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.

I recently had the opportunity to meet Lucas St. Clair and listen to his presentation to a group of concerned citizens in Dexter. What a breath of fresh air!

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.

Majority rule is the basis of democracies around the world. However, over a century ago, Maine chose to allow state elections to be won with less than a majority of the vote, in order to save the time and expense of runoff elections. Ranked Choice Voting avoids the time and expense of runoff elections while at the same time allowing majority rule.

U.S. Sen. Angus King does not have the people of Maine’s best interests at heart by saying he would vote against Gina Haspel to become director of the CIA. Instead, King has decided to play obstructionist games with our national security.

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.

Why are Maine Republicans so adamantly opposed to ranked-choice voting? There are four Republican gubernatorial candidates on the June primary ballot. Hypothetically, if the first choice votes resulted in a 26 percent, 25 percent, 25 percent and 24 percent apportionment, and ranked-choice voting was not in place, the candidate with 26 percent of the vote would be declared the winner for receiving the most votes (a plurality). That would mean that 74 percent of voters did not favor this candidate.

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.

Current Maine Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills started her first television commercial of the campaign with an image of Gov. Paul LePage.

Since this year is an Election Year, I must warn the Maine people that politicians have no legal obligation to be honest in their promises, campaign ads or remarks. Some of them will say or do anything to get elected.

Like an intermittent buzz or rattle inside my car while driving, stories and memories of irresponsible news reporting are appearing this week at odd times. These memories and stories are troubling for the future of news reporting. Especially, not exclusively, political news reporting. Irresponsible news reporting has been around a long time, and it drives out responsible reporting, and that’s bad for the profession, the nation, for people duped by it.

After months of controversy, residents of Scarborough voted Tuesday -- by a wide margin -- to recall three members of its school board. Ejected were members Donna Beely, Cari Lyford and Jodi Shea

It’s impossible for me to think about food stamps and not think about my Uncle Buddy – my mom’s brother. He was a gun-owning, motorcycle-riding, construction-working, leave-me-the-hell alone Republican. He worked on my grandmother’s farm high up in the Appalachian mountains of southwest Virginia – raising green peppers, tobacco, beef cattle and horses – and during the season he worked in construction, when there was work to be had.

As you likely already know, the Maine Legislature adjourned in the early morning hours of April 19 with a great deal of work left undone. We returned on Wednesday, May 3 to act on various bills that the Governor had vetoed. That day I voted to extend the session one day to take up some important bills. The vote failed.

Once again the media and the political establishment have anointed who they think should be the candidates, explained to the voters why we should just except their established infallibility, and just embrace the inevitable by voting the way they indicate. So again, it's the same old, same old. Two candidates, who the “powers that be” have foisted upon us, to which we are expected to accept without question.

Is the proposed citizen initiative question legal according to the Maine Constitution?

John Williams is an accused cop-killer. The police believe, with a great deal of very credible evidence, that Williams is responsible for the shooting death of Cpl. Eugene Cole, after a confrontation in Norridgewock.