposing a $5 Million Tax Increase to Sustain Out-of-Control Welfare System PORTLAND – Lance Dutson, Chief Executive Officer of The Maine Heritage Policy Center, today issued the following statement on the current supplemental budget debate in Augusta, and the proposal to stop the scheduled draw-down of the Dirigo Assessment: “For decades, the people of [...]
PORTLAND – A report released today by The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) shows that raising taxes to fill the estimated 121 million dollar DHHS budget gap for this year would lead to the loss of more than 6,400 Maine jobs. As lawmakers work to decide how to fix the structural problems that have led [...]
Most Believe Protecting Against Fraud More Important Than Increasing Turnout PORTLAND – A decision by the Legislature to end the practice of same-day voter registration in Maine has the support of a majority of likely Maine voters, according to a new poll commissioned by The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC). According to the poll, 53 [...]
A priority piece of legislation for MHPC has been LD 1465: An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Freedom of Access. This bill would strengthen Maine’s Freedom of Access Act through provisions include timelines to comply with requests for public records, the designation of public access officers in each government agency, and the ability to [...]
Many of the welfare reforms MHPC called for as part of our Fix the System initiative last year were adopted in the biennial budget by large bipartisan majorities. These include drug testing for convicted drug felons and timelines for receiving certain benefits. Today, MHPC continues to drive the debate over welfare reform. Last month, MHPC [...]
PORTLAND – The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) has extensively reviewed the latest undercover video of an intake coordinator at Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services Portland office, released today by videographer James O’Keefe. The Think Tank is giving the employee mixed grades. The video can be seen here. “This latest tape gives us [...]
DHHS Worker: “If you don’t have proof of income, then you have no income” AUGUSTA – An outside investigation into Maine’s Medicaid system reveals a shocking potential for fraud within Maine’s vast welfare bureaucracy, and it’s all on video. Yet policy reforms to increase accountability and safeguard measures will help protect Maine’s welfare system from [...]
PORTLAND – The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) is applauding Maine Senator Olympia Snowe’s decision to cosponsor legislation in the U.S. Senate to require all meetings and hearings held by a newly-created deficit-reduction committee be open and transparent to the public. “Creating a twelve-person ‘super committee’ to do the job of 535 elected representatives is [...]
Part of the Washington compromise to increase the nation’s borrowing by $2.4 trillion includes the creation of a deficit-reduction committee tasked with identifying $1.2 trillion in federal spending cuts by November. This committee will be comprised of 12 members-six U.S. Senators and 6 U.S. Representatives, with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. As Center [...]
Although today was his official start date as MHPC’s new chief executive officer, Lance Dutson has been busy since the announcement was made last week that he will replace former CEO Tarren Bragdon as leader of Maine’s premier free market think tank. Lance’s selection as new MHPC CEO was widely covered in the media. The [...]
