AUGUSTA — Last week, the governor abandoned his State House office and decamped to the Blaine House to conduct business.
With his dispute with lawmakers over a television outside his office settled, Gov. Paul LePage has returned to his State House office to conduct business.
The governor was back at his desk Wednesday, nearly a week after he vacated it. The state’s Legislative Council, which is composed of leaders from both parties, had said the presence of the 46-inch Samsung TV on a rolling stand in the State House Hall of Flags violated rules of decorum. The TV displayed a message that gave the governor’s views on the proposed state budget and payment of a state debt to hospitals, but that was not at issue.
On Wednesday, the TV carried a new stream of messages, including “no new taxes” and quotes from Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan that are critical of high taxes. No complaints about the new TV’s location, behind glass over a door to the governor’s office, had been reported.
Last Thursday, LePage abandoned his office and decamped to the Blaine House to conduct business, complaining that Democrats were trying to censor him. With the TV’s new placement, the dispute appeared to have been resolved and LePage’s threat to be all moved out by July 1 was no longer in effect.
“Hopefully, we’ve resolved the censorship issue,” said LePage spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett.
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- Gov. Paul LePage reviews constituent letters after returning to his State House office in Augusta on Wednesda. LePage returned to his State House office nearly a week after he vacated it after a dispute over whether a television should be allowed in the hall outside his office.
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- Gov. Paul LePage and his TV are back inside the governor’s office in the State House.
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