ME-Sen: Hinck Says Maine AG's Trip Shouldn't be on Taxpayer's Dime

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday March 29, 2012 · 7:58 AM PDT

2012/03/29 · 07:58

Maine State Representative Jon Hinck (D-Portland) said today that Maine’s Attorney General, Bill Schneider, should not be using taxpayer or public funds to pay for his trip to Washington, DC to watch Supreme Court arguments. Both Hinck, a Democrat, and Schneider, a Republican, are vying for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Maine’s Senior Senator Olympia Snowe.

“If he wants to be in Washington to join a protest of the Affordable Care Act, he should do so with his Senate campaign funds, not our taxpayer dollars,” Hinck said. “The trip involves no legal work and offers no benefit to the people of Maine.”

Since the Attorney General is not a part of the legal team prosecuting the case, Hinck argues, the trip to Washington is merely symbolic and thus, should not be paid for by the government. Shortly after being elected Attorney General, Schneider moved rapidly to sign onto the amicus brief. “I’m determined to do it,” Schneider told the media just days after taking office.

HinckForMaine

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday March 03, 2012 · 6:42 AM PST

2012/03/03 · 06:42

Fellow Mainers - please join us in Portland tomorrow!

WHAT: Jon Hinck for Maine - Congressional Campaign Kick-Off
WHEN: Sunday, March 4th, 11:00am
WHERE: Reiche School in Portland - 166 Brackett Street, Portland, ME
WHY: Help Chellie Pingree and Jon Hinck collect enough signatures to run for US Senate and US House respectively

Find our campaign on Facebook and follow Jon on Twitter.

Go to www.JonHinck.com to sign up for campaign updates.

HinckForMaine

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday March 02, 2012 · 11:04 AM PST

2012/03/02 · 11:04

Wow! Who could have predicted that the race for Senator Olympia Snowe's now open seat would turn into an unprecedented upheaval. In chaos, however, there is often opportunity and I welcome the potential that Maine's new political landscape offers.

It is now clear that Congresswoman Chellie Pingree will likely run for the United States Senate. I applaud her decision. As I said earlier this week, I will not challenge her in a race for Senate. This is an historic opportunity for Maine - sending a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly twenty years. I look forward to helping with that effort.

HinckForMaine

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday January 24, 2012 · 9:33 AM PST

2012/01/24 · 09:33

Last week, I submitted to the Maine Legislature a bill entitled,“An Act to Limit to Natural Persons the Right to Contribute to Political Campaigns.” This bill closely tracks the Montana "Corrupt Practices Act,” which was upheld on December 30, 2011 by the Montana Supreme Courtin the Western Tradition Partnership case. The ruling reinforced the “compelling interest” underlying the State’s ban on corporate political donations dating back to 1912.

In the wake of the two year anniversary of the controversial 5-4 Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, there is no doubt that this bill’s timing could be seen as symbolic. Some in Maine are already arguing that this is an attempt to bolster my own campaign against Olympia Snowe, who even opposed the DISCLOSE Act, for the United States Senate.

Let me be clear, I submitted this legislation because it is one of the best things the Maine legislature can do to ensure the legitimacy of our State’s elections. Certainly, just two short years after the Supreme Court’s misguided decision, the harmful effects are being more fully realized by the American people. I am pleased to see Mainers overwhelmingly reject the notion that corporations are entitled to all the rights of actual human beings.

RSS

ME-Sen: Hinck Says Maine AG's Trip Shouldn't be on Taxpayer's Dime

ME-1: Hinck Campaign Launch Sunday in Portland

Greenpeace, USA Co-founder to run for Pingree's Congressional Seat in Maine

Maine Bill To Challenge Citizens United Ruling, Ban Corporate Contributions to Candidates