Brewer quoted in MPBN report on LePage not naming board members
Mark Brewer, a political science professor at the University of Maine, spoke with the Maine Public Broadcasting Network for the report, “LePage not naming board members, vows to bypass legislature through citizen initiatives.” Gov. Paul LePage said he has decided not to nominate any candidates to fill empty positions on state boards and commissions, citing ongoing tensions between the Legislature and the executive branch, according to the report. Brewer said if LePage doesn’t name replacements, it won’t be long before Mainers will be affected by boards and commissions that can’t approve deals, issue licenses or adjudicate disputes, the report states. “Eventually that is going to be a problem for not only the functioning of Maine government, the executive branch in particular, but the government as a whole,” Brewer said. “Eventually that will trickle down to the average Mainer. So really this is really an important matter that should be getting people’s attention.”