A group of lawmakers called the "Gang of Eleven" has proposed a thorough overhaul of state taxes. It would raise the sales tax a penny, extend it to a wider range of goods and services, cut the income tax in half and raise the homestead tax exemption from $10,000 to $50,000. Some legislators in Augusta say it may be too late this legislative session to deal with such sweeping tax reform. Then there are those, like retired accountant Albert DiMillo, who have considered it and rejected it. DiMillo wrote a detailed critique of the plan published May 12 in the Maine Sunday Telegram. Here, responding to DiMillo's criticisms, is Yarmouth independent state Sen. Richard Woodbury. Woodbury, along with five Republicans and five Democrats, drafted the plan. He was interviewed by MPBN Morning Edition host Irwin Gratz.

After opening the doors for a limited number of charter schools two years ago, the LePage administration now wants to remove the cap and push the public discussion about school choice into uncharted waters. During a public hearing on the measure, the administration also argued in favor of requiring local school districts to pay the educational costs for students enrolled in religious schools. A.J. Higgins has more.

A handful of eighth-grade students from mid-coast Maine have found themselves at the center of a constitutional flap over First Amendment rights. At issue is the so-called "Blessing of the Fleet," when the kids launch boats they built themselves into the ocean. The annual ceremony is usually accompanied by a short prayer. But that won't be happening this year, out of concern that it violates one of the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution - the separation of church and state. Tom Porter has more.

For the last 30 years, the big agriculture story has been the decline of the family farm, and the rise of the biotech giants, such as Monsanto. But early indications from the Cooperative Extension Service show that in New England at least, the small farm is poised to make a big come back. As Jennifer Mitchell reports, Maine's local foods movement has ushered in a new era for new farms - and new farmers.

We're delighted to kick off a new summer series in partnership with the Portland-based Telling Room, a non-profit writing center dedicated to the idea that children and young adults are natural storytellers. Every Friday we'll share an essay from a student between the ages of six and 18 with a unique perspective on the world: tonight, 13-year-old Toby Choyt of North Yarmouth Academy, on his interview with a Maine lobsterman.