Webster alleged that nineteen people, who registered to vote on Election Day 2004 were using the same hotel as an address to flood the polls, committing voter fraud. The voters turned out to be college students who had to be housed at the Holiday Inn Express instead of a dormitory. All the students were legal voters in Maine. Their medical school had been destroyed in Hurricane Ivan so they had to relocate to Maine to finish out their classes at St. Joseph’s College.

“He’s damaging our entire political system though his fear mongering and lies,” said Grant about Webster. “It’s time for his colleagues within the Republican Party to join us in standing up against it.”

It won’t jump out and bite, as University of Maine Cooperative Extension professor Lois Berg Stack says, but anyone brushing up against and breaking open the robust hairs on the leaves of the giant hogweed plant might think it did.

Relatively unknown to most people until several news articles recently surfaced, giant hogweed is an unusually large flowering weed resembling “Queen Anne’s lace on steroids,” according to state horticulturist Ann Gibbs, that can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blisters and permanent scarring from the burns it can cause when exposed to sunlight.

Stack, an ornamental horticulture specialist, is available to discuss ways to identify and control or eradicate giant hogweed from backyards, on dry well-drained property and at the sides of roads.

Giant hogweed has been reported in more than 30 sites around Maine, mostly along the coast from Hancock to York counties, according to Stack. The plant is on the federal noxious weeds list because it is so hazardous to humans. Stack considers it an invasive species.

“The USDA is interested in controlling this plant because it’s a human health hazard. If it were on my property, I would cut it down at the very least,” said Stack. “I would cut off the flower heads so you can control the seeds.”

In spite of its toxicity when on skin and exposed to sunlight, horticulturists say the plant, which is native to the Caucasus Mountains in Russia, was grown in Victorian-era gardens in the United States because of its unusual size and attractiveness. Giant Hogweed can grow 14 feet tall, has a white lacy flower head measuring more than a foot in diameter, with a series of smaller flower heads beneath it. The plant’s leaves can be 2 feet or more long, according to Stack.

“It’s a plant that, once you’ve seen it, you will never mistake it for anything else,” she said.”The leaves are very distinct and easily distinguished from other plants’ leaves. They’re very lobed with a lot of silvery markings.”

Stack advises that property owners who do discover and want to remove giant hogweed from their property might consider cutting the plants at night or when the sun isn’t out, and wear gloves and long sleeved clothing.

“The plants have robust hairs and glands,” said Stack Sap on skin only burns under sunlight, she says, but can cause irreversible scarring. Lois Stack can be reached at (207) 581-2949 for additional information.

“Dan made a tremendous contribution to the state of Maine through a long career in public service. He served as Speaker of the Maine House during very difficult times, and was always able to bring people together to move our state forward,” said Governor John Baldacci. “Throughout his time in the Legislature, as Secretary of State and at the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, Dan was committed to innovation and to making government work for the people of Maine.”

Gwadosky sometimes worked 16 hour days, giving all he had to give to the people of the State of Maine, who he always believed in. Outside of Augusta he spent time volunteering in his Fairfield community.

“Dan was also a terrific family man and active in his community as a coach and volunteer,” said Baldacci. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Dan’s family and many friends during these hard days.”

“I had the honor of serving with Dan in the Maine Legislature. I always admired his dedication to those he served and his willingness to give up so much of himself to public service. I truly enjoyed working with him over the years and will never forget his infectious sense of humor. His contributions to our state will not soon be forgotten, and I know that I join many Mainers in mourning his loss,” said Congressman Mike Michaud.

Protect Maine Votes began collecting signatures on July 7 to repeal a change in Maine law that created new barriers to voting by eliminating Election Day registration. To place the people’s veto on the ballot, the campaign must present 57,277 valid signatures to the Secretary of State by Aug. 9 for the people’s veto to be placed on the November ballot.

“We have received an incredible outpouring of support from volunteers and voters in Maine,” said Mark Gray, the campaign manager for Protect Maine Votes. “It’s clear from the enthusiasm and speed with which we have collected signatures that Mainers understand that voting is a fundamental right that must be protected.”

The question reads: “Do you want to reject the section of Chapter 399 of the Public Laws of 2011 that requires new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election?”

Coalition members include: Engage Maine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union, Maine League of Conservation Voters, League of Women Voters of Maine, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine League of Young Voters, Maine People’s Alliance, Opportunity Maine, Maine Equal Justice Partners, EqualityMaine, Maine Women’s Lobby, Maine Education Association, MSEA-SEIU, Speaking Up for Us, Disability Rights Center, Preble Street Resource Center and Homeless Voices for Justice.

Those interested in volunteering can sign up at: http://www.protectmainevotes.com; on Twitter @ProtectMEVotes.

But Secretary of State Charlie Summers held a press conference yesterday where he made serious allegations with no concrete evidence that a former secretary of state ordered an employee to destroy documents that demonstrated non-legal citizens had registered to vote.

“I had been approached on July 1 by an employee at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles who reported to me her experiences of accepting voter registration forms from customers she believed to be non-citizens,” said Summers.

Summers based his press conference on one person’s unsubstantiated word as he offered no physical evidence to the press.

Matt Dunlop, was not named directly but he was serving as the Secretary of State at the time of these alleged allegations. Dunlop is running for Olympia Snowe’s U.S. Senate seat. Snowe was a long time employer of Summers.

“I had no dealings whatsoever with any allegations that someone tried to improperly register to vote who was not a qualified citizen,” said Dunlop. “Until they actually put some names and dates on this, it’s just a political firestorm is all it is.”

A recent law ramrodded through the legislature by conservatives moving in step with a national agenda ended 38 years of same day voter registration in Maine. Only one case of voter fraud on record occurred during those 38 years- one. To place the people’s veto question on the ballot there is a campaign that has been collecting signatures. They must collect more than 57,277 signatures by next week to make sure the question of weather or not to repeal same day voter registration is put on the ballot—for the people of Maine to decide.

The question reads: “Do you want to reject the section of Chapter 399 of the Public Laws of 2011 that requires new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election?”

Secretary Summers promoted the law that disenfranchises voters by eliminating same day voter registration. Summers, who served as the vice-chairman of the Maine Republican Party until December, said he is also following up on claims of voter fraud made by Charlie Webster, chairman of the Maine Republican Party.

“Everybody knew I had a ‘D’ on my sleeve and everybody knows he has an ‘R’ on his. It’s how you act, it’s how you behave,” said Dunlop. “The fact that I knew the Republicans were watching me like a hungry hawk hovering over a fat mouse added to, I believe, the integrity of my work.”

“Secretary of State Charlie Summers is walking a thin line between playing partisan politics and fulfilling his duty as secretary of state. So far, he has provided absolutely no details about his investigation. He can’t even give a straight answer as to whether this is about voter fraud or identity fraud. So what was the purpose of the press conference? To scare the people of Maine? To spread rumors?“ asked Ben Grant, Maine Democratic Party chairman. “It’s time for Summers to set the record straight about his investigation and the real reason behind it. If it is to address fraud, be it identity or voter, we fully support the prosecution of those who have broken the law. But, as of right now, all we have are vague accusations that point to a partisan attempt to mislead the general public and push an ideological agenda”

Summers did not offer details about the allegations, or any proof.

“With his words he said it wasn’t related to same-day registration, which is true, but with his actions of having a press conference where he could release no information, it was about confusing the issue of voter fraud with same-day registration,” said David Farmer, spokesman for the people’s veto coalition.

“This new, $43M tax is unfair because if approved today, the tax will fall on many group payers, many Maine businesses such as LL Bean, Unum, and Wal-Mart, and many small businesses, in each of our districts, as well. Yet it will provide these payers and their employees NO benefit – NO benefit – in return. The benefits go to cover payers on the individual market, not the employees or owners of those businesses,” said Rep. Seth Berry during the House debate.

“This new, $43M tax is regressive because it is flat. A family of four making $15,000 per year, working hard at minimum wage, will pay as much as $288 per year. That tax of $288 per year will be the same for the very wealthy. Yet, according to Maine Revenue Services, it is the bottom 20% of income earners who pay – by far — the highest effective, combined state and local tax rate.”

