Following the announcement that Maine Republican lawmakers denied a proposal from Senate President Troy Jackson and House Speaker Sara Gideon to reconvene the Legislature, Seth Nelson, spokesperson for the Maine Democratic Party, issued the following statement:

“Today, Republicans finally made it crystal clear what we knew all along about their repeated calls to reconvene the Legislature: it was all just a political stunt. By refusing to even weigh in on the proposal to return for a special session, Republicans are not only obstructing the very work they’ve claimed the Legislature must address, but they are abdicating their responsibilities to the Maine people they were elected to serve.

“Our lawmakers have the chance to work together in the best interests of their constituents and help mitigate the damage from this rapidly changing public health crisis. Instead, Republicans are blocking the Legislature from addressing hardships in childcare and education, housing insecurity, and the loss of employment. 

“Maine people are still hurting from this unprecedented crisis. Now is not the time to score cheap political points, now is the time to do the job Maine people hired our elected representatives to do.”

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