AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. Paul LePage today continued his attacks on Maine Senate Republicans - in his weekly radio address, at a Portland news conference and in Facebook posts.
President Ronald Reagan often joked about what he called the 11th Commandment: "Thou shall not speak ill of other Republicans." Well, that’s a commandment that's being shattered by Republicans in the Legislature.
It all started with a compromise, when Senate Republicans cut a deal with Democrats to abandon Gov. LePage's call for tax cuts and welfare reforms in return for a constitutional amendment that would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to raise the income tax.
Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau says it’s a good deal that should be embraced by all Republicans. "We have an opportunity to have a constitutional amendment that will protect taxpayers, not just today or tomorrow or next year, but literally for decades to come from politicians raising their taxes. I see this as an historic opportunity."
But over on the House side, Republican Leader Ken Fredette says his GOP Senate colleagues are abandoning two fundamental Republican goals: welfare reform and lower taxes. And, he says, the constitutional amendment proposal is full of holes.
"For example, it says you can’t raise the income tax, but you certainly could change itemized deductions," Fredette says. "Certainly you could change standardized deductions. There’s all kinds of holes."
Fredette says House Republicans are unified in their opposition to the deal brokered by Thibodeau. The sniping between Republican leaders and the governor is not new, as evidenced by past budget vetoes that have been overridden with help from Republican leaders.
But University of Maine at Farmington Political Science Professor Jim Melcher says what's different is the intensity of the division. "What’s unusual about it is the rhetoric within the party, within the Republican Party between the different chambers, has been pretty sharp. It’s unusual to see the sort of robocalls we have seen with the governor’s daughter."
Melcher says it remains to be seen if the traditional campaign tactics such as robocalls and social media messaging will actually have any influence, but notes that the legislative political process is a far different animal than electoral politics. House and Senate leaders say the effort hasn't had much of an effect, and Senate President Mike Thibodeau says the robocalls triggered at least one call to him, but in support of the constitutional amendment, and urging him to not back down.
As for the governor, LePage told reporters in Portland that if the Legislature turns its back, he'll take his case directly to the people. "I will petition the Secretary of State to have a people’s initiative to lower the income tax to 5.75 percent. If you really look at my track record, I haven’t got much done in the Legislature - I get it done on the streets."
Despite all of the heated rhetoric, tax reform is an issue that is still in play. In the House, Democratic Speaker Mark Eves says he is still talking with GOP Leader Ken Fredette about a deal that would lower income taxes to the benefit of the middle class. Fredette confirms that talks are continuing.
