The Legislature will return next week for a special session over the objections of Gov. Paul LePage, who accused House Republicans who are typically loyal to him of “giving in because it’s an election year.”
Legislative leaders polled their caucuses about returning to Augusta on Thursday. Full results are not technically due until Friday but all signals are that the special session is on. House Republicans, who blocked the Legislaturefrom going beyond its statutory adjournment date of April 18, voted in favor of the session, according to a news release.
The impasse was over a bill to start Medicaid expansion, which Democrats were demanding be included in a package of bills that both parties wanted, and slowing down scheduled increases in Maine’s minimum wage, which House Republicans were using as an ultimatum.
Both of those issues have been defused. The Medicaid expansion bill could go to a vote on its own, which could doom it because it would need two-thirds support to go into effect immediately and survive an expected veto from LePage.
To read the rest of “Maine Legislature will return next week for special session,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Christopher Cousins, please follow this link to the BDN online.