To pass the insurance overhaul the GOP did not follow legislative rules.

“Republicans have sent a strong message to Maine people that they won’t listen, compromise, or even explain their position on one of the biggest issues facing us this session – affordable health care,” said Rep. Emily Cain of Orono, the House Democratic leader. “Doctors, hospitals, business groups, patients – they all came to us and said this health care proposal is bad for us. But Republicans ignored them. They ignored us. They ignored real compromise. That’s disappointing.”

Democratic Rep. Don Pilon of Saco presented an omnibus amendment that would eliminate the flat tax on Maine people that funds the reinsurance pool and replaces it with a rate determined by the Bureau of Insurance after it conducts an emergency study of Maine data on the real cost of such a pool.

The amendment also would have used the reinsurance pool funds to cushion the blow of rate increases resulting from the increase in the range of rates insurance companies are allowed to charge based on where you live, where you work, and your age. The amendment also brought the range of rates insurance companies can charge in line with 3 to 1 ration in federal law.

“We presented a fair and moderate compromise in line with free market reforms that rejected an unfair tax,” said Rep. Pilon. “We tried to blunt the negative impact this bill will have on Maine people, but Republicans unilaterally rejected our effort and will be unilaterally responsible for the devastating effects it will have.”

Democrats also introduced amendments that would have prevented insurance companies from forcing Maine people to travel far distances to receive cheaper care.

“The repeal of the geographic access rule is the worst provision in this bill for rural Maine,” said Democratic Rep. John Martin from Eagle Lake, who sponsored the amendment.

“Currently, this bill is an insurance industry lawyer’s dream,” said Rep. Sharon Treat of Hallowell, who serves as the ranking member of the Insurance and Financial Services Committee. “If consumers in rural Maine are penalized unless they use cheaper hospitals further from their home, patients will suffer, local hospitals will suffer, and local doctors will suffer.”

In response to questions during the debate about the tax used to fund the reinsurance pool, Rep. Treat confirmed that the tax would be charged to each policy holder and anyone on the insurance policy. “That question may have been rhetorical, but this literally amounts to a tax on babies.”

Republican lawmakers, who voted in support of the tax on every Maine insurance policy holder, voted to exempt lawmakers and state employees from the tax while requiring other self insured groups, such as teachers or those working at Wal-Mart, to pay the tax.

Democratic State Rep. Jeff McCabe of Skowhegan was critical of the exemption and said he wouldn’t want to ask his constituents to do something he wasn’t required to do.

Other Democratic amendments included placing three consumer advocates on the industry dominated board that oversees the funding of the reinsurance pool and has the authority to raise the tax if funding is insufficient; restoring the state health plan; and allowing Vermont to be included among the states where we can purchase insurance from.

Republicans voted on LD 1333 without independent fiscal analysis from the Bureau of Insurance. In response to a formal request for information and analysis from Democrats on the Insurance Committee, the Bureau provided analysis from 2007 on a similar but less drastic plan, showing this bill will cause health insurance rates in rural Maine to go up on average by 20 percent. Maine people living in the North will experience an average rate increase of 19 percent. Maine people living in Down East will experience an average rate increase of 22 percent.

The bill first passed in the House last Thursday along party lines and was amended after adjustments were made by Democratic Senators on Wednesday. The bill faces additional votes in the Senate before it can become law.

Republican legislators, by pushing a sweeping rewrite of Maine’s health-insurance laws, could be forcing people off their insurance plans, because those citizens would not be able to afford the increases to their insurance policies.

“This bill will lead to a loss of insurance coverage, which means less care and more sick people,” said Dr. DeCarolis, a primary-care doctor from Bethel.

Nate Libby, the director of the Maine Small Business Coalition, said that more than 1,476 small-business owners signed a petition in opposition to LD 1333.

Nate Libby, director of the Maine Small Business Coalition, holds signatures of over 1,400 businesses that oppose LD 1333 Photo by R. du Houx

“Legislation similar to LD 1333 has failed in other states,” said Libby. “Not long ago, New Hampshire voted to support a similar practice, and within two years they repealed it, because it was hurting so many companies. Small businesses need a plan that allows us to band together to improve our purchasing power, not undermine our bottom lines.”

