After a nearly two-week delay, the Maine House of Representatives on Tuesday once again took up consideration of a proposed bill that would sign the state onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
[RELATED: House Delays Vote on Joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact…]
If Maine were to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact by passing the bill, LD 1578, the state’s four elector votes would be granted to whichever presidential candidate collects the most popular votes nationwide — regardless of who the majority of Maine voters cast their ballots for.
The highly controversial bill was initially scheduled for a final vote in the House on March 20, but was tabled with a near party-line vote, with all House Republicans voting in opposition to postponing the vote.
GOP sources at the State House told the Maine Wire that no warning was given to Republican leadership before the bill was taken up for a vote Tuesday, and that Democratic lawmakers who were expected to side with the Republicans against the bill left the chamber before the vote.
On Tuesday, when the House unexpectedly again took up LD 1578, House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), immediately requested a roll call, after which several Republican Representatives spoke in strong opposition to Maine joining the Compact.
The debate over the bill quickly became chaotic when House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) repeatedly interrupted Rep. Faulkingham, as well as Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) for calling the measure unconstitutional, which Talbot Ross and Rep. Tiffany Roberts (D-South Berwick) construed as impugning the motives of other representatives.
“Madam Speaker, this is a crazy idea, to give our vote away to other states –” Faulkingham began, before being interrupted by Speaker Talbot Ross.
“The chair will remind members to not question the motives of other members or impugn their character,” Talbot Ross said.
“Madam Speaker, in my opinion this bill is unconstitutional, the constitution outlines–” he began again, before again being interrupted by Talbot Ross with the same objection.
Faulkingham argued that Maine’s current system of apportioning electors by congressional district is the “gold standard,” and other states should be following that system.
“We shouldn’t be throwing everybody in a basket, and going to straight democracy rule — the founders knew that that was not a good way to go,” Faulkingham said.
Rep. John Andrews, R-Paris, said that “no one campaigned” on passing LD 1578.
“Good luck explaining it on the campaign trail this summer,” Andrews said.
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, also spoke in fierce opposition to Maine joining the National Popular Vote Compact.
“I’ve heard it said in this chamber that the Electoral College is anti-democratic,” Rep. Libby said. “Madam Speaker, we may need a civics lesson — in fact, we live in a constitutional republic, and not a democracy, and the Electoral College is one key piece that maintains our republic.”
Libby argued that the Electoral College “maintains our citizens’ voice in this nation, and a vote for this bill is a vote to diminish that voice.”
When Rep. Libby called it “ironic” that the House would vote to advance the minority report of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on LD 1578 to elect the president by majority “in order to advance an agenda,” Libby was interrupted by Rep. Tiffany Roberts who asked that Libby be ruled out of order for her comments.
The House then broke into chaos as shouts across the floor could be heard while Speaker Talbot Ross tried to maintain order, eventually calling House Minority Leader Faulkingham up for a side bar.
Rep. Stephen Moriarty, D-Cumberland, one of the Democratic lawmakers who spoke in favor LD 1578, argued that the Electoral College system is not working as intended, and that Maine does not receive attention during presidential elections.
“There has been discussion that when we vote for president, we do so as citizens of this state — I disagree with that premise,” Rep. Moriarty said. “I acknowledge freely that when we vote for members of the Legislature, or for the governor, or for the U.S. Senate, or the U.S. Congress, that we vote as Mainers — people who will represent us, all of us, as a group of Mainers in their respective bodies.”
“But when we turn our attention to the election of the president of the country, we’re not voting just as Mainers, we’re voting as Americans,” Moriarty said. “We have that in common with the residents of all other states in the country.
The bill passed the House Tuesday by a single vote margin 73-72, with five Democrats joining all Republicans in voting against the motion.
There were six absent members when the roll call on LD 1578 was taken, four Democrats and two Republicans.
Of those Democratic lawmakers absent, two of them — Reps. Scott Landry (D-Farmington) and Jessica Fay (D-Poland) — had previously voted against passing the bill in a March 5 roll call and had been present for the bill taken up directly before LD 1578.
Following the vote, Rep. Libby called out the Democratic lawmakers for “taking a walk” during the roll call, saying that not voting on a bill would be the “ultimate disrespect to the people of my district.”
