Having trouble viewing this email?? [ [link removed] ]View it as a Web page [ [link removed] ].




Radio Address


WATCH HERE: Video Link to Republican Response [ [link removed] ]



*Legislative Republicans Official Response to State of the Budget Address - Delivered Feb. 14, 2023*

*STATE HOUSE*?? Senate and House Republican Leaders delivered the Republican response to the State of the Budget address delivered by Governor Janet?Mills during the Legislature's?Joint Convention last night in the House of Representatives at the Maine State House.

The leaders, Senate Republican Leader Harold "Trey" Stewart, R-Aroostook, and House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, emphasized that the budget is a billion dollars too high and exceeds a statutory limit contained in state law designed to prevent state government from spending beyond its means.

Both Leaders?pledged to work with the Governor and Democrats to address pressing needs, including?roads, bridges, schools, nursing homes?and Maine?s social safety net. Republican leaders also called for tax cuts as a solution to avoid violating Maine law, which caps general fund appropriations once certain benchmarks have been reached including the state's?55% share of?education funding.

*TRANSCRIPT OF RESPONSE BY REPUBLICAN LEADERS:*

*[Sen. Trey Stewart, R-Aroostook]* Good evening, I am Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart of Aroostook County.

*[Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor]* And I am House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham of Winter Harbor. It?s our pleasure to join you this Valentine?s Day for the Republican Response to Governor Mills? State of the Budget Address.

*[BBF]* I?m a lobsterman from Winter Harbor, which is about 2 and half hours east of Augusta. So when I make the trip, I do so hoping that we are going to get something done working together to do great things for the people of Maine.

Here's what worries me: There are too many people down here who think that doing great things means spending more money ? a lot MORE money. Even if it means breaking a promise made to the people of Maine a few years back that we won?t spend beyond our means.

In fact, Democrats and Republicans agreed that when more money arrives in Augusta than we planned on, we would cut taxes. Period.

That is missing from this budget and we have returned to the bad old days where if you send it, the politicians will spend it. That?s not right.

*[TS] *I agree, Representative Faulkingham. The Governor?s budget is another episode of spending gone wild. In fact, this spending bill is what?s wrong with government. It puts the government first and the taxpayers last.

Think about this: While the folks where I?m from in Aroostook County struggle to pay their electric bill, cut costs at the grocery store and wonder how they will pay their property taxes or the IRS, the Governor and her minions dream of new ways to spend more of your money.

The goal for this budget should be clear ? Maine must be a place where Maine people can afford to live, work, raise a family and retire. And this budget moves us in the wrong direction for that dream.

*[BBF] *Let me follow up on something Senator Stewart just said.?


* The burden on Maine families is real.
* The 165% increase in electricity costs is real.
* 6 dollars for a dozen of eggs is real.
* Inflation is real.

But what?s unreal to me is that this budget ignores that reality.

Are there things in this budget that are important and worthy?? Of course there are and we will 100 percent support things like nursing home funding, money for the disabled, schools, roads, bridges and a safety net for Mainers in need.

But this budget goes far beyond our ability to pay for it and we are headed down a dangerous road of dependency that will burden our children and grandchildren with debt and disastrous choices when we face the next economic downturn.

*[TS]* Okay, I think we talked enough about the doom and gloom. You sent us here to make things better, not talk about how bad things are. Here?s the good news ? things can get better and here?s how:

First, limit spending to the limits already set in the law.? That means this budget is about a billion dollars too high;

Second, return all the extra money to the taxpayers through tax cuts;

Third, build a budget that protects the safety net ? and eliminates the hammock.? There are far too many people in this state who should be going to work and paying taxes, but they don?t ? they sit at home. That needs to stop;

And finally, make Maine a place where you can live, work, raise a family and retire.

*[BBF] *There is a lot of work to be done to implement the 4-point plan Senator Stewart just laid out. But we can do it.

And I?ll promise you this: We will work with the Governor. We will work with the Democrats; and we will work with each other to do whatever we can to pass a budget that puts Mainers first.

*[TS] *Thank you for tuning in to the Republican Response. Now, lets get this done! May God bless you, your family, our great State of Maine and our country. We hope you have a great evening.

House Republicans took questions

House Republicans took questions from the press following the Republican Response

________________________________________________________________________

Sen. Stewart
Senator Harold ?Trey? Stewart III, Esq.

is the Senate Republican Leader and serving his second term in the Maine Senate representing the constituents of Senate District 2. The newly reapportioned district includes municipalities and unorganized territories of southern Aroostook County and northern Penobscot County.

Prior to his service in the Senate, he represented the people of District 147 for two terms in the Maine House of Representatives. While there, he was the Assistant House Republican Leader during the 129th Legislature.

Sen. Stewart is a 2012 graduate of Presque Isle High School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine in 2016 in Political Science and Sociology, the same year he was first elected to the House of Representatives. After completing his MBA during his first term in the Legislature, he has since graduated from the University of Maine School of Law and passed the state bar exam in the summer of 2022.

During his two terms in the Maine House, Sen. Stewart was the youngest member of the Maine Legislature ? a distinction he still holds today as the youngest member of the Senate. While in the House, he served on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, the Taxation Committee and the statewide Opioid Task Force.?During his first term in the Senate, he was the Senate Republican Lead for the Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee and the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.

Prior to his time in the Legislature, he worked in the Office of Congressman Bruce Poliquin and for the Aroostook Partnership and Northern Maine Development Commission.

In addition to his career and legislative service, Sen. Stewart is also a member of the Presque Isle Rotary Club, the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce and Trinity Masonic Lodge #130. He is also a board member for the Aroostook County Action Program; the Northern Maine Community College Foundation; University of Maine at Presque Isle?s visitors board; American Legislative Exchange Council; and National Conference of State Legislatures. He is also the Maine commissioner for the Northeast Forest Fire Protection Compact and previously served as a volunteer for the Presque Isle Fire Department for five years.

Sen. Stewart lives in Presque Isle. He spends his spare time traveling around Maine and the country, as well as reading, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing and at camp with friends and family.


________________________________________________________________________

Rep., Faulkingham
*House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham*

is serving his third term representing House District 12, which includes the towns of Franklin, Gouldsboro, Hancock, Steuben, Sorrento, Sullivan, and Winter Harbor. Prior to his election as Leader, Rep. Faulkingham served on the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources.

Rep. Faulkingham attended Southern Maine Technical College before serving three years as Lance Corporal Infantry Rifleman in the United States Marine Corps. Since he was a teenager, Billy Bob has been a commercial lobster fisherman in his hometown of Winter Harbor. That has been his occupation since his time in the Marines.

Billy Bob also serves his community as a member of the Winter Harbor Masonic Lodge and the Knights of Pythias Schoodic Lodge. He is very active in the protection of Maine?s heritage lobster fishing industry, and is a member of the Lobster Union Local 207, the Maine Lobsterman?s Association, and Downeast Lobsterman?s Association.

Billy Bob and his wife, Carrie, have three children; Robin, Carter, and Harper. Spending time with his family is his greatest joy in life.





State of Maine Seal [ [link removed] ]

*? Distributed by the House Republican Office?*
*? 2 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0002*
*? Office: (207) 287-1440*






________________________________________________________________________

STAY CONNECTED

Follow us on Twitter [ [link removed] ] Find us on Facebook [ [link removed] ]

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ [link removed] ]. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com [ [link removed] ].

This service is provided to you at no charge by Maine House Republican Office [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud, on behalf of: Maine House Republican Office ? Room 332, State House, 2 State House Station ? Augusta, ME 04333-0002 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]