Gov. Janet Mills speaks at a dedication of the Picker House Lofts in the Continental Mill in Lewiston in March. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Gov. Janet Mills is urging Maine people not to support a proposed referendum to veto the state budget and warned that the petition drive itself could lead to a government shutdown, even if voters eventually reject the effort.

Republicans disagree that collecting the signatures would force a government shutdown, saying it could be averted if Democrats work with them on a new budget bill.

“There are serious negotiations that have to go on between the two sides,” said Rep. Gary Drinkwater, R-Milford, the leader of the people’s veto effort. “This is another tool in the toolbox to put the two sides together and say, ‘Let’s get serious about this.'”

He and five other current and former Republican lawmakers submitted paperwork last month to initiate a people’s veto referendum to block implementation of the two-year $11.3 billion state budget Mills signed into law on March 21.

The push for a referendum came after efforts to compromise on a supplemental budget fell apart and Democrats moved to pass a baseline two-year budget without any Republican support.

Petition organizers have until June 18 to hand in 67,682 signatures from registered Maine voters in order to get the question on the November ballot. Doing so, according to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, would automatically halt implementation of the budget, which is scheduled to take effect at the end of June to keep the government operating into the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Then, if Bellows certifies the question for the ballot, the budget would remain paused until voters have their say in November.

DEMOCRATS SAY SHUTDOWN WOULD ENSUE

Democrats, including Mills, said the veto effort could lead to a government shutdown even if it doesn’t pass.

“Even if the question does not pass, its mere qualification for the ballot would result in a monthslong complete shutdown of state government that would have devastating impacts on Maine people,” Mills said in a written statement Wednesday. “It would risk closure of Maine schools, hospitals, nursing homes, public colleges and universities, municipal offices, and bring road construction projects to a halt.” 

“I urge Maine people to not sign the petition for this initiative, and avoid the serious consequences it would cause,” she added.

A spokesperson for the governor said her administration is still evaluating the full implications if the budget were to be suspended, but if it is, the next opportunity to pass a budget wouldn’t be until November, pending the results of the election.

A spokesperson for House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, also said Wednesday that if enough signatures are gathered, a state government shutdown would begin July 1 and last at least until Election Day.

Democrats have said the budget that passed last month will ensure baseline government operations can continue into the next fiscal year as lawmakers take up additional, ongoing budget work to address shortfalls and policy proposals. Republicans have criticized it as unbalanced because it doesn’t include funding for over $100 million in projected increases in MaineCare costs.

“The budget provides property tax relief. The budget funds education,” Fecteau said in a written statement. “The budget ensures Maine children, families and seniors can access health care. I think Maine people agree that none of those things should be vetoed. Unlike the politics in D.C., we don’t need this sort of chaos and uncertainty here in Maine.”

REPUBLICANS SAY SHUTDOWN CAN BE AVOIDED

Drinkwater said a shutdown is not his intent, and that the aim of the people’s veto effort is to bring the two sides back to negotiations. He said they could come up with a new budget before the start of the fiscal year on July 1, thus averting a shutdown.

House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, said he would sign the petition papers in support of the veto effort and that Democrats’ statements that it would lead to a government shutdown are a “false narrative.”

“There’s nothing in this that shuