Brewer quoted in AP report on end of Maine government shutdown
The Associated Press spoke with Mark Brewer, a political science professor at the University of Maine, for the article, “Maine government shutdown ends with signing of $7.1B budget.” Gov. Paul LePage succeeded in eliminating a lodging tax increase from the two-year budget in an agreement that ended a three-day state government shutdown, according to the article. House Republicans held out for the elimination of a 1.5 percent increase in the state lodging tax, while Democrats were pleased that additional funding was added to the Head Start and Clean Election programs, the article states. Brewer said that for someone who touts himself as an outsider, the governor has proven himself to be a shrewd politician. “He’s a pretty skilled operator,” Brewer said. “He found himself in a situation with a huge about of leverage and he used it.” U.S. News & World Report and The Sacramento Bee carried the AP report.