Cynical Procedural Maneuver Kills Child Welfare Reform Legislation Aimed at Protecting Children

Augusta- Just when you think Democrats cannot go any lower, they do. Rather than pass a bipartisan child welfare reform bill to protect children, House Democrat leadership moved to adjourn the House before their work was done. Then, after a rare bipartisan procedural vote against adjourning, Speaker Ryan Fecteau left the Chamber saying he would be back 6 hours later.

What followed was another carefully crafted, cynical procedural vote in the Senate. After backing LD 127 22-9 earlier in the day, a majority of Senate Democrats voted to adjourn Sine Die, or without day, ending the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature before the House could come back. The move effectively killed bipartisan legislation aimed at allowing the Government Oversight Committee to enter executive session so they could review confidential materials and ensure that the Department of Human Services is held accountable.

LD 127, "An Act to Strengthen Legislative Oversight of Government Agencies and Programs by Reaffirming the Legislature's Access to Confidential Records," received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate earlier this month and again this morning indicating it was on course for enactment. Recognizing this legislation was likely to pass, House and Senate Democrat leaders shut down the legislature after the bill was on track to pass with bipartisan support.

"This is just another example of why Democrats are unfit to continue leading Maine," said House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham. "150 children with DHHS involvement have died in the past five years. After a bipartisan 22-9 vote to help address the serious problem of child deaths, Senate Democrats showed they weren't serious by voting 16-12 to end the session before the bill could pass."

"This is yet another reason people lose faith in elected leaders," said assistant House Republican Leader Katrina Smith. "Rather than stay and do the job they were elected to do, Democrat Leaders chose to shield Governor Mills and her failed child protection policies from scrutiny. How many more children have to die before the people running our state take action?"

###