Gov. Paul LePage has confirmed over the past few weeks that he is incapable of governing Maine, showing leadership or moving the state in a positive direction. At the same time, leaders of the Maine Legislature have shown no ability to fill the power vacuum in Augusta.
It is shameful that legislative leaders failed to reach an agreement on allowing lawmakers to even vote on whether to reconvene to contemplate the appropriate response to LePage’s racist, homophobic and damaging behavior. House Republican Leader Ken Fredette’s stubborn opposition to any vote regarding LePage’s behavior was egregious. Democratic leaders overplayed their hand by focusing on impeachment and resignation when it was clear neither would happen.
As a result, the Legislature has done nothing about the governor’s obscene and threatening actions and factually inaccurate comments, sending the message that, apparently, there are no consequences no matter how inappropriately the governor acts and how unbecoming of the governor’s office his behavior becomes.
Where does that leave Maine?
The state, as much as ever, needs strong individuals with the vision and competence to rebuild the state’s economy, more effectively address the drug crisis and ensure that government programs are improving the lives of those most in need of assistance.
In the short term, because lawmakers have failed to take any action to admonish LePage, he is emboldened. In the longer term, however, LePage’s job security might not translate into a mandate to accomplish his legislative objectives. Indeed, a Legislature split between Republican and Democratic control has already rendered LePage irrelevant much of the time, repeatedly overriding successive LePage vetoes in order to pass key policy changes into law.
LePage’s inability to lead leaves an opening for stronger leaders to emerge in the Legislature that will be elected in November. LePage speculated Tuesday that Democrats will take control of the Senate. Democrats also hope to grow their majority in the House, but if majorities remain slim, building coalitions that can withstand vetoes from LePage will be critical.
Regardless of the final legislative composition, the new Legislature will offer openings for Republican lawmakers, such as Sens. Amy Volk, Brian Langley and Tom Saviello — who all strongly condemned LePage’s recent actions — to play a critical role.
“You could end up with … Republicans who’ve had a change of heart, especially among those who support his policies but not his behavior,” Mark Brewer, a political science professor at the University of Maine, said Tuesday. “They could say: ‘If the governor is not going to govern, it has be us.’”
Obviously, it won’t be clear until after Election Day whether Augusta will be home to more or fewer of these Republicans who are capable of leading and who want to forge a productive consensus on key policy issues.
But this is the choice — and the responsibility — before voters. They have to do what their legislative leaders refused to do. Their choices for senators and representatives in Augusta will determine whether Maine stagnates for another two years or whether a Legislature with many new faces works together to move the state ahead.
