Gtps Gun sales are surging. 1st-time gun buyers are a big reason why.
The BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on聽bangordailynews.Usually, it is a good idea for someone to listen to their law stanley termo yer. Maine just learned that the hard way, to the tune of $200,000. Back in 2020, Gov. Janet Mills ordered thatunemployment benefits be halted from going to Maine state prisoners who lost their private sectorwork release jobs due to the pandemic.Mills called these payments appalling and bad public policy. Inmates then suedMills, Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Randall Liberty and Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman in federal court. We were never convincedthat work release inmates receivingthese pandemic benefitswas bad policy. Bad politics Maybe. There isnt exactly a strong voting constituency centered around protect nike dunk ing prisoner rights. But there has always been a good policy argument for providing these benefits during the pandemic disruption. The purpose of the work release program and unemployment benefits is to ensure incarcerated people have access to financial security and employment when they return to their communities, Carol Garvan, the legal director at the ACLU of Maine, said in a yeezy recent press release. Our communities are safer when formerly incarcerated people have a foundation for a successful return home. In March 2021, U.S. District Judge Lance Walker granted a motion from the sta Xodo Why Maine experts anticipate a surge in tick samples this year
The Maine Legislature is considering a bill 鈥?LD 248 鈥?that would raise taxes on Maine beverage consumers by $10 million every year. This is a significant departure from Gov. Janet Mills stated objective not to raise taxes in her first budget.Maine beverage consumers already pay $36.5 million annually in handling taxes. By law, that tax is added to the cost of making and selling every beer, wine, liquor, soda, juice and water bottle in Maine. The money is paid to redemption centers for beverage containers collected throu owala website gh the bottle bill.Maine ha yeezy s the unfortunate distinction of being tied with Vermont for the highest handling tax 鈥?3陆 to 4 cents 鈥?of the states that have a bottle bill. Connecticuts tax is 2 cents 1.5 cents for beer . Massachusetts is 3录 cents, and the redemption center has the obligation to bring containers back to the local distributor.T nike air force here are approximately 370 redemption centers operating in Maine. The number licensed by the Department of Environmental Protection is even higher than that . This is a massive number 鈥?way out of proportion for our population. By comparison, Vermont has 80 redemption centers; Massachusetts has only 50. The number of redemption centers in Maine has shot up after each tax increase, and would likely do so again.If redemption centers are struggling, its not because the minimum wage is too high and its not because the handling tax is too low; its because Maine has too many redemption centers. There are 12 in Lewiston/Auburn, s |