During Paul LePage’s 2014 reelection campaign for Governor of Maine, he established himself as one of the most vehement and ugly anti-immigrant candidates in the country, which was no small feat. He aimed his ire at aslyum seekers, who are among the most vulnerable immigrants.
Both Houses of the Maine Legislature, the Democratically-controlled House and the GOP-led Senate passed a bill to allow asylum seekers to obtain general assistance. LePage vowed to veto it.
But, LePage, who has been garnering negative headlines for a wide-range of controversies, screwed up with his veto, meaning the legislation will become law without his signature:
About 20 bills, some of which Gov. Paul LePage opposed, appear to be on track to become law because the governor never took action on them within the 10 days he had to do so.
Among the bills are one that would allow immigrants seeking asylum in the United States to receive General Assistance welfare benefits for two years, and others that would prohibit the shackling of pregnant women prisoners and reduce criminal penalties for certain drug crimes. All were once opposed by the LePage administration but never vetoed within the 10-day period after passage by the Legislature.
Poetic justice, we believe this is called.
