House rejects proposal to raise governor’s salary

AUGUSTA – Almost from the beginning, a bill designed to increase the governor’s salary stood little chance of clearing the Maine House if for no other reason than sitting Gov. John E. Baldacci had vowed to veto the legislation. By the time an amendment was added to include legislators and constitutional officers, LD 1908 could be almost guaranteed to be dead on arrival when it hit the floor Wednesday for debate.

When the dust settled, the state representatives agreed it was a bill that should not pass in a lopsided 123-17 vote. The bill now proceeds to the Senate where it is expected to meet a similar fate.

Rep. Gary Moore, R-Standish, sponsored the bill – which would not have been implemented until 2011 – to raise the governor’s current salary of $70,000. His original legislation would have increased the governor’s pay to $220,000, but the Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee lowered it to $150,000 and then reduced it again to $102,000.

And before that could be voted on, an amendment was offered to create a commission to review not only the governor’s salary, but the salaries of lawmakers and constitutional officers like the secretary of state and the attorney general as well.

Moore was beyond incensed.

“The amendment that has been attached to the governor’s pay raise bill is totally unnecessary,” he said during debate. “I would suggest creating a commission is totally unnecessary. It’s expensive and it takes the responsibility away from the legislative committee that did such a fine job crafting a solution to this problem. It also provides the opportunity for legislative pay increases and that was never my intention. It muddies the water and it’s inappropriate.”

The amendment was defeated 76-64 before the House went on to reject the entire the proposal.