Maine Gov. Paul LePage Tells Big LGBT Hate Machine "Kiss My Butt", Successfully Vetoes Therapy Ban Bill

Maine Governor Paul LePage has been a Godsend for New England and the conservative movement as a whole. He was never supposed to be governor, since Maine has been a center-left state for over thirty years. The last time the state went Republican was in 1988, and since then the state has gone Democratic.

President Trump helped break down the Big Blue Wall holding the Pine Tree State captive. The state has a Congressional apportionment system for its Electoral College members, and Donald Trump won the majority of the vote in Congressional District Two.

Beyond that, LePage's conservative legacy has helped protect religious liberties, ensure economic growth, enforce all borders, pass comprehensive welfare reforms, and even constitutional carry was enacted. It's been nothing short of a conservative miracle in a state which no Republican had been competitive.

LePage has stood strong against the spendthrift legislature, and even though they have successfully overridden a number of his vetoes, his rejection of LD 912, which would have banned reparative therapy for minors, did not get overridden.

This is a huge victory for the pro-family movement.

There are currently 13 states which have banned conversion therapy for minors:

What's worse, in many of these states, Republican governors signed off on this legislation!

And the LGBT Movement is looking to make Maine and Massachusetts the next two states to carry on with this perversion.

But Maine's Governor Paul LePage was not just the First Republican, but the first governor period to slam this policy and veto the legislation.

This is a big deal. We are finally seeing some leadership in the country which is standing up for truth, morality, and biology.

The Washington Blade lamented:

Maine Gov. Paul LePage vetoed legislation on Friday that would’ve banned widely discredited “ex-gay” conversion therapy for youth in his state, making him the first governor ever in the United States — Democratic or Republican — to veto such a measure.

LGBT rights supporters resoundingly criticized the veto of LD 912 by LePage, a Tea Party politician who was once dubbed by Politico as “American craziest governor.” Fourteen states and D.C. have enacted similar measures.

Not fourteen. Where's the evidence for this? It's 13 as of press time. Perhaps the Blade thinks that Marx-achusetts will go along with this corrupt policy, too. Time will tell.

Here's part of Governor LePage's veto:

"I am vetoing LD 912 because it is bad public policy," he explained bluntly. Among other things, he rejects the idea that professionals like counselors need to be regulated beyond what they already are through their licensing requirements. Like people on both sides, he agrees that people shouldn't be abused in any way if they've "experienced sexual or romantic attraction toward an individual of the same gender." But, he goes on, as this bill is written, even a simple conversation with a therapist could be called into question.

"This so broad that licensed would be prohibited from counseling an individual even at the individual's own request. We should not prohibit professionals from counseling an individual even at the individual's own request. We should not prohibit professionals from providing their expertise to those who seek it for their own personal and basic questions such as, 'How do I deal with these feelings I am experiencing?'"

BAM!

This is the kind of courage we need to see in all levels of Government.

This is a huge setback for the LGBT Hate machine and another victory for life and the well-being of children.

Voter Integrity Under Attack in Maine: Rank-Choice Voting Risks

The State Supreme Court of Maine struck down the rank-choice voting initiative last year.

Now proponents of the program are pushing for another vote through the initiative process. This is crazy.

All we are seeing is Democratic Party desperation to ruin the vote and gain political power. The Democratic Party has to resort to tricks, traps, and outright voter fraud to win elections nowadays.

Let's hope that the citizens of Maine stand up to this rank-choice voting scheme and the Secretary of State pushes back on this last minute assault on the voter franchise.

