Seven Democrats flipped GOP-held governorships last year, putting Medicaid expansion and environmental protection on the fast track.
“We are doing things differently now in Maine,” says Gov. Janet Mills , who has taken aim at some of her Republican predecessor’s policies. By Tim Craig Tim Craig National reporter Email Bio Follow April 15 at 6:34 PM AUGUSTA, Maine — Standing in front of a stove shop powered by 83 rooftop solar panels, Gov. Janet Mills used three simple words to usher in her state’s new solar energy policy.
Mills is one of seven Democrats who flipped GOP-held governorships last year and are moving quickly to shift debate leftward in their states. Their agendas bolster and defend the Affordable Care Act, enjoin their states in the fight over climate change, and revitalize state budgets that often saw stagnant funding under their GOP predecessors.
New Democratic governors are making similar moves across the country: In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been pushing a gasoline-tax hike to pay for highway repairs that she says were neglected by her predecessor, Republican Rick Snyder. In Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers is promoting a plan to expand Medicaid to 82,000 low- and moderate-income state residents, a change that was opposed by the previous governor, Scott Walker .In Illinois, Gov. J.B.
“After eight years of Republican rule, with Democrats having zero influence, there is now pent-up demand among Democrats for a Democratic agenda,” said Franklin, adding that Republicans will be incensed that “you are rejecting everything we did for the last eight years.” “I had time to think about it, and it just felt like that is where things were going,” Mills said. “Women’s issues were becoming much more broadly discussed. You had civil rights issues. You had antiwar things, and the Democrats were at the forefront of a lot of issues.”
While LePage notoriously refused to attend Martin Luther King Jr. Day events, Mills led the holiday march around the state Capitol this year. In a nod to Maine’s growing diversity, she also changed the state highway signs, replacing LePage’s preferred “Open for Business” with “Welcome Home.” In her first two-year budget proposal, Mills avoided a tax hike but proposed an 11 percent increase in spending, including more money for schools and health-care initiatives. In comparison, LePage was known to stockpile budget savings, resulting in a record $250 million reserve fund by the time he left office.
Residents along the proposed path of the transmission line, however, have mounted intense opposition. They include liberal environmentalists worried about the loss of trees as well as conservatives who question how the project would benefit Maine.
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