by Jonathan Reisman

Ronin are samurai without masters. Thirty years ago, I left the King administration, returned to UMM and Washington County, and became a policy ronin — an independent, skilled, and potentially dangerous policy warrior. The legislature’s testimony files (https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Testimony) show that this ronin submitted nine pieces of testimony this session. I submitted testimony on four bills (LDs 183, 495, 252, and 1593) that I was asked to submit and on five others (LDs 32, 375, 499, 1373, and 1494) that I had a ronin interest in. Those concerned about undue conservative influence can relax — this ronin has mostly gotten his policy ass kicked. A testimonial timeline on requested legislation:

Feb 6, 2025: Supported LD 183, An Act to Cap Publicly Owned Land Area at No More than 50 Percent of Any County, sponsored by GOP leader Faulkingham and the entire Washington County delegation. Here’s the summary: “This bill limits publicly owned land in the State to no more than 50% of the land area in any county. The bill also allows the State, a county or a municipality to exceed the limits with the approval of 2/3 of each House of the Legislature.”

There were 21 pieces of testimony submitted, including one from Kat Taylor of Argyle Township suggesting the bill was a Washington County plot to kneecap the conservation movement. My testimony focused on the adverse disparate impact on the 2nd Congressional District of public land acquisition policies that concentrate on rural Maine, especially Piscataquis, Washington, and Somerset counties, which lead the State in percentage of the tax base removed for public land acquisition. 

The Committee voted unanimously “ought not to pass,” thus preventing even a roll call vote. 

Feb 24, 2025: Supported LD 495, An Act to Require Rules Designed to Reduce Climate Change to Include Estimates of the Reduction in Adverse Climate Effects and of the Cost to Consumers, sponsored by Leader Faulkingham and a host of GOP energy and climate policy leaders. Here’s the summary: “This bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection, when adopting rules designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to issue an estimate of the level of adverse effects on the climate that will be prevented by the reduction in emissions and the costs associated with the reduction in emissions that will be borne by consumers.”

There were 23 pieces of testimony submitted, including united opposition from Maine’s environmental community. The committee voted majority ought not to pass, and LD 495 was defeated by party-line votes in both the House and Senate.

April 14, 2025: Supported LD 252, An Act to Withdraw from the National Popular Vote Compact, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Bagshaw and Leader Faulkingham. Here’s the summary: “This bill repeals the National Popular Vote for President Act and makes changes to other election statutes to reflect that repeal.” 

There were 88 pieces of testimony submitted. A portion of my testimony, “The National Popular Vote Compact is a divisive effort that disenfranchises or threatens to disenfranchise a substantial fraction of Maine’s voters. Had the NPV been in effect in 2016 and 2020, it would have disenfranchised every right of center voter in the 2nd Congressional District. Last year, I testified to this committee that I believed the NPV would disenfranchise the right of center voters in the 2nd CD if it was in effect for 2024. I was wrong. Had the NPV been in effect in 2024, it would have disenfranchised every left of center voter in the 1st CD. I somehow doubt that is what the majority had in mind in passing NPV, or what Gov. Mills had in mind when she let it become law without her signature. I did correctly predict that 2nd CD right-of-center voters would not look kindly on efforts to disenfranchise them. I suspect that 1st District left-of-center voters will have the same reaction.” 

The Committee voted majority ought to pass(!), and the House has initially supported repeal. The Senate has yet to vote.

May 5, 2025: Supported LD 1593, An Act to Require Certain Public Entities to Define Their Use of the Term "Equity," sponsored by Leader Faulkingham and Assistant Leader Smith and most of the Washington County delegation. Here’s the summary: “This bill requires the State or a local government or other political subdivision or educational institution when making a decision based on advancing equity, the entity making that decision must provide on a publicly accessible website the definition of ‘equity’ used to make the decision and the metrics used by that entity to measure equity.” 

There were only four pieces of testimony submitted. A portion of my testimony: “A series of FOAA’s has revealed that Maine State Government has no definition of “equity”, despite broadly promoting “equity” as part of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies and as part of specific policy initiatives such as the Climate Action Plan. Promoting an undefined policy goal is pure policy malpractice…” 

The committee has voted majority ought not to pass, and we are awaiting a House vote. In the meantime, I have made an effort to get United States Attorney General Pam Bondi to pay some attention to ongoing equity policy malpractice in Maine and Democratic insistence on not defining equity.