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REPUBLICAN RADIO ADDRESS

Senate Republican Leader Kevin Raye

June 20, 2009

Greetings.  This is Senate Republican Leader Kevin Raye and it is my honor to bring you this week’s Republican radio message.

In the early hours of Saturday, June 13th, the First Regular Session of the Maine Legislature ended.  In many respects it ended like all sessions do; in the middle of the night, with tired Legislators facing some of the most difficult issues in the last hours.

There, however, is where the similarities end and where the obvious and important distinction begins. Because this session ended exactly as it began; with bipartisan cooperation and Maine Republicans holding firm to principles on your behalf.

We signaled early in the session that while we Republicans do not have the majority in Augusta, we would not be a critical or silent minority.  Rather we intended, and we succeeded, in being a crucial partner in shaping debate and policy following our vision of a government for Maine people which is Caring – Responsible – Efficient – Affordable – Transparent- and Effective. I want to touch upon just some of the measures we advanced and the role we played this session.

The first major issue was the Supplemental Budget. This is the document that makes corrections to the current budget to keep it balanced. Republicans worked alongside our Democratic colleagues to close a 165 million dollar shortfall.  Republicans held firm and insisted that the budget include payment on our long overdue Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals. It was the responsible thing to do.

Next the Appropriations Committee faced the daunting task of balancing the upcoming two year budget.  Republican leadership on the Appropriations Committee was able to make small but significant changes in the MaineCare system to move Maine toward the national average.  With our Democratic colleagues agreement this budget will slow the rising costs of Maine’s unaffordable MaineCare system and ensure the programs existence for those who are truly in need.  It was the responsible and caring thing to do.

Maine Republicans protected hard-working taxpayers and secured structural reform and equity by requiring state employees, including legislators, to pay a portion of their health insurance premiums instead of having taxpayers continue to foot 100% of the bill.

Unfortunately, our minority status prevented us from defeating the Democratic majority’s new tax scheme that reduces the income tax on the one hand, but imposes an array of new sales taxes on previously-untaxed services such as your pet care and your car repairs.

The new law also raises the tax on meals and lodging, candy, and most entertainment as well as a host of other new services. In addition, it eliminates deductions and exemptions many Mainers have always been able to take to reduce taxable income. 

Maine Republicans opposed this scheme and advanced a more thoughtful plan that would have bought down the income tax to even lower rates by using future revenue growth – not by imposing more taxes on you.  Unfortunately, this is one area where we did not have the votes to prevail.

We did prevail, however, in stopping a proposed 11 cent increase to the gas tax.  When presented with that proposal, and others to raise the gas tax, we said “no, this is not the time to be imposing new taxes on Mainers who are struggling to stay afloat.”  

When presented with a highway budget that did not fund maintenance paving of our roads, Republicans balked, and we succeeded in forcing a creative compromise that allows for some paving in these difficult times.  Both sides agreed to continue to work over the summer and fall to explore other creative options for paving roads.

Republicans also succeeded in making sure that the bond package passed by the Legislature for approval by Maine voters is at a responsible and affordable level.   

The Governor’s initial proposal was for a whopping 306 million dollars.  But we believed that, at a time when state revenues are down over a billion dollars as the result of an economic crisis that had its roots in too much debt, that it defied common sense to for the State of Maine to borrow that much money.  We know Maine’s hard-pressed taxpayers simply can’t afford that much debt.  So Maine Republicans went into negotiations with a clear understanding that 150 million dollars was all Maine could afford to borrow and we came out of negotiations with a 150 million dollar package; not one penny more.

These are extraordinary times in our state which call for strong, creative, common sense leadership.  I am proud that Maine Republicans stood together and answered that call.  We worked cooperatively and constructively with our Democratic colleagues from the first moments of the session, until the final gavel came down last weekend.  And all along the way, through every debate and negotiation, Maine’s Republican legislators were guided by and stood firm on our common sense principles of a caring, responsible, efficient, affordable, transparent, and effective government for all Maine people.

Thank you for listening.  This is Senate Republican Leader Kevin Raye, on behalf of the Maine Senate and House Republicans, wishing you and yours a great weekend and a safe and happy week ahead.