PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2021
Contact: Jacob Posik
Director of Communications
Office: 207.321.2550
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to Deliver Keynote Address at Maine Policy’s 2021 Freedom & Opportunity Luncheon
PORTLAND, Maine – Former Wisconsin Governor and current President of Young America’s Foundation (YAF), The Honorable Scott Walker, will deliver the keynote address at Maine Policy Institute’s 2021 Freedom & Opportunity Luncheon, which will take place from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 25 at the Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland.
When Gov. Walker was first elected as the 45th Governor of Wisconsin, he inherited a $3.6 billion budget deficit, $800 million worth of unpaid bills and an eight percent unemployment rate. He immediately implemented reforms to renew economic revival, fiscal order and government accountability. Walker became the only governor in American history to survive a recall election on June 5, 2012, and was re-elected in 2014 and sworn into a second term on January 5, 2015.
“Governor Walker battled on the frontlines for major reforms that his state put off for decades, confronting the issues head on despite unbelievable pushback from entrenched government interests, said CEO Matthew Gagnon. He made state government accountable to the taxpayer and pushed for labor reforms that gave workers a legitimate choice in union membership and fees. He reformed the state’s tax code to be more competitive with the nation and expanded opportunities for students to ensure they received an education that best fit their individual needs.
“Walker’s tireless commitment to these and many other issues make him one of the most valuable and principled voices for limited, constitutional government in the country, and we’re thrilled he is joining us for the 2021 Freedom & Opportunity Luncheon,” Gagnon said.
In addition to his service as the president of YAF, Walker serves on the boards of Student for Life Action, American Federation for Children, and the Center for State-led National Debt Solutions.
Maine Policy Institute will also recognize Ms. Linda Bean of Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine as the 2021 Freedom & Opportunity Award recipient. The award is given annually by Maine Policy to a Maine citizen or business that best demonstrates a core commitment to the principles of freedom and opportunity that serve to improve the economic well-being of the state.
“While Linda Bean comes from a well-known and quintessentially Maine family, she is in her own right a visionary entrepreneur. Her love for Maine and its people is central to her character as an individual, and she serves as a perfect example of what it means to be involved, stand up for what you believe in and fight to make Maine a better place to call home. Her economic and cultural contributions to this state make her more than deserving of the 2021 Freedom & Opportunity Award,” Gagnon said.
Individual tickets sell for $150 to attend the luncheon, or $250 to attend the sponsor reception and luncheon. Interested individuals can register to attend on our website.
Maine Policy Institute would like to thank its generous Sponsors, Hosts and Media Sponsors for making this event possible. Sponsors to date include Anania & Associates Investment Company, Sen. Susan Collins, Sandra and Thomas Dunham, Scott Forrey, Hardwood Products and Puritan Medical Products Company, Holiday Inn By The Bay, National Distributors, Oxford Casino, Patient Advocates, Christopher and Nancy Pierce, Pembroke Schaeffer, Strategic Maintenance Solutions, Volk Packaging Corporation and Don and Nancy Vose.
Hosts to date include Christian Bishop, Dirigo Partners, Mailings Unlimited, Maine Civic Action, Maine Hospital Association, Maine Motor Transport Association, Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance, Patriot Consulting Group, Bruce Poliquin, PretiFlaherty and The Allumbaugh Agency. Media Sponsors to date include The Ray Richardson Show on WLOB Radio.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available until August 16. Individuals interested in sponsoring the event are asked to contact Ms. Heather Noyes, director of operations, at hnoyes@mainepolicy.org or by phone at (207) 321-2550.
For more information about the event or to request press credentials, please contact Jacob Posik.
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Maine Policy Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that conducts detailed and timely research to educate the public, the media, and lawmakers about public policy solutions that advance economic freedom and individual liberty in Maine. Learn more about our work at www.mainepolicy.org.