Judge Rules Against Big Labor In Maine

Maine Gov. Paul LePage was within his rights when he ordered the removal of a mural depicting the history of the labor movement from a state office building, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge John Woodcock dismissed a lawsuit aimed at restoring the labor mural to its original location in the lobby of the Department of Labor building. The decision created a public uproar that proved to be a major distraction in the early days of LePage’s administration.

The lawsuit contended the Republican governor violated the U.S. Constitution as well as the contract with the artist.

But the judge agreed with the LePage administration’s claim that the governor is entitled to engage in “government speech,” a doctrine that says the government can express itself.

Read more at Official Wire. By David Sharp, AP.