✔️ The governor's approval stays steady and high.
◉ Gov. Janet Mills appears to have no major political fallout from the early part of the 2023 legislative session. Morning Consult pegged the Democrat's approval at 59 percent during the second quarter of this year.
◉ That mark was 17th-best in a country that generally likes their governors, although Mills was still a reasonably polarizing figure in the national context. Her 39 percent disapproval rating was higher than any of the nation's 24 most popular governors and on par with that of the least popular governor.
◉ Mills fell into the low 50s during her race against former Gov. Paul LePage last year, but these figures put her back at a high-water mark that she last saw in 2021. Republicans are upset with her over a major abortion-rights expansion and Democrats are frustrated with her stonewalling of certain progressive priorities, but she seems to be a good spot with voters.
📢 Activists make a last-ditch attempt to pass their electioneering reform.
◉ Protect Maine Elections, the group leading a citizen-initiated bill that would bar foreign government-owned companies from spending in referendums here, will hold a Tuesday rally at the State House aimed at convincing legislators to override Mills' veto of their bill.
◉ That is unlikely given that the House only voted 73-53 to pass the measure in an earlier vote, far short of the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to pass the bill over the governor's objections. Those votes come Tuesday.
◉ The stakes are not all that high here, since the bill simply goes to the November ballot if lawmakers fail to enact it themselves. But skipping that step will save proponents the cost of a campaign. |
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