On Tuesday, for the first time Maine, voters had a chance to use ranked-choice voting to pick their nominees for governor and for Democrats in the 2nd Congressional District. Despite all the hand-wringing, ranked-choice voting itself is pretty straightforward. You rank the candidates in the order that you like them.

It’s hardly a startling headline that rural Maine is in crisis. In fact, the face of rural Maine has been a sporting a series of fresh bruises as a regular occurrence since the 1890s. The utter collapse of the farm economy, the demise of the ubiquitous shipyards and the sawmills that fed them, and the gradual, inexorable decline of papermaking has shaped the prospects for prosperity for which people in rural Maine tirelessly strive.

Is there ever a time suicide doesn’t leave a wake of sadness and grief? Suicide and death were very much a part of my week. I didn’t make it a point to engage suicide and death. The week just turned out that way.

Hold your horses! Ease off that throttle. Slow it down there, bub. The U.S. Supreme Court did not legalize discrimination and it did not affirm the right of business owners to turn people away who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. And the court certainly did not say that the First Amendment allows business owners to ignore state law, including anti-discrimination laws, on the basis of religious beliefs.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." That, of course, is the text of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In my last column I wrote about the importance journals can play in genealogical research. But how do you find an article in an obscure journal, perhaps one you never knew existed?

Driving two-lane back roads along miles of woods, bordered and interwoven with old stone walls, I was exploring new areas of rural Maine. Up and down a rise in the road, around a curve, I see a red-winged blackbird perched on a lone cattail stalk rising from a small roadside wetland. Across the street a small cemetery catches my eye. I stop and visit.

Having recently finished a book, I was looking for something to read. I have a rather eclectic taste that varies from historical biographies to science fiction and fantasy. And of course, there is my insatiable appetite for political books.

“We have failed these kids.” Those were the words of state Sen. Roger Katz, a Republican from Augusta, during a hearing on an investigation of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services about the death of two children.

Genealogical journals and newsletters can be extremely valuable and often contain information that can’t be found elsewhere.

Once again the people of this Republic have been challenged by a great crisis in our midst and, once again, politicians are doing everything in their power to do everything but address the crisis with a solution. For politicians, in keeping with the teachings of Rahm Emmanuel, a crisis, however great or small, is an opportunity for advancement of agenda not solutions. For leaders of this ilk, our society of today is rife with opportunity for advancement of leftists ideals.

Knowing Maine Senate Republicans had a U.S. District Court date May 23 concerning Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), I had grand hopes the Senate GOP would ask for a court decision on the constitutionality of RCV, and the federal court would decide in time for this week’s column.

I have proudly served in the Maine House of Representatives for the last four years. Every day I have known that I am there as your representative. As an independent, I understand that most people don’t care whether the ideas come from Democrats or Republicans as long as those ideas can make lives better for people without breaking their wallets.

I've authored more than my share of columns on the issue of gun violence, usually written in the aftermath of a horrific tragedy perpetrated by a deranged individual who inflicted massive harm on a large group of people.

Here’s a tale of two states, the pope and a Virginia student who just wanted to use the bathroom. The battle for equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people is an ongoing struggle. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is.

Yes, there were frustrations, but on balance, I really enjoyed my 10 years (1989-2000) working as “communications guy” with Republican legislators in the Maine House and Senate. What a great way to learn about the making of state law and how government works. Hired solely on my communication credentials, I came into the State House a clean slate. Never having worked in government or politics, I arrived without prejudice or expectations.

Shawn Moody's sudden conversion to conservatism has Maine people scratching their heads. Moody was anything but conservative when running for governor as an independent. As a political appointee of the Governor, he managed to keep a low profile within the LePage political machine.

On Monday, I had an opportunity to spend two hours with the Democratic candidates for governor, co-hosting a radio forum on Portland's Newsradio, WGAN.