In the land of lobsters and lost liberties, Maine’s House of Representatives is reeling in a bold new policy: free speech is fine – just don’t make waves if the Democrats are steering the ship.

Voters might assume their elected representatives are free to represent and “speak” for them. But if a legislator dares to speak out of step with the Democratic majority party, silence swiftly follows. So much for the voice of the people – unless that voice echoes the approved narrative.

State Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Maine) dared to express her views on a contentious issue back in February: transgender athletes in girls’ sports. Her social media post, which included publicly available photos and the first name of a high school athlete, sparked outrage among her Democratic colleagues who said her post violated legislative ethics.

The result? A censure that effectively silenced her voice on the House floor and stripped her of voting rights until she offers a public apology – a requirement she staunchly refuses to fulfill.

The censure, passed narrowly along party lines, not only penalizes Libby but also disenfranchises her constituents who now lack representation in legislative debates and decisions.

Libby is appealing a federal judge’s decision after she was denied a preliminary injunction in late April. Libby had argued that her censure violated her First Amendment rights and effectively silenced nearly 9,000 voters in her district.

When Democrats wail about Trump “destroying democracy” and the rights of Americans, they might want to take a long, hard look in the mirror – because time and again, it’s they who trample the Constitution and strip Americans of their rights while pretending to defend them.