“I would encourage every representative to represent their district well by voting on every bill honestly,” Libby added.
The National Popular Vote Compact will go into effect if, and only if, the participating states hold a majority of the country’s electoral votes — the threshold necessary for a candidate to win the presidency — which currently comes to a total of 270.
Among the seventeen states that have already passed legislation signing onto the Compact include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington — a total of 205 electoral votes.
RTR is worse then Gideon ever thought of being.
She is evil.
The electoral college to the contrary is JUST as it is supposed to . If the idiots in Augusta who support this would read the constitution, they would know this.
Took the filthy Godless hippy trash six decades, to conquer the most powerful nation on earth…..they’re not about to give it back.
Who were the two Republicans that failed to show up for this important vote? SHAME on them! They could have made a big difference today.
The democrats are intent on changing this republic into a democracy.
Doesn’t Rachel have some parking lot attendants who need a big confrontation, instead of her lunatic hammering with the gavel?
Comrade RTR and Rep. Teller (Moriarty) are two of the biggest weasels in a legislature that’s chock full of them. None of the useful idiots who voted in favor of this and countless other bad bills deserve any respect whatsoever.
Unfortunately, these Leftist tyrants were elected to their positions of power by equally dim-witted constituents who envision themselves as revolutionaries who bought into Obama’s insufferable effort to fundamentally change America. Under Biden, that change is escalating ….but only to make us into a third world s**t hole country.
This is called sedition, plain and simple. Charge them!
The block of blue states are at 205. 65 to go to control the national vote for the presidency.
As a registered maine voter, I object to this as it seriously degrades the value of voting in Maine.
A far right response to the dirty democrats: change the electoral college to county level counts from state level or CD level.
If my vote in rural District 2 will be given to the hordes of voters of Portland, why not send them my property tax bill as well ? I certainly won’t be paying it anymore. No taxation without representation !!!
Isn’t Rachel Talbot Ross, the Speaker slamming the gavel in the video, the same person who in June of 2023 suggested “storming the Capitol”?
…Dems are sliding us down the Constitutional hill like a snowball. Gaining momentum by the day. November is not that far away!
“Rep. Stephen Moriarty, D-Cumberland, one of the Democratic lawmakers who spoke in favor LD 1578, argued that the Electoral College system is not working as intended, and that Maine does not receive attention during presidential elections.”
What? It is the ELECTORAL COLLEGE that gives rural areas some attention from the candidates! WHO is this guy?
all the commie states signed on
The last straw.
Another step by the Kleptocrats to make our votes useless. The Electoral College was designed to make sure the voice of voters in small states count. The Democrats are destroying America right in front of us.
Talbot Ross is a Marxist! Research her past.
Just like kammy toe Harris, her parents were black panthers. Their all probably buddies n pals. Kinda like the judges wife in n.y. that worked for the d.a. … their all tied together in one way or another.
We need to fight back just as dirty and ruthlessly. They are fighting with hate
The National Popular Vote, aka The National Perpetual Democrat President Vote
Ross the marxist was pleased as punch to slam the gavel on this one knowing that will keep Maine solidly in the democrap camp. Another step in the slide to becoming a 3rd world shithole.
It won’t stand up to the Supreme Court and will certainly be challenged. Unfortunately add this to the legal bills the State of Maine will have to pay for due to the out of control liberals ruining the state.
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge-ing traitors.
She had this vote spur of the moment. It’s obvious she waited til some R’s weren’t there.
There should be a 48 hr notice that votes are being brought up.
She is so dishonest and doesn’t care about her oath of office.
I sent the entire Legislature a lesson about the electoral college from Hillsdale.
They hate us and love power.
I would like to know who the 2 republicans were that did not show up, they should be voted out in November. This is what Maine people voted for so pat yourselves on the back for being lazy and stupid voters. Welcome to the new East coast California.
The Democrats hate Maine people, not only have they sacrificed Maine land to accomadate Massachusetts energy laws, now they want Maine to even further give up our sovereignty. Either Maine sinks into the abyss or the Democrat party is ceases to exist.
The Electoral College was put in place to magnify the Plantation Owner’s Vote!
If the US Government won’t do anything about it, the States will!
I’m tired of my pick getting the most votes, yet losing.
Electoral College never should have been in the first place. Just like Slavery.