AUGUSTA, Maine — A judicial appointment for a top aide to Gov. Paul LePage stands out on the list of more than 70 nominations by the governor that lawmakers are expected to take up this week.
Daniel Billings, a longtime Republican insider and current chief legal counsel to LePage, faces a review by the Judiciary Committee and a confirmation vote by the Senate on his nomination to be District Court judge. Ten other judicial appointments and reappointments will also be considered, including reappointments of two supreme court justices, Donald Alexander and Warren Silver.
While Billings is expected to have a thorough review in committee, key legislators say neither he nor any of the other nominees is expected to fall short of confirmation when the final votes are taken.
“Dan will have a series of tough questions about how do you shift from an extreme partisan career to being in touch with all sides, being able to listen to and hear all sides without bias,” said Rep. Emily Cain of Orono, the House Democratic leader.
But Cain added that she’d worked with Billings on legislative issues such as domestic violence and found him to be fair and open. “I believe Dan will be and can be an excellent judge,” she said.
Senate Democratic Leader Barry Hobbins of Saco, who plans to return to Maine from the Democratic National Convention for the session, agreed. “The judicial appointments were very good appointments,” he said.
Thirteen committees will review 72 nominees in all for those and other state boards, commissions and executive posts on Tuesday and Wednesday before making recommendations to the Senate, which will hold confirmation votes Thursday. Committees hold considerable sway in the process because it takes a two-thirds Senate vote to overturn their recommendations.
“We have confidence in all of our nominees and are looking forward to their confirmation,” said LePage spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett.
Sharp questioning could also be in store for William Beardsley, former commissioner of the Conservation Department who has been nominated for the state Board of Education.
The questions would stem from events during Beardsley’s two decades as president of Husson University in Bangor. During his tenure, campus chaplain Robert Carlson was investigated for sexual abuse of minors. Carlson committed suicide last November. Committee members may want to know more about what Beardsley knew at the time the allegations were made known.
Other nominees for the Board of Education include Peter Geiger of Lewiston, executive vice president of the business that publishes the “Farmer’s Almanac,” who was also on LePage’s transition team after he was elected governor in 2010. Ande Smith of North Yarmouth is the third board nominee.
Also among the nominees are Col. James Campbell, acting adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, as commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. Lawmakers will review another Cabinet-level nomination, Jeanne Paquette as labor commissioner.
John Gallagher of Bath will be considered for director of the Maine State Housing Authority. His nomination follows last March’s ouster of director Dale McCormick, a Democrat, following a barrage of Republican criticism of her leadership.
Wrong, some of the individuals are life long Dems. Get your facts straight dumb a##. Now I know not to take any of your posts seriously.
A vugar dufus , Just like your master Dufus Lepage.
Meanwhile in Washington, Republicans in Congress refuse to act on President Obama’s nominations. The party of No likes it when they get their way and when they don’t they refuse to play fair.
My only questions here are.
1. Has Mr. LePage finally learned his lesson about paying family members on the backs of State taxpayers?
2. Or has he simply run out of family members who are even willing to shamelessly show up for good paying State jobs for which they have dubious qualifications?
I’m going with number two here!
I just checked out John Gallagher in an article written by The Maine Wire. He is a past president of the Board at Avesta Housing, and serves on their development committee. Avesta was the agency that the Maine State Housing Authority had given the Section 8 contract to for York and Cumberland counties, and who subsequently had the contract taken away due to the issue over sub-standard housing in Norway, ME. I am a little concerned that someone who was on the board of an agency that failed to enforce quality standards with their landlords, has been nominated as the Director of the Authority that is also responsible to enforce those same quality standards. This is even more troubling given that Maine State Housing Authority has taken the operation of the Section 8 program back in house.
I didn’t know LePage had that many relatives to fill all these positions.
Just think , the headline says,
” Maine lawmakers to weigh 72 nominations by LePage”
I would estimate it at about 23,000 lbs!
All they would have to do is review AMG and they can find enough dirt to discredit Dan Billings. Partisan hack is what he is, and not a very good one at that.