Friends, With Secretary of State Matt Dunlap announcing that ranked-choice voting supporters have enough certified signatures to continue pushing the issue in the June primary, we have deep concerns. Considering that today is March 9th, we are just over 3 months away from Election Day, and implementing this complicated and confusing system could be a nightmare. Our top concern right now is the security of Maine's elections. You see, all election systems and equipment, etc. have been declared critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security after hackers attempted to compromise the systems of 21 different states in the last election cycle. Secretary of State Dunlap himself said that Maine was 'insulated' from these attacks because our system of voting and counting ballots is so decentralized, with election workers counting ballots and reporting in each town or precinct in the state and the Secretary of State's office just tabulating the results. At the same time Secretary Dunlap told us that Maine's elections were safe from hackers, he said that the only piece of Maine's election system that is vulnerable is our voter file, because it is stored in a single, centralized location. But ranked choice voting will require a single, centralized counting process – it will literally require us to move the entire process of counting our ballots into the same type of security vulnerability Secretary of State Dunlap has identified for the voter file. This is a big problem. HUGE. Aside from all the other arguments against ranked-choice voting being complicated, discouraging participation and violating the Constitution of the State of Maine, we need to make sure that our system is secure. We are not sure three months is enough time for Secretary Dunlap to do it. Does anyone want Maine's ballot counting process becoming a target of hackers from foreign governments? We don't, and if Democrats flip-flop on us now to say that they are not worried about hackers from hostile states instead of making sure our system is secure, they are violating the public trust in epic fashion. We'll remind you, if this system is allowed to stay in place, it will be used in the next Presidential election as well. Do we really want to fudge our way through this? There is too much at stake, and we are watching. We encourage you to take action. You can start right now by sharing this on social media. TO SHARE THIS ON FACEBOOK CLICK HERE TO SHARE THIS ON TWITTER CLICK HERE Sincerely, Jason Savage Executive Director Maine Republican Party To view this message on our website, click here. P.S. Here are two links to help you learn more: U.S. Dept of Homeland Security written testimony from June 21, 2017 concerning Russian cyber actors targeting state election infrastructure Secretary of State Matt Dunlap stating that the decentralized nature of Maine elections protects Maine from hackers, but also says that the state voter file, stored in one location, is the only vulnerability

Maine GOP Survives Baseless Ethics Swipe from Maine Democratic Party

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: February 22, 2018 Contact: Garrett Murch, garrettmurch@mainegop.com   Maine GOP Chair and Executive Director Statements on Maine Ethics Commission Finding AUGUSTA—Today, Maine Republican Party Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas and Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage issued the following statements following the Maine Ethics Commission dismissal of the Maine Democratic Party's complaint against the Maine GOP: Dr. Demi Kouzounas "The Maine Ethics Commission proved its integrity today, dismissing baseless accusations. From the beginning, we told the people of Maine this charge was without merit, and today we were vindicated." Jason Savage "Freedom of speech is still alive in Maine. The Maine Republican Party will continue to fight for candidates who will make Maine a better place to work, live, and raise a family."

Maine GOP | 9 Higgins Street, Augusta, ME 04330 Unsubscribe arthurschaper@hotmail.com Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by garrettmurch@mainegop.com

Maine GOP: Governor LePage's Working Legacy, and More

Maine GOP Presents: News You Can Trust Here is a quick round-up of some key news items.  At the Maine GOP we plan on providing you with a periodic update of key articles and opinions from around the state on topics that matter to you.  If you are aware of a news article or event that should be included here, please email garrettmurch@mainegop.com with the link and information. News You Can Trust Video Edition Top Maine and National News Democrat hypocrisy on Republican tax cuts In an op-ed this week in The Hill, Alfredo Ortiz highlighted some of the hypocrisy of the congressional Democrats on there opposition to tax reform. Ortiz noted: According to the Tax Policy Center, the average earner will receive about $135 more a month, and more if they have kids... The latest jobs reports suggests that tax cuts have contributed to the current tight labor market that is generating the fastest average wage growth in nearly a decade... A new nationwide poll of small business owners conducted by the Job Creators Network finds that small businesses favor the tax cuts by a 10 to one margin. Have Democrats apologized for their misguided tax reform fear-mongering? No. In fact, they’ve doubled down on it, promising to repeal them, which would raise taxes on millions of ordinary Americans, if they retake Congress this fall. While Maine newspapers re-publish selected Washington Post, Associated Press, and other national news items all the time, they did not re-publish this one. You can read it here, though! Governor LePage’s State of the State Address This Tuesday, Governor LePage delivered his final State of the State speech. Our Governor discussed his tax cuts, welfare reforms, and elimination of harmful regulations, among other policy achievements. He also reiterated that he won’t expand Medicaid unless the legislature comes up with the money to pay for it. He also discussed policies he is pushing this year to help those in need, use taxpayer money wisely, and continue improving Maine’s economy. Thank you, Governor, you will be dearly missed. But fortunately the Maine GOP has several strong candidates running for Governor to carry on your legacy. YOU CAN WATCH OUR GOVERNOR'S FULL SPEECH HERE Congressman Poliquin Applauds New Timber Production Facility We learned this week there will be a new timber production facility in Millinocket that could create more than 100 new jobs. Congressman Poliquin praised the announcement, stating: Maine’s working forests provide for tens of thousands of jobs across our State and are a key part of Maine’s economy. I have met with numerous forest products groups to discuss cross-laminated timber and how this technology could greatly help our State’s forest products industry. I am thrilled to hear today’s announcement and am grateful Maine’s sustainable working forests will continue to provide for many more jobs in our State in the coming years. LePage Legacy on Welfare Reform One of Governor LePage’s greatestt accomplishments has been welfare reform. Since he took office, the number of jobs has increased dramatically more as the of working-age adults on welfare has shrunk. Mainers of nearly all political stripes value work. Deep down we all know we must prioritize taxpayer-funded welfare dollars on people in desperate need, while moving all of our able-bodied to become self-sufficient and even prosperous. ‌

