**Maine GOP calls on Gideon to take responsibility for budget crisis**

AUGUSTA - The Maine Republican Party is calling out Speaker Sara
Gideon for her complete absence in speaking out on key issues impacting
Mainers in recent weeks. After passing a rushed package of legislation
to "deal" with coronavirus, Gideon left Augusta, hit the campaign trail
and has not looked back.

Now, Maine faces the largest budget shortfall in 30 years due to the
massive spending spree Speaker Gideon shepherded through the Maine House
of Representatives. Two former governors say in a new article from the
Portland Press Herald
,

**"The revenue shortfall soon to unfold in Maine will be unlike any the
state has ever seen, including the Great Recession of 2008 to 2010 and
the decline of the economy following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks."**

Where's Sara Gideon?

On the campaign trail, running attack ads and pretending to be a hero.

Here's the reality: Sara Gideon pushed through a spending package last
year that has put Maine on track for the worst budget crisis in three
decades or more.

Now she is staying as far away from Augusta as she can.

Let's be clear, many of us were warning Gov. Mills, Speaker Gideon and
anyone who would listen that Maine would not be able to sustain their
blockbuster spending spree. The shortfalls that are coming may be larger
than predicted, but shortfalls were predictable.

Instead of setting aside more money in our rainy day fund, Speaker
Gideon pushed for taxpayer funded abortions, twice voted to provide
welfare for non-citizens and whole lot of other spending increases.

"It's time for Sara Gideon to take ownership of the crisis that she
helped create in Augusta," said Maine GOP Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas.
"Sara's spending spree is about to have catastrophic effects in
Maine's budget and people. Core services are being threatened every
day the state continues on the massive spending spree Sara Gideon, Janet
Mills and Troy Jackson pushed us into."

Because of the state budget's fiscal year calendar, the Maine
Republican Party is cautioning Mainers that Gideon, Mills and others may
try to apply a band-aid this year and get back on the campaign trail.

From the Portland Press Herald:

**"But all 186 seats are up for election in November, meaning much of
the heavy financial lifting in response to the COVID-19 recession will
be left to the next Legislature."**

Speaker Gideon, Governor Mills and Senate President Troy Jackson must
not push off bringing Maine's state budget in line with revenues until
next year.

"Pushing this off to future lawmakers would be unconscionable and worsen
the crisis by an order of magnitude," said Dr. Kouzounas. "Sara Gideon
and her allies need to come back and fix this state budget, avoid
raising taxes during a recession and bring spending in line with what we
can afford."

Waiting until January of 2021 to begin fixing the second year of the
state budget would put Maine about halfway through the fiscal year
before we could begin addressing problems.

"Speaker Gideon's irresponsible spending and leadership drove Maine
into this financial ditch," concluded Dr. Kouzounas. "She owes it to
Maine to come back and deal with the

**financial crisis she helped create."**

****BACKGROUND****

**More than 100,000 Mainers** are currently collecting unemployment due
to layoffs as a result of COVID-19 stay home orders and other factors.
This will severely impact Maine's tax revenue going forward.

Moody's projects Maine's budget shortfall and fiscal impact could be

**as high as $1.1 billion, that is more than 20% of the state budget.**

A study from Oxford Economics says

**Maine has the most vulnerable economy** in the nation right now.

Officials say major travel reductions are going to dramatically

**reduce revenue from gas tax.**

Sales and income tax revenue is also

**projected to take a major drop.**
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