3AM: Democrats Draw Bipartisan Condemnation After Forcing Controversial Spending Package “Under Cover of Darkness”

Early Saturday morning, when most Mainers were asleep or recovering from a blizzard which knocked out power across the state, Democrats on the Committee of Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) were voting to take millions out of the transportation budget meant to keep Maine’s roads and bridges drivable.

The scheme led House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) to call on Tuesday for the removal of Rep. Melanie Sachs (D-Freeport) as the House Chair of the AFA Committee, a decision which would ultimately fall to House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland).

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The AFA meeting, scheduled to begin at 3 pm on Friday, started eight hours late, past 11 pm, and continued past 3 am on Saturday morning, according to lawmakers who were present throughout the process.

The AFA passed a last minute change to the budget removing nearly $60 million earmarked for the Department of Transport (DOT), which had not been reviewed by the Transportation Committee, and forcing through numerous other last minute spending initiatives and budget changes.

The spending plan vote was split along party lines, with an 8-5 final tally.

In addition to diverting roughly $60 million dollars away from the DOT, the AFA also voted to take power over the highway budget fund, which was previously assigned to the Transportation Committee.

The meeting became highly contentious, with multiple AFA Republicans decrying the move to make a sudden decision on a major change to the transportation budget which had not been reviewed by the Transportation Committee or the DOT.

They also criticized Democrats for holding the meeting in the early morning in an attempt to reduce the attention given to the controversial decision.

“To do business this way is horrible, and this is why people don’t trust state government. Look outside, it’s dark. Has anybody ever heard somebody comment about ‘oh, government does things in the dark of night? We seem to never be able to get in here to do our business when it’s daylight out,” said Rep. Jack Ducharme (R-Madison).

“The presentation of this is wrong,” Ducharme said.

Following the meeting, Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Bruce Van Note issued a statement highlighting the negative effects of the vote.

“I was surprised and disheartened that the Appropriations Committee majority, without notice, decided to assume control of the Highway Fund and divert nearly $60 million away from transportation resources starting next year,” said Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Bruce Van Note in a statement.

Van Note pointed out that, if the changes are ultimately enacted, the DOT will have to remove things from its work plan, which will negatively affect the department’s ability to maintain highways, bridges, and multiple other aspects of the state’s transportation infrastructure.

He also criticized the measure for making it far more difficult for the DOT to receive federal grants.

Under the new system, funding will be removed from the DOT fund, and placed into the general fund, which will be allocated by the AFA as they see fit.

Despite the negative effects, Rep. Dan Ankeles (D-Brunswick) was a strong proponent of the bill, and advocated for the AFA taking control of what was traditionally in the Transportation Committee’s purview, suggesting that the Transport Committee is somehow dysfunctional.

“Not to be flip, but I do hope that this committee spends more time on the supplemental budgets than have been spent in the past.” said Rep. Ankeles, “I think we can afford to take a little time.”

In addition to the rules governing DOT funds, Democrats also used the late-night meeting to push surprise initiatives which will transfer $11 million from the Liquor Fund into the General fund, reduce the Pension Deduction, thereby raising taxes on retirees, and appropriate an additional $5 million for “low barrier” homeless shelters.

The Democrat-supported spending package also withdrew fiscal support from Maine’s dairy farming industry.

“Across the country, we are losing farms at an alarming rate. The realities of the business, pricing challenges, and the absolute commitment dairy farming takes is too much for many to reckon with. Maine has 146 dairy farms left, every one of them plays an important role in our food security, self-reliance, and climate goals,” said one dairy farmer, during a press conference criticizing Democrats for removing support from their industry.

Democrats also made major changes to bills and initiatives which previously held bipartisan support, removing funding for additional State Trooper jobs, and altering LD 2237, a bill meant to establish a minimum wage for farmworkers.

Following the controversial late-night meeting, Republican lawmakers held a press conference condemning the process.

During the press conference, Rep. Ducharme explained that, multiple times throughout the contentious meeting, Democrats refused to answer serious inquiries and concerns from Republican committee members.

According to Ducharme and one other legislative source, Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook) was present in the committee room for part of the meeting, but did not voice his opinion publicly on the proceedings.

During the press conference, Faulkingham called on House Speaker Ross to remove Sachs from the AFA committee, stating that he believes she is responsible for the controversial meeting.

“I also want to clarify, I think the largest part of the blame here lies solely at the feet of House Chair Representative Melanie Sachs. Her toxic and intimidating leadership have led to what happened in the early morning hours of Saturday morning. That is why I have called for the speaker to remove her from the Appropriations Committee,” Faulkingham said.

Faulkingham submitted an official letter requesting the removal of Sachs, but Talbot Ross has not responded publicly.

The meeting has drawn criticism from members of both parties who objected to AFA Democrats’ “under cover of darkness” strategy and disregard for bipartisan decisions.

“This is a horrible move to take resources away from the highway fund and use it for other democratic priorities.  All of this was done in the cover of darkness while pulling the wool over Mainers eye saying this is due to oversight.. BS. This will reduce federal match money and force the DOT to go back to bonding which Mainers will have to pay interest on all while we have record tax revenue in order achieve the needed work for all Mainers transportation needs,” said AFA committee member Rep. Mark Blier (R-Buxton) in a statement provided to The Maine Wire, “This is not democracy this is dictatorship!!”

Former Transportation Committee Chair and state Rep. Lynne Williams (D-Bar Harbor), who recently retired from the legislature, issued a cutting statement criticizing AFA Democrats.

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“I am very dismayed by the actions of the Maine Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, which were taken in the middle of the night, at 3:30 am Tuesday, under cover of darkness. As the former House Chair of the Transportation Committee, I can say that we worked very hard last session to craft a Transportation budget that would take into account all of the State’s transportation needs. Now a partisan group of Democratic members of the Appropriations Committee have thrown out all of that work, forcing the Department of Transportation to go back to the drawing board to find funding for roads, bridges and public transportation,” said Williams.

The AFA Democrats even drew criticism from Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine).

“She urges the Legislature to reconsider these ill-advised changes, to avoid creating new programs that will require ongoing funding, and to advance a fiscally responsible budget that is sustainable in the long term,” said Gov. Mills’ spokesman Ben Goodman in a statement addressing the controversy.

The new spending initiatives will need to secure Mill’ approval in order to ultimately pass.