Janet Mills will release her 2020 spending plan today. Here’s what we know about it.
Good morning from Augusta. We’re continuing to collect responses from readers on the issues that matter to them in 2020 election coverage, so please take this survey if you haven’t already. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Because of the noise the two cocks were making in the DA’s office, they had to put one in the courtroom. Without the other there, it was quiet. Then it was proposed that we decide the case by designating one cock guilty and one not guilty and letting them have at it,” retiring Maine Supreme Judicial Court Justice Donald Alexander said about a case involving cock fighting that was prosecuted by Gov. Janet Mills when she was a district attorney. “But that wasn’t really going to happen, and the governor, then DA, indicated a fight would not be appropriate. The guy pled guilty, so there was never a trial or a fight.” What we’re watching today The governor will release a supplemental budget proposal that will define much of the Legislature’s work in the short 2020 session. Mills’ office said the Democrat’s administration will announce its long-awaited supplemental budget proposal at a noon news conference at the State House. In early January, she was guarding details of the proposal expected to put much of a $120 million surplus to use but some finer points emerged over the latter part of the month. In her State of the State speech, Mills teased items likely to make the cut, including 20 more caseworkers for the embattled child welfare system, $5.1 million more in funding for the university system and $20 million more to the state’s rainy day fund. Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck also told the Bangor Daily News that the governor will propose 10 more state troopers along with five more sergeants. The final figure of the proposal may be the biggest rub, since minority Republicans are still unhappy with the level of spending in the $8 billion, two-year budget passed by the Legislature last year. More details and their response will be the main things to watch as the plan emerges. Opponents of the Central Maine Power corridor are expected to submit signatures to get a question killing the project on the November ballot. The anti-corridor campaign called a Monday news conference last week with a leader saying he’s “pretty comfortable” the group will have good news. That’s why we’re assuming that the group has the 63,000 or so signatures it needs to get on the November ballot, though Secretary of State Matt Dunlap must verify them. The announcement will kick an already contentious campaign into higher gear. The Maine utility poured $2.3 million into its campaign over the last three months of 2019, while Hydro-Quebec, a partner in the project, has already paid a $35,000 ethics fine with two other complaints pending against anti-corridor groups. All the while, permitting processes for the project move along. The Maine politics top 3 — “At Angus King event, crowd criticizes Congress on impeachment,” Lauren Abbate, BDN: “[Sen. Angus King, I-Maine] blasted the trial process after all Republicans but Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah voted down a bid [on Friday] to allow new witnesses in the trial later Friday. In a statement, he said it was ‘an abdication of our responsibilities, an asterisk on these proceedings, and a stain on our institution.’” Maine’s other senator said she was ‘disappointed’ by the Senate’s decision not to call witnesses ahead of a Wednesday vote to convict or acquit the president. Collins, a Republican, told Maine Public that she still has many questions about the facts surrounding President Donald Trump’s attempt to to get the Ukrainian president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden but would have to make a decision based on the available evidence from the House. The Senate will hear closing arguments today and is expected to vote on whether to remove Trump on Wednesday. Collins has yet to say how she’ll vote on either article. — “Why tribal chiefs are worried about Maine’s response to a new sovereignty push,” Caitlin Andrews, BDN: “But leaders of the four federally recognized tribes in Maine who met Thursday with the Bangor Daily News editorial board say how [Gov. Janet] Mills reacts to the 22 recommendations that came out of the Maine Indian Claims Task Force in January will show how much she supports them.” — “Susan Collins outraised by Sara Gideon in late 2019, but had more than twice the money left,” Jessica Piper, BDN: “Collins has spent significantly less than the Freeport Democrat so far, however, and has $7.2 million in cash on hand, which is more than 2.5 times Gideon’s warchest of $2.8 million. Both campaigns released topline figures this week before a Friday due date for new filings with the Federal Election Commission.” Ads on the web — Maine saw more than $550,000 in political advertising on Facebook during the month of January, according to data from the social media site. Leading that push was former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who spent $138,000 on the site — a small figure compared with the more than $1.4 million Bloomberg has spent on TV ads in Maine since announcing his presidential run in November. Other top spenders during the month included Clean Energy Matters, a PAC fighting against the likely referendum on the CMP corridor, which spent $56,000, and Maine Momentum, a “dark money” group which spent more than $20,000 on ads criticizing Collins on issues such as corporate taxes and prescription drug prices. Here’s your soundtrack. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Michael Shepherd, Jessica Piper and Caitlin Andrews. If you’re reading this on the BDN’s website or were forwarded it, email clumm@bangordailynews.com (we’re setting up a new subscriber page soon) to subscribe to it via email. To reach us, do not reply directly to this newsletter, but contact the political team at mshepherd@bangordailynews.com, candrews@bangordailynews.com or jpiper@bangordailynews.com.
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