Maine Democratic Party

AUGUSTA - Tonight the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on Democrats’ comprehensive plan to pay back Maine’s hospitals, cut health care costs, and increase access to health care. The plan will satisfy debts to Maine hospitals of nearly $500 million and will save Maine hospitals an additional $100 million every year.

The vote follows a party line vote in the State Senate yesterday, in which Republican Senators abandoned their top priority of paying the hospitals by voting against the bill.

AUGUSTA - Governor Paul LePage and his Republican allies in the Legislature are reversing their pledge to pay back Maine’s hospitals. Governor LePage has made this his top priority from day one of this session, yet now he appears ready to veto more than $600 million for Maine hospitals.

Maine Democratic Party Chair Ben Grant released the following statement:

AUGUSTA - Republican lawmakers once again failed to override one of Governor Paul LePage’s vetoes today. Despite overwhelming bipartisan support for LD 6, a bill that would give local school boards the option to waive residency requirements for hiring superintendents, more than 20 House Republicans flip-flopped on the bill and sustained LePage’s veto.

Over the weekend, Governor Paul LePage lashed out at Senate President Justin Alfond and Speaker Mark Eves in an unprecedented personal attack on the Democratic leaders.