LePage blames media for his decision to pull out of education commission

Source: Bangor Daily News

Gov. Paul LePage said Tuesday that he will withdraw the executive branch completely from participating in a commission aimed at reforming Maine’s public schools funding formula because he is “fed up” with media coverage of his statements and actions as governor.

“As of yesterday afternoon I have withdrawn the executive branch from that group,” LePage said Tuesday morning during his weekly appearance on WVOM radio. “We’ll provide them whatever data they need but the executive branch will no longer be participating, period.”

The commission, which was created in a bill that resulted from negotiations between the Legislature and the LePage administration, met for the first time Monday in an invite-only affair at the Blaine House. The closed-door meeting garnered widespread media coverage because Maine’s open meeting laws state clearly the commission meetings of any sort are supposed to be open to the public. The attorney general and Maine’s public access ombudsman, Brenda Kielty, agreed that Monday’s gathering violated the state’s open meeting law.

On Monday, LePage spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett said in a written statement that LePage had “offered to step back from the process.” She did not respond to a request from the BDN for clarification about what that statement meant. LePage said Tuesday that he has withdrawn himself and the Department of Education from any further work by the commission because he is treated unfairly.

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