Maine GOP: Closing the Registration Gap in ME-2

This is great news. This is the kind of development I wish I could read more about it California. The Maine Republican Party is fighting hard for their Congressman Bruce Poliquin.

He was elected in a political upset in 2014, the first Republican Congressman out of the Pine Street in nearly 20 years! The momentum initiated by Governor Paul LePage is working its way throughout the state, turning cities, county boards, and even the state legislature from blue to purple.

And now to red.

Poliquin was a #1 target in 2016, but his district stayed red, and even Trump won an electoral vote, the first time in the state's history in which the electoral college tally was split: three votes for Hillary Clinton, one vote for Donald Trump!

President Trump and Bruce Poliquin's attention to working-class, rural voters has worked for the Republican Party all across the country. Attention to the needs of Middle America is exactly what Republicans of all backgrounds need to focus on. The Democratic Party kicked their working and middle-income voter base in teeth and capitulated to identity politics and academic progressivism.

How has that worked out for them?

Anyway, this eblast/press release from the Maine GOP is welcome news indeed!

REPUBLICANS CLOSE VOTER REGISTRATION GAP IN MAINE'S SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Today, the Maine Republican Party is announcing that, over the past six years, it has closed its voter registration deficit with Democrats in Maine's Second Congressional District to nearly nothing. According to the Maine Secretary of State website, in 2012 there were 6,680 fewer registered Republicans than Democrats in Maine's Second Congressional District. Since then, Maine Republicans have reduced the Democratic advantage by 6,400 registered voters in Maine's northern Congressional District, bringing it just about to even balance. The Democrat voter registration advantage has shrunk to just 239 people. The only Congressional Republican in New England, Bruce Poliquin, hails from this district, which has also voted for President Donald Trump, Governor Paul LePage, and Senator Susan Collins in recent elections. Following this revelation, Maine Republican Party Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas made the following statement: "This is further evidence voters in Maine are moving toward Republicans. To go from a massive voter registration deficit to basically even with Democrats in just six years would seem mind-blowing except for the fact we had faith that what we've been working on is right, and now we are seeing Maine people agree. This is what happens when urban liberal elites hijack the Democrat Party and leave Maine people behind. Maine Democrat politicians are out of touch with most Maine voters.  Our top priority in the Maine GOP is being in touch with Maine people--we are Mainers even before we are Republicans, after all. We care about reversing rising taxes, healthcare costs, electricity costs, education costs, and the costs of not promoting work--real life matters that can make it easier to get by here in the land we love. This again reveals that our message is resonating; we care about Maine and the people who live and stay in our great state, and we care about their success. We will continue to prove that outside elitists will not dictate who we are." Garrett Murch Communications & Political Director Maine Republican Party

Maine GOP: Medicaid for the Neediest Only

Governor LePage has long made the case for the federal government allowing states more flexibility in administering their Medicaid programs. Recently in the Washington Post, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made the same case.

I think you will appreciate this one. When you have the time, I hope you will read it!

-Garrett

Making Medicaid a pathway out of poverty

By Seema Verma 

Americans are among the most generous people in the world. While this nation was founded on the pursuit of a shared dream, the moral pledge of the American people has been to never leave behind our most vulnerable fellow citizens.

