LePage Calls on Democratic State Lawmaker to Resign

Republican leaders in Augusta, including Gov. Paul LePage, are calling for Democratic state Rep. Ryan Tipping of Orono to step down as co-chairman of the Taxation Committee, citing his connection to a referendum campaign committee. Tipping rejects the criticism as politically motivated, and is refusing to step down.

Last year Tipping was paid about $9,000 by Citizens Who Support Maine’s Public Schools to work on the campaign to pass Question 2. That was the citizen initiative that placed a 3 percent surtax on income over $200,000 in order to increase school funding.

In a news release, the state Republican Party charged that Tipping has a conflict of interest in continuing as co-chair of the Taxation Committee, which is considering legislation to repeal the tax hike. LePage, appearing on Bangor radio station WVOM, went further and called for Tipping to resign from the committee.

“You are turning your back on the constituents you are supposed to serve and you know, like everybody else, he has constituents that are struggling on fixed incomes and here he is enriching himself from the teacher’s union. Shame on him,” he says.

Read more: http://mainepublic.org/post/lepage-calls-democratic-state-lawmaker-resign