Speak Up with Laurel Libby

Lauren LePage grew up as the daughter of Governor Paul LePage, walked away from a career in medicine, and went to work in Republican politics. She sat down with me to ask the question on every Maine kitchen table this fall: has your life gotten cheaper in the last eight years?Maine's budget has grown from $7 billion to $12 billion, and Maine families are the ones footing the bill. The state's own forecast shows a $1.085 billion General Fund gap and a $256.7 million Highway Fund gap, about $1.34 billion together, waiting for the next governor. Electric bills tell the same story. Residential rates in Maine rose just over 36 percent from May 2024 to May 2025, according to federal EIA data. Connecticut's rose about 18 percent.Then we get into the politics. Lauren shares what she says happened to the 2011 voter ID bill, what ranked-choice voting did to the Republican primary for governor, and who Mainers will trust in the Collins vs. Jackson race for U.S. Senate. We cover MaineCare and where the blame for rising electric bills belongs, the Second District matchup between Paul LePage and Matt Dunlap, how Republicans can win in blue states, and why Lauren says the media holds Republicans to a different standard.Whether you agree with her or not, you will hear a candid conversation from someone who has watched Maine politics from the inside.Her advice for every voter is to bank your vote early. Early in-person voting at your town or city office ends Thursday, October 29th, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd.Find your town or city office and early voting info: https://maine.voteSUBSCRIBE TO SPEAK UP:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@laurel_libbySpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75Y2G40k0gWwFH6cncgiuWApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-up-with-laurel-libby/id1870102672FOLLOW:Laurel Libby on X: www.x.com/laurel_libbyLaurel Libby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelLibbyMEHouseLead Maine on X: www.x.com/lead_maineLead Maine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeadMaine

Mike Quatrano was in the foster system as a teenager. Today he runs Maine Civic Action, training everyday Mainers to run for office, knock doors and get out the vote.On this episode of Speak Up, Mike tells the story of the uncle who looked him in the eye and said "you need to work to eat," and of the grandmother who dragged him to rallies and told him to become a preacher or go into politics. He also explains how he got two candidates on the ballot on his very first day in politics.Then we get practical. We cover how a handful of votes decided control of the Maine House, why the doorstep is still the gold standard, and why voting early means the knocks, mailers and texts stop coming to your house.Mike spent a career watching one person change the math. This episode is proof.Take action: Request your absentee ballot or vote early at your town office before Election Day, November 3.Join us in Bangor on October 17 for the Turn the Tide Fall Festival. It runs 10 to 2, it's free, and it's family friendly. RSVP at https://leadmaine.com/event/turnthetide-bangor/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=turnthetide&utm_content=ep20_descLearn about Maine Civic Action trainings at mainecivicaction.orgSubscribe to Speak Up with Laurel Libby:> YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@laurel_libby> Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75Y2G40k0gWwFH6cncgiuW> Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-up-with-laurel-libby/id1870102672Follow Laurel:> X: www.x.com/laurel_libby> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelLibbyMEHouseFollow Lead Maine:> X: www.x.com/lead_maine> Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeadMaine

I sat down with Carla Lobley, a Maine teacher who has homeschooled her own kids, taught in a Christian school, worked in public-school gifted education, and now helps lead Avodah, a Christ-centered K-12 school in Auburn.Carla has seen education from almost every angle. Public school, she says, was a boot camp: policy, process, paperwork, and how hard it is to move a gifted kid who is already a year ahead. One freshman doing sophomore-level work. The answer from the high school: we'd have to get a bus.We talk about what homeschool, private school, and public school each taught her that the others could not. We talk about mixed-ability classrooms, and a line her students know too well: I can get Jimmy to do my thinking. And we talk about the text that started Avodah, from Kaytlen Davis: do you want to start a school?If you are a Maine parent who knows the fit is wrong and feels stuck, this one is for you.Topics covered:What homeschool, private school, and public school each taught CarlaWhy she calls public school a boot camp of educationThe text that started Avodah, and how the hybrid model actually worksGifted kids who have never had to work hardMixed-ability grouping versus stacking classes by subjectPractical advice for a parent who feels trapped in a zip-code schoolWatch, subscribe, and send this to one parent who needs it.Learn more about Avodah: https://www.avodaheducation.org/Learn more about Lead Maine: leadmaine.coSubscribe to Speak Up with Laurel Libby:▶ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@laurel_libby▶ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75Y2G40k0gWwFH6cncgiuW▶ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-up-with-laurel-libby/id1870102672Follow Laurel:▶ X: www.x.com/laurel_libby▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelLibbyMEHouseFollow Lead Maine:▶ X: www.x.com/lead_maine▶ Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeadMaineShow Resources:https://www.avodaheducation.org/https://www.avodaheducation.org/meet-the-teamhttps://www.facebook.com/p/Avodah-61574055812307/

Eight states now have ZERO income tax. Thirteen more are on automatic paths to zero. That's 21 out of 50 states moving aggressively to lower taxes and attract business, talent, and families.Meanwhile, Maine has the 5th highest tax burden in the nation. If you earn under $100,000/year (the vast majority of Mainers), you pay the HIGHEST income tax rate in all of New England.This is not accidental. This is strategic policy, and it's reshaping which states win, and which lose.My guest, Grover Norquist is the president of Americans for Tax Reform and the creator of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a political tool that has transformed Republican politics since 1986. In this episode, he breaks down:Why 21 states are moving toward zero income tax (and what makes them competitive)North Carolina's bold move: cut income tax in HALF in 4 years (with $2B budget buffer)The Taxpayer Protection Pledge: why it works, how it's used politically, and why zero Democrats will sign itMaine's specific problem: high taxes + hostile business climate = brain drain and zero growthProperty tax caps (Prop 13 model, Arizona's approach)School choice as a spending-control tool (14 states)How businesses choose where to locate (spoiler: Maine isn't on their list anymore)What Maine can do right now: Use the initiative process to put tax/spending limits on the ballotAmericans for Tax Reform: atr.org

Amy Sussman is back. Her nephew Max Hathaway was killed in the October 2023 Lewiston shooting, on the day he graduated high school. Two years ago she learned what donors were never told: of the $6.6 million raised for victims and survivors, $1.9 million went to 29 outside nonprofits instead, while victims and survivors split $4.7 million, an average of $29,000 a person.In this bonus episode, Amy brings the paper trail. An email from the fundraiser's own consultant and a letter on Maine Community Foundation letterhead, both promising 100% of donations to victims and survivors. She walks through what changed after that promise was made, what the Attorney General's office told her when she asked them to reopen the case, and what happened this week when she finally sat down with Governor Mills' staff after fourteen requests.This episode covers:The exact documents promising "100%" to victims, read on cameraHow $6.6 million broke down between victims and 29 nonprofitsWhy the Root Cellar returned its $65,000 and 28 others have notThe City of Lewiston's $810,000 into the fund, and the oversight question it raisesWhat Amy asked Governor Mills' office, and what she's asking Maine's Government Oversight Committee at their September 16th hearingIf you gave to this fund, or you just believe Mainers deserve to know where their money went, this is your update.The high-stakes Government Oversight Committee hearing is September 16th. Amy is on the agenda this time. We'll let you know what happens.Subscribe for the full "Speak Up with Laurel Libby" series and every follow-up on this story. Sign up for updates at www.leadmaine.com