PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 24, 2022
With just two weeks to go to Election Day, Gov. Janet Mills and Paul LePage clashed over pocketbook issues on Monday in the third debate of the governor’s race. LePage said Mills should have used $250 million of Maine’s budget surplus for heating aid instead of rebate check gimmickry. He also vowed to suspend diesel and gas taxes through the winter and roll back the state’s income tax. But LePage did not say how he would pay for these massive cuts. Mills said she has no control over international events that have rocked global markets. If reelected, Mills said she will work with the next Legislature to direct heating oil assistance to Mainers to get through this winter and continue work on Maine’s climate action plan to diversify energy sources. Maine is too reliant on fossil fuels, which is dangerous to its environment and Mainers’ wallets, she said.