Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that agency fee charges to public sector labor unions violate the Constitution. On a 5-4 vote, the justices overturned a 1977 Supreme Court precedent that had allowed the so-called agency fees or “fair share” fees that are collected from millions of non-union workers in lieu of union dues to fundRead More
Resources: Municipal Law Resources
Arming Teachers in Maine as a Municipal Policy Response to Prevent and Minimize School Shootings
Unfortunately, we live in an age where we all must worry for the safety of our children when they go to school. School shootings have been in the forefront of our collective awareness more than any other issue in our political discourse over the last several years. The national conversation, from holiday dinner tables toRead More
Paper Streets – Again! A Window that Closes September 29, 2017
Maine municipalities face another deadline for action to preserve their rights to accept the incipient dedication of undeveloped streets in “ancient” subdivisions recorded before September 29, 1987. A statute enacted in 1987, 23 MRS § 3032, provided that paper streets in such subdivisions are deemed vacated unless the municipality constructed or used and accepted theRead More
Cell Tower Decision Protects Municipal Appeals Processes
The prospect of having a new cell tower built in your town can stir a lot of emotions. For those who wish to avoid the construction of new towers, the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1966 (the “TCA”) presents many challenges because it can be difficult for a municipality to deny an application to construct aRead More
One Member’s Bias Can Taint a Government Vote
Maine Law Court Issues an Important Employment Discrimination Case In Walsh v. Town of Millinocket, 2011 ME 99, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court (Alexander, J.) held that the discriminatory animus of one member of the board of selectmen was sufficient to permit the jury to find that the town had retaliated against its former recreationRead More