Good morning from Augusta, where we seem to be back in the same situation we’ve been in at the end of the past several legislative sessions and as of Tuesday’s Daily Brief. Here’s your soundtrack.
Legislative leaders from three caucuses have been in hardball negotiations. They have been complicated by House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, and all of this led to some tense moments in the State House hallways on Tuesday. Legislative sessions ended in the early evening. I was waiting outside the Senate to talk to Senate President Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport.
Milling around were most of the members of the Appropriations Committee, who were waiting to hear if they were going to meet to discuss sending a bond package to voters this year, funding certain bills that have initially passed, moving forward on voter-approved Medicaid expansion or negotiating a tax conformity package sought by Republicans.
“I’m not comfortable going home until we find a solution to tax conformity,” Thibodeau said. “It is way too important to the businesses of our state.”
It’s clear that will require some concessions to Democrats, and not just by Thibodeau. As usual, it all hinges on what legislative leaders decide to do in closed-door negotiations. As I waited, Fredette went into a meeting with House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, in her office, along with Senate Minority Leader Troy Jackson, D-Allagash.
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “‘Last night we had a deal and he blew it up.’ Gridlock deepens in State House end game,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Christopher Cousins, please follow this link to the BDN online.
