AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Maine’s Republican governor has suggested a number of “tough” bills he’ll ask lawmakers to consider this session.
Gov. Paul LePage said during his State of the State address on Tuesday that it’s time to take aim at “deadbeat dads” and called it “unethical” for elderly people to be kicked out of their homes.
The Legislature and governor have had a tense relationship, but LePage told lawmakers that he wants to work with them, even though they don’t have to love him. He spoke about bills he’s supporting in addition to his $6.8 billion, two-year budget proposal.
Some of the ideas LePage has discussed were sparked by personal stories he’s heard, and include:
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AVOIDING FORECLOSURES
LePage says he wants to keep elderly people in their homes.
“I find it unethical and immoral for any person who wants to and is able to live in their homes to be thrown out,” LePage said.
LePage says his legislation would say that before towns can foreclose on properties for unpaid property taxes, they should always look at options like a reverse mortgage and tax abatement. He invited Richard Sukeforth, an elderly veteran who lost his home in Albion after the town seized it for back taxes.
Albion town officials told the Morning Sentinel that the process was legal and that they helped Sukeforth pay his taxes for two years.
The governor’s since said he’s found a dozen other similar situations involving elderly homeowners across the state.
“If you don’t have a mortgage go get one,” LePage said on Tuesday, referring to elderly homeowners.
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CHILD SUPPORT
The governor is promising “very tough” bills to enforce child support payments, and said it’s “foolish” to take away the driver’s licenses of “deadbeat dads.”
The governor said the state should instead make sure those who owe child support are working every day.
“And on the weekends, let’s bring them to house them in our care for a couple of days on the weekend,” LePage said. His office didn’t immediately clarify Wednesday what the governor meant by the statement.
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BALLOT REFERENDA
Citizen initiatives are gaining popularity nationwide, LePage said, and it’s threatening our form of government.
“We need to reform the referendum process and we need to return to a representative government,” LePage said.
Out-of-state progressive groups are pumping in money to costly signature-gathering drives, according to the governor, who said Mainers didn’t understand the consequences of the minimum wage hike and new income surtax they approved in November.
Mainers also rejected a ballot initiative to expand background checks for firearms - a costly effort backed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The governor says ballot campaigns should get a certain number of signatures in each part of the state, and he says Maine’s more populated southern region shouldn’t get to control what gets on the ballot. Several legislators have submitted bills with similar ideas.
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DRUG TESTING
LePage’s spokeswoman, Adrienne Bennett, has told The Associated Press that the governor will submit legislation proposing drug-testing all welfare recipients.
His budget proposes removing the state’s current drug-testing program, which the governor wants to expand from targeting just those with felony drug convictions.
The state hasn’t yet provided information on the program’s results to the AP.
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