AUGUSTA, Maine — The chaotic conclusion of the Maine Legislature's session won't include any new laws: Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said Tuesday she won't sign any of the 35 bills sent to her on the final day of the session, allowing all of them to die.
Mills, who believed Democratic leaders were disregarding her request to be fiscally responsible, was at odds with those who sought to vote on 80 additional bills requiring spending on a final day, which is normally reserved for vetoes. She said it was wrong to try to adopt so many additional bills after the statutory adjournment date had passed.
Mills' position caused tension when the Senate attempted to deliver 35 enacted bills to her office on Friday. Her office initially declined to accept them, creating a standoff between the executive and legislative branches. The House did not try to adopt additional bills, heeding the governor's wishes. Ultimately, lawmakers adjourned without further action.
In a written statement, the governor said she was rejecting "harmful precedent" by declining to act on the bills, and she chastised legislative leaders for disregarding constitutional norms that provide "important institutional safeguards."
"While well-intentioned, the Legislature’s decision to consider and enact dozens of additional spending measures on veto day without clear constitutional authority erodes longstanding norms and would create a destabilizing precedent that may be used by future Legislatures to achieve aims not so desirable," she wrote.
State law required the legislative session to end April 17 but lawmakers were allowed to return to deal with vetoes. A spokesperson for the governor said there's precedent for lawmakers to take up a few other bills on the so-called "veto day" but only with the consent of both parties. Enacting all of the proposed bills would've invited lawsuits, the spokesperson said.
Maine state Republicans say they believe the matter is reflective of poor planning by Democratic leadership.
"This is the result of terrible time management and irresponsible leadership," Senator Lisa Keim said. "We had statutory adjournment four weeks ago. We should have dealt with all of our important bills well before that deadline. It did not come as a surprise."
In response to the letter, NEWS CENTER Maine received the following statement from a spokesperson for Democratic House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross:
"The Speaker is deeply disappointed these remaining initiatives - comprising years of good work - will not be signed by the governor. However, both that letter and the additional one attached from the Senate Secretary confirm that the only responsible option for the House on that last day was to adjourn sine die."