Where have they been? What have they been doing?
While Maine Democrats are trying to blame Governor LePage and Republicans for the failure to pass a state budget, a review of the record shows that while Republicans were trying to work on a budget deal, Democrat leadership instead chose to hold a series of PR meetings to promote spending hundreds of millions of dollars Maine can’t afford.
As this timeline shows, Democrat leadership ran out the clock on themselves, focusing day after day on promoting unsustainable spending on a political roadshow, instead of pulling up a chair at the budget negotiating table. In the critical time from late April into early May, see how many times Maine Democrat Leadership was playing politics instead of negotiating a budget.
Names of members in Democrat Leadership positions are in bold.
Scarborough, April 19, 6 PM:
Senator Rebecca Millett of Cape Elizabeth
Speaker of the House Sara Gideon
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
House Majority Leader Erin Herbig
Senate Democratic Whip Nate Libby
House Majority Whip Jared Golden
Millinocket, April 22, 9 AM:
Senator Jim Dill
Rep. Steve Stanley
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
House Majority Whip Jared Golden
Old Town, April 22, 12 PM:
Senator Jim Dill
Rep. Michelle Dunphy
Rep. Ryan Tipping (House Taxation Committee Chair)
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
House Majority Whip Jared Golden
Hallowell, April 22, 5:30 PM:
Senator Shenna Bellows
Rep. Charlotte Warren
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
House Majority Whip Jared Golden
Biddeford, April 24, 6 PM:
Senator Susan Deschambault
Rep. Ryan Fecteau
Rep. Martin Grohmann
Senator Cathy Breen, lead Senate Democrat on the budget committee
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
Asst Senate Democratic Leader Nate Libby
Lewiston, April 25, 6 PM:
Rep. Heidi Brooks
Rep. Jim Handy
Rep. Roger Fuller
Asst Senate Democratic Leader Nate Libby
House Majority Whip Jared Golden
Belfast, April 26, 6 PM:
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
House Majority Leader Erin Herbig
Asst Senate Democratic Leader Nate Libby
House Majority Whip Jared Golden
Saco, April 30, 1 PM:
Senator Justin Chenette
Reps. Maggie O’Neil
Rep. Donna Bailey
Senate Democrat Leader Troy Jackson
Bath, May 1, 6:30 PM:
Senator Eloise Vitelli
Rep. Jennifer DeChant
Rep. Jay McCreight
Senator Cathy Breen, lead Senate Democrat on the budget committee
Rumford, May 2, 6 PM:
Rep. Tina Riley
Rep. John Madigan
Speaker of the House Sara Gideon
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
House Majority Leader Erin Herbig
Asst Senate Democratic Leader Nate Libby
Asst Majority Leader Jared Golden
Thomaston, May 3, 6 PM:
Senator Dave Miramant
Rep. John Spear
Rep. Pinny Beebe-Center
Speaker of the House Sara Gideon
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
House Majority Leader Erin Herbig
Asst Senate Democratic Leader Nate Libby
Asst Majority Leader Jared Golden
West Gardiner, May 4, 5:30 PM:
Senator Shenna Bellows
Rep. Charlotte Warren
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Nate Libby
Assistant House Majority Leader Jared Golden
Topsham, May 6, 1:30 PM:
Senator Eloise Vitelli
Rep. Denise Tepler
Rep. Seth Berry
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
Brunswick, May 8, 6 PM:
Senator Brownie Carson
Rep. Mattie Daughtry
Rep. Ralph Tucker
Rep. Jay McCreight
Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson
Waterville, May 8, 5:30 PM:
Rep. Colleen Madigan
Rep. Tom Longstaff
Rep. Cathy Nadeau
Asst Senate Democratic Leader Nate Libby
Asst House Majority Leader Jared Golden