The 49-page bill, LD 1333, was rammed through the Insurance and Financial Services Committee, not giving members time to read the amended legislation. The process was legal but in violation of joint rules. Rep. Sharon Treat, who serves as the ranking Democrat on the Insurance Committee, sent a formal request for information and analysis on the proposed legislation to the state’s nonpartisan policy analysis office, asking for time to have the Bureau of Insurance analyze the bill — but her request was not granted.

“Why won’t they [Republicans] let the Bureau of Insurance run the actuaries? — so we can better understand what this plan will do to the state of Maine. People elected us to make smart decisions. We are not taking the time we should be on the major overhaul of Maine’s health care,” said Senator Justin Alfond. “The consequences for people over forty and small businesses in rural Maine could be devastating. LD 1333 is a tax on 600,000 people, in the state of Maine.”

MECEP graph of LD 1333

Dirigo Health levied a tax on insurance companies that they could pay with profits they showed from cost-saving measures. While the Dirigo tax raised money to help extend insurance to those who couldn’t afford it, this tax would be used to reduce the burden on insurance companies.

All of these protections and many more are in jeopardy with LD 1333:

• According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Maine has the fourth-lowest rate of uninsured people in the country. Idaho was ranked 29th. Republican lawmakers say all they’re trying to do is adopt a system from Idaho.

• Maine has good public health programs, which have reduced smoking, teen pregnancy, and chronic disease.

• Maine has pioneered consumer protections that allow students to stay on the family insurance policy, piloted programs to make health care more patient-centered, and launched an innovative voucher program to help small business provide health insurance to their workers.

• As a state, we have made the decision that young women who are of child-bearing age should not be penalized with higher health-insurance costs; we have also said that insurance must cover mammography to help catch cancer earlier and save lives, and that insurance should cover treatment of mental illness.

Rep. Sharon Treat, who serves as the ranking Democrat on the Insurance Committee, said any insurance reform should include an insurance exchange.

Treat said any insurance reform should include an insurance exchange, which creates a marketplace that allows small businesses and individuals to band together to purchase insurance.

“Rather than dovetail reforms in the marketplace with an insurance exchange and the significant premium subsidies available through the federal Affordable Care Act, the rushed Republican plan will hike premiums for many, leading to dropped coverage,” said Treat.

Democratic lawmakers called for further study of the plan and outlined alternatives to the measure, including the creation of a Maine-based insurance exchange that would lower costs for Maine families and small businesses.

The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) released its analysis of LD 1333, which stated that older Mainers who are privately insured currently pay a maximum of 50 percent more for coverage than people who are younger and healthier. The pending legislation will allow insurance companies to charge these older Mainers four times more than the minimum rate. The bill allows insurers to use geographic location as a significant and separate factor from age in rate setting, potentially forcing rural residents to seek care farther from home.

“In two years the Affordable Care Act will put back everything this bill gets rid of,” said Kit St. John, director of MECEP. “In the meantime the insurance companies will jump to institute these changes.”

Dr. DeCarolis, a primary care doctor from Bethel, said LD 1333 would jeopardize the health of thousands of Mainers. Photo by Ramona du Houx

Bill supporters admit that the amended bill was primarily written by insurance companies and the Maine Heritage Policy Center. The MHPC is an ultra-conservative think tank that first became a reality to counter the Dirigo Health Care Act of 2003.

“The Maine Heritage Policy Center has its fingerprints all over this bill. During the committee session, Tarren Bragdon (Director of MHPC) was basically whipping the committee chairs and all the members of the committee. To have a very partisan entity directing elected officials on how to process a bill through the committee is very disturbing,” said Sen. Alfond. “The MHPC has a belief system — that they are using throughout the country as a rubber stamp — which is part of a Republican agenda which favors insurance companies.”

Rep. Henry Beck of Waterville, who offered an amendment on LD 1333 when the House voted on it last week, said, “House Democrats proposed a bold amendment to allow market reforms within federal law. It’s more fair to rural Maine and provides protections for consumers in a reinsurance pool. Importantly, our plans require study and further public hearings on any insurance tax.”