Have Mainers Finally Had It With Koch-Addicted Republicans?

More than a few people have been asserting that Republican Governor Paul LePage, knowing he's already lost his reelection fight, is now only working for an audience of two: Texas neo-fascists David and Charles Koch. The clownish LePage doesn't want to go back to working at a Marden's Surplus and Salvage and he's counting on the Koch brothers to set him up with some kind of situation inside their Empire. That would certainly explain his vetoes Friday evening of two bills very popular with Mainers-- and very unpopular with Kochs.

Terry Morrison's LD 1252, An Act to Improve Maine’s Economy and Energy Security with Solar and Wind Energy, passed the Senate with a bipartisan 21-12 and sailed through the House 109-30. Two Republican senators and 23 Republican House members abandoned LePage and voted for it-- as did 100% of the Democrats in the legislature. Had LePage not vetoed the bill, it would have revived the Efficiency Maine solar rebate program ($2,000) for homes and businesses, creating over a thousand new solar and hot water projects. LePage's veto means Maine is the only state in New England that doesn't incentivize installation of solar projects for homes and businesses. Oily plutocrats, the Kochs strenuously oppose green energy projects and LePage's veto must have impressed them with his willingness to sacrifice his own already dwindling popularity on their behalf.

The Democrat polling significantly ahead of LePage in the gubernatorial race, Congressman Mike Michaud, was all over the veto: "Renewable energy is a strategic asset that Maine should look to expand, not undermine. Gov. LePage’s efforts on energy move us backward and threaten a growing industry in our state while also hurting our efforts to combat climate change. Our homegrown renewable energy sector creates jobs, reduces the impact of global warming, protects us from price spikes and keeps prices down so small businesses and Maine families can keep more money in their pockets."

According to ThinkProgress, LePage has opposed efforts to increase energy efficiency, tried to roll back renewable energy targets, moved to get out of anti-smog regulations, vetoed a bill creating a climate adaptation working group, and touted the benefits climate change will have on Maine after agreeing with a radio talk show host who called climate science a "hoax" and "lying science." His administration says they would not respond to local newspapers that reported on the governor’s environmental and energy record.

The other veto was of Franklin Republican Tom Saviello's pro-clean elections/pro-democracy initiative, LD 1631, An Act to Clarify What Constitutes a Contribution to a Candidate, just the kind of legislation the Kochs spend millions to prevent. It had passed the Senate 20=13. Saviello was the only Senate Republican to vote for it. It passed the House 83-50 without a single Republican vote. The purpose of the bill simply established that any campaign expenditures made by a person who has been affiliated with that campaign in the prior 120 days, regardless of whether they were paid or volunteered, counts as a campaign contribution. House Majority Leader Seth Berry said that "This bill is about keeping Maine’s Clean Elections clean. It is too bad the governor does not share this priority."

The non-partisan group, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections was fuming after the veto and asked the legislature of override it.

"This simple bill closes a problematic loophole in our campaign finance system," said Andrew Bossie, MCCE’s Executive Director. "Maine voters want compliance and accountability when it comes to campaign finance laws, and this bill provides that."

LD 1631 makes clear that when key persons affiliated with a candidate campaign make expenditures to benefit the candidate, those expenditures are contributions. Because contributions are limited, and independent expenditures are not, it ensures that campaign insiders do not evade contribution limits with sham independent spending.

"While this bill does not attempt to reverse the trend of independent expenditures, it does attempt to clarify when an expenditure is really a contribution to the candidate," said Senator Tom Saviello, the bill's lead sponsor, during the public hearing on the bill. "It starts with the simple assumption-- you might even call it a 'no-brainer'-- that certain persons close to a candidate's campaign cannot with a straight face make an independent expenditure on behalf of that candidate."

The bill is modest in scope, simply clarifying that treasurers, campaign managers, and other agents of a campaign can’t make expenditures that will be considered independent of the campaign. The practical effect is that all campaign spending by agents of a candidate campaign during an election will be subject to Maine’s contribution limits. Since Clean Election candidates do not accept private contributions, this sort of spending would not be allowed at all.

"We are optimistic that the legislature will override this veto and move forward, not backward, when it comes to our campaign finance system," concluded Bossie. "This common-sense bill is good for democracy and should become law. We ask each and every legislator to carefully consider the integrity of our election laws and vote to override Governor LePage’s ill-advised veto."

Senator Susan Collins tries making believe she isn't the same "kind" of Republican that LePage is but she maxed out to his campaign and endorsed his reelection efforts, has quietly urged her allies in the state legislature to back dome of his worst agenda items and, as Rick Santorum, has told GOP donors, "she is a team player who always plays with the team and never plays against the conservative side even if she has to give the liberals a vote because she's from Maine."

Susan Collins' Democratic opponent, Shenna Bellows, is no fan of LePage's deranged agenda. "It's disappointing," she told us this morning, "that Republican Governor Paul LePage vetoed clean energy and clean elections bills on yet another veto spree. We need urgent investment in solar energy to confront climate change now. One of the barriers to better energy policy is the influence of money in politics. So it's not surprising that opponents of clean energy like Republican Paul LePage would also oppose campaign finance reforms, even modest ones." If you'd like to help Shenna vanquish the Republicans, you can contribute to her campaign here.