When we created Medicaid in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, we formalized that commitment and wove a fabric of care that has provided health services for seniors in need, pregnant mothers, low-income children and parents, and people with disabilities. Johnson affirmed the nation’s safety net, saying, “Our aim is not only to relieve the symptoms of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it.”

Prior to passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Medicaid program focused on caring for seniors in need, pregnant mothers, children and Americans with disabilities. But in 2010, the ACA fundamentally changed Medicaid by shifting predominantly low-income adults — often without children, healthy and working-age — into a program that wasn’t designed for them.

Our nation should always give our utmost attention and care for Americans most in need. As such, we must allow states, who know the unique needs of their citizens, to design programs that don’t merely provide a Medicaid card but provide care that allows people to rise out of poverty and no longer need public assistance. As Ronald Reagan once put it, the aim of a government program for the poor “should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.” 

Our aim is to restore a strong state-federal relationship while also modernizing the program to deliver better outcomes for all the populations served. The first step is to recognize that Washington does not know what is best for states. To the contrary, we should empower states to work with their communities, providers and citizens to design innovative programs that meets their diverse needs, while holding them accountable for achieving positive outcomes.

Prior to the Trump administration, many states had been clamoring for the flexibility to add work and community-engagement incentives for able-bodied, working-age Medicaid beneficiaries, a group substantially expanded by the ACA. The compassionate nature of these states encouraged the creativity to design a system to help the new able-bodied, working-age Medicaid population unlock their fullest potential. Despite the evidence demonstrating that work and community engagement can have a major positive impact on health and wellness, the previous administration rejected these requests.

We believe that if Medicaid is going to be used as the vehicle to offer substantial taxpayer benefits to healthy, working-age Americans, then we must allow the program to be more flexible. We recognize that states are closer to the people they serve and can better help recipients rise out of poverty.

Today, 11 states represented by governors of both major political parties have submitted proposals to implement work and community-engagement requirements for their non-disabled, working-age populations. We applaud their efforts to strengthen the Medicaid program and are supportive of testing approaches to end poverty and improve outcomes.

The guidance we released last month intends to help states as they develop and evaluate their programs. It provides for state flexibility but also details the necessary protections states must include for people with disabilities or other health issues that may prevent them from participating in a community-engagement requirement, including those with opioid addiction and other substance-use disorders. Our guidance also requires states to address local economic conditions that may impact an individual’s ability to find work. 

This administration anticipated that this stance would be met with criticism from those who espouse that requiring community engagement as a condition of federal support is a barrier to care. It is unfortunate that some automatically assume that low-income Americans are incapable of contributing to their communities, especially when many of them already do or want to do so. It is even more shameful that they would dress up this unflattering view of their fellow citizens in the guise of compassion.

True compassion is lifting Americans most in need out of difficult circumstances. The new flexibility requested by states will allow them to partner with us to help program beneficiaries live healthy, fulfilling lives as independently as possible. This administration stands for a policy that makes Medicaid a path out of poverty by empowering states to tailor programs that meet the unique needs of their citizens. We owe it to these Americans to try whatever may help them achieve the dignity and self-sufficiency they deserve.

Seema Verma is administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Maine GOP: News You Can Trust, Feb. 2nd, 2018 Edition

