On Monday, the end of the legislative session could be in sight, or then again it could be extended The First Regular Session had a statutory adjournment date of June 18, but the legislature adjourned early to ram through a partisan Democrat majority budget. The legislators in Augusta are now in a ‘Special Emergency Session’ called by Governor Janet Mills immediately afterwards to backstop legislative Democrats. There is no statutory adjournment for a special emergency session. It’s over when the Democrats say it’s over. That’s dangerous and it has become the new normal.
Fairfield Republican State Representative Shelley Rudnicki has asked repeatedly: “Why are we here? Can someone please ask the Chief Executive (Governor) what the emergency is?” She’s done this multiple times throughout the ’emergency’ session. The first time she asked, Speaker Ryan Fecteau brushed off the question with parliamentary procedures. All other times the question has been asked, it has been simply ignored. The Speaker and Majority quickly move on to the next matter of business of the legislative calendar without explaining what the emergency is or even acknowledging the question.
WHY IS THE LEGISLATURE IN A SPECIAL SESSION?
Over the last several years calling a special session has become a tactic used by the executive branch to provide cover the partisan actions of the legislative branch. It’s become the new normal. Ram through a partisan budget, adjourn the legislature and have the Governor call a special session for the legislature controlled by her party. Wash, rinse, repeat. There’s supposed to be a separation of powers in state government. That doesn’t happen when one party has total control of both Houses in the legislature, Blaine House and when six out seven Maine Supreme Court Justices were appointed by Gov. Janet Mills. It really doesn’t happen when the Democrat Speaker of the House used to work in Governor Mills’ Office of Policy. It really, really doesn’t happen when the Democrat Majority Leader was one of the key principals on the Governor Mills’ campaign team and when that same Majority Leader’s husband happens to be Governor Janet Mills Chief of staff. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
MAINE DOES NOT HAVE SEPARATION OF POWERS. IT HAS COLLUSION OF POWERS.
When the branches of government blend together and are controlled by one party, that is interconnected on multiple levels, it erodes historical norms. The normal operations and mechanisms of the legislature, especially post COVID, are gone and have been replaced with a new normal. That new normal is total control, no compromise and the creation of new pathways for the flow of government to match the desired outcome. It is not good for the citizen, the state or even those enjoying the ride on top right now. Eventually the system will fail. The budget will break and there will be collateral damage to institutions and services that Mainers rely upon. There will simply not be enough available tax money from the people to pay for everything. The tide is coming in for a Mills government built on a foundation of sand.
That’s where we find ourselves this June. The legislature will be meeting almost every day of the week in session to vote on hundreds of bills. The pace will pick up and the hours will get very, very long. It will be difficult for legislators to even track what they are voting on as bills come up quickly on the floor. The list of bills they have yet to vote on is massive. This massive list also includes the ‘second biennial budget’. This second budget is all of the additional spending on top of the ‘first biennial budget’ that Democrats previously rammed through in the First Regular Session. All of this spending is with your money that the majority believes they are entitled to because they won their election. Wants over needs is no way to govern.
In fact, there are so many bills outstanding in the legislature that they are attempting to carry over many of them, again, to the next session. That session could be another special emergency session in August if rumors under the dome are true. Or they could also be carried over to the Second Regular Session in January 2026. The Second Regular session is notorious for only allowing in Democrat bills to be heard. This is because in the Second Session bills must be of an emergency nature. Conveniently, the Democrat leaders and presiding officers determine what constitutes an emergency. It’s ironic that Democrat leaders have no problem identifying and articulating what an emergency is when it benefits them. When Rep. Rudnicki asks the same question about the ongoing special session it falls on deaf ears.
It’s unclear if the legislature’s special session will be over by June 18th. It should be. It should have been over when the First Regular Session adjourned Sine Die on March 21. The legislature being done when they adjourn without day was the historical norm. We need to get back to that. The new norm of partisan budgets, ending session early and having the Governor call a special emergency session for her allies in the Legislative Branch needs to stop. That only happens if the next legislature and Governor are people who understand that Maine needs a government by and for the people, not a government by and for the party. Vote wisely, my friends.
