Republicans demand removal of Mills emergency powers - Press Herald

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Republican state lawmakers are calling for the removal of Gov. Janet Mills’s emergency powers over her handling of the coronavirus, which they say has largely left them out of the picture.

In a May 2 letter to the Democratic leaders of the Maine House and Senate, the Republicans accuse the governor of launching an “arbitrary” plan for reopening Maine’s economy that “picks winners and losers.”

The Republican leaders, Sens. Dana Dow and Jeff Timberlake and Reps. Kathleen Dillingham and Harold “Trey” Stewart, say that so far their questions have not been answered, or else met with “disregard and contempt.”

They’re asking their Democratic counterparts to call the Legislature back into session to vote to remove Gov. Mills’s civil emergency powers.

“The delegation of authority to a single decision maker in a time of emergency is necessary to ensure swift action; however, if that decision making authority is used without consultation with the legislative body, it is our obligation to rescind that authority and establish a new process working with the Governor that involves all parties to better serve Maine,” the Republican leaders said in their letter.

Mills declared a state of civil emergency on March 15 to expand her powers to fight the virus, which had infected 1,152 around Maine as of Saturday. Fifty-six Mainers had died as of Saturday. On April 15, Mills extended the proclamation for another 30 days.

The likelihood of success for the Republican leaders’ call to curb her powers is unclear. Democrats control both chambers of the Maine Legislature, and party leaders have stood behind Mills’s response to the pandemic.

This is the latest salvo in an increasingly partisan argument over the coronavirus response in Maine, which has drawn the interest of President Trump and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage.

Last week, Rick Savage, a restaurant owner in Bethel, appeared on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show to attack Mills, announcing he would defy her public health orders by opening his restaurant to dine-in customers. He also gave out her cellphone number on air.

The show aired Thursday; late Friday afternoon, state officials entered Sunday River Brewing Co. and seized Savage’s health license, forcing him to give in.

Meanwhile, Mills urged Mainers not use the pandemic as a partisan bludgeon.

“This virus plays no favorites: it doesn’t care whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, a Green or an independent, unregistered or unenrolled. It does not take political sides; it is an equal opportunity destroyer,” the governor said Friday.

But even bigger political figures are piling on.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump acknowledged the Savage incident in a tweet, saying the cure shouldn’t be “worse than the problem itself.”

Many complaints coming in about Maine. I love that State, won Maine 2 – Don’t make the cure worse than the problem itself. That can happen, you know! https://t.co/XsAiTWDx44

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2020

LePage soon responded, arguing that “many states are opening that were hit harder than us.”

Thank you @realDonaldTrump for recognizing Maine’s situation. States are laboratories of democracy. Maine should look at other states to see what’s working. Many states are opening that were hit harder than us. We're working to win both CDs for #TrumpPence2020 #MAGA #MePolitics https://t.co/CqZJwTW3iL

— Paul R. LePage (@PaulRLePage1) May 3, 2020

Maine’s Democratic legislative leaders, Senate President Troy Jackson and House Speaker Sara Gideon, could not immediately be reached for comment on the letter asking them to convene the Legislature.

This story will be updated.

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