The federal gas tax was first imposed in 1932 as an effort to increase revenue during the Great Depression.
J. Craig Anderson
J. Craig Anderson is a seasoned business reporter who covers a wide range of topics including banking, finance, real estate, technology and entrepreneurism. Originally from Arizona, Craig graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona journalism school and has gone on to report for a variety of business and consumer publications such as the Business Journal of Phoenix, the Las Vegas Sun and the Arizona Republic. His work has earned him national recognition including Sigma Delta Chi and APA Journalism awards. Craig also served in the Army for four years, working as an intelligence analyst and Arabic linguist for the National Security Agency in Maryland. He currently lives in Freeport.
Posted inFact Brief, Health, Maine, News
Did Maine record more than 10,000 drug overdoses in 2025? | Fact brief
Drug overdoses have declined each year in Maine since 2022, according to official statistics.
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Posted inBusiness, Fact Brief, Maine, News
Did gas prices rise by about $1 in one month after the Iran war began? | Fact brief
The national average now exceeds $4 for the first time since 2022, according to AAA.
Posted inBusiness, Fact Brief, Maine, News
Does New England rely on natural gas for about half of its electricity? | Fact brief
Maine relies more on renewable sources than New England as a whole but still uses significant amounts of natural gas for energy generation.
Posted inFact Brief, Maine, News, Schools and Education
Does Maine spend roughly $20,000 per K-12 student? | Fact brief
Maine had the lowest per-student spending in New England as of the 2021-22 school year.
Posted inFact Brief, Maine, News
Are antique vehicles 25 years or older exempt from Maine’s annual inspections? | Fact brief
A 2024 amendment to state law altered the definitions and exemptions for vehicles registered as antiques.
Posted inFact Brief, Maine, News, Politics
Did a judge rule Maine’s corporations are ‘entitled’ to a refund for the overturned Trump tariffs? | Fact brief
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February that President Donald Trump acted unconstitutionally when he invoked an emergency to impose tariffs.
Posted inFact Brief, Maine, News, Politics
Is Janet Mills the only Maine Democrat to win a statewide election in 20 years? | Fact brief
The governor has repeated the claim as part of her campaign for the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Susan Collins in November.
Posted inFact Brief, Maine, Maine Crime, News
Does Maine have the lowest violent crime rate in America? | Fact brief
Maine saw 100 violent offenses per 100,000 people in 2024, according to the most recent FBI data.
Posted inFact Brief, Health, Maine, News
Does hand sanitizer work well against norovirus? | Fact brief
Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, according to the CDC.