Maine GOP Presents: News You Can Trust Here is a quick round-up of some key news items.  At the Maine GOP we plan on providing you with a periodic update of key articles and opinions from around the state on topics that matter to you.  If you are aware of a news article or event that should be included here, please email garrettmurch@mainegop.com with the link and information. News You Can Trust Video Edition Top Maine and National News The State of our union is strong On Tuesday, our President delivered his State of the Union speech, laying out his vision for the country. Following the President’s speech, Maine GOP Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas had this to say: Tonight we heard great news from the President on Maine's and America's future. Our economy is in a major upswing, with unemployment at a 17-year low and wages rising after decades of stagnation. Paychecks are growing even more due to tax cuts for working people and small businesses that Senator Collins and Congressman Poliquin played crucial roles in fine-tuning. Unfair trade practices that have particularly hurt Maine are finally being addressed instead of being ignored. Our military is being rebuilt to give us peace through strength. And for the first time in a decade, we are getting back to a 'new normal' of hope and prosperity for the future. Our ship of state is now heading back in the right direction. Congressman Bruce Poliquin also commended the President for his speech, stating: Tonight, the President reminded lawmakers of both parties that Americans want a government that works. Lawmakers serve not as Republicans or Democrats, but as representatives of the American People. We need to work together—Democrats and Republicans—to solve the most serious challenges our Nation faces...I am as determined as ever to work across the aisle to protect Seniors’ earned Social Security benefits, grow Maine jobs, fight illegal trade, stand up for our Veterans, combat the opioid epidemic, and work every day for our Maine families. Economy grows and wages go up... AGAIN The economy grew 200,000 jobs and wages went up in January, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. From Politico: Job growth accelerated in January, the government reported Friday, giving President Donald Trump a boost following his State of the Union Address. The Labor Department reported that the economy added 200,000 new jobs, up from 160,000 in December... The numbers also lend credence to Trump's claim during his address Tuesday that wages are beginning to rise under his leadership after months of stagnation with the economy nearing full employment. Wages in January rose to 2.9 percent over the previous year, compared to 2.7 percent in December, the largest year-over-year wage increase since June, 2009. Poliquin bill to prevent & combat fraud against seniors passes the House Congressman Bruce Poliquin’s Senior Safe Act—a bipartisan bill to help identify, report, and stop financial abuse of Seniors passed the U.S. House of Representatives this week, moving one step closer to becoming law. Recent studies estimate nearly 20% of American seniors may be a target of financial fraud or abuse. Even when financial institutions suspect abuse, the abuse may go unpunished. This occurs because current laws lack the necessary flexibility to allow financial institutions to report suspected abuse to authorities. Congressman Poliquin’s Senior Safe Act encourages individuals and financial institutions to report suspected instances of fraud and elder financial abuse. It also incentivizes firms to train employees to identify and stop financial fraud, helps law enforcement track down financial criminals who target seniors by enabling banks, credit unions, investment advisors, broker-dealers, and other financial service providers to better communicate with appropriate agencies when they suspect financial exploitation of Seniors. Poliquin votes to give pay raise to service members Congressman Poliquin is once again standing up for our service men and women who fight everyday to keep us safe. This time he’s doing so by supporting the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2018, a funding measure that will give American troops a 2.4% pay raise The funding measure will allot a total of $659.2 billion dollars for a full year of funding for the Department of Defense, which helps restore readiness shortfalls and invests in our troops by ensuring they’re properly trained and have the equipment they need to address ongoing threats. Congressman Poliquin had this to say regarding his support of the bill: This is all about keeping America safe and supporting our men and women in uniform who sacrifice to defend her... We must always ensure that our Armed Forces worldwide have the support and capabilities they need to defend America. Congressman Poliquin deserves a huge thank you. He has earned the reputation of being one of the most hard-working members of Congress, fighting every day for our elderly, our veterans, and all of us. Janet Mills endorsed by extreme pro-abortion group Yesterday, Maine Attorney General and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills was endorsed by one of the largest national groups promoting abortions, EMILY's List. In response, Maine GOP Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas had this to say: We all know abortion is no laughing matter. But apparently Janet Mills didn't get the memo. Speaking to a crowd of Democrats in 2014, Mills made the following attempt at humor at our Governor's expense, stating: 'I heard Paul LePage say he's dead set against abortion because he was one of eighteen children after all.'   YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Demi continued: What did [Mills] even mean? Maybe you can help us figure it out.    Janet Mills' bizarre comment was followed by applause and many cackles from the crowd. That is sad.    This is what we are up against--people who do not even take the issue of abortion seriously.    Regardless of where one stands on the issue, most people on both sides of it take it very seriously. Even Mainers who are pro-choice thoughtfully believe abortion should be rare, not something to celebrate and joke about.   Whether you, your family, and your friends want Maine's next Governor to be someone who makes jokes about abortion (even bad ones), is something we hope you will consider and encourage others to consider as well. It's caucus season! The New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl this Sunday and the Red Sox will be starting up again soon, but did you know it is also caucus season? Caucuses give Maine Republicans the opportunity to gather, hear from candidates, make plans for the 2018 Republican State Convention, and organize for upcoming elections. While Maine law requires that every political party hold caucuses, Republican Party rules require that caucuses be held so that Republicans can participate at the State Convention and, if necessary, select replacement candidates. Will you be participating in your local caucus? We hope so. For more information, please go to http://www.mainegop.com/caucus.html.