The citizens of Maine have apparently rejected Governor Paul LePage's dubious categorization of public campaign financing.
By a 10 point margin, voters approved a measure to expand the Maine Clean Election Act.
Approved by voters in 1996, the Maine Clean Election Act allows candidates running for the Legislature or governor to receive public campaign financing in exchange for agreeing to forgo private donations. Question 1 will increase the total pool of money available to the Maine Clean Elections program and increase the potential disbursements to candidates while allowing them to collect additional $5 donations.
Governor Paul LePage recently decried the ballot initiative, saying the expansion of public campaign financing is like "giving your wife your checkbook."
LePage: "That's like giving my wife my checkbook. I'm telling you, it's giving your wife your checkbook. Go spend."
I honestly wasn't sure if voters would agree or disagree with the governor. After all they did reelect him and that's enough to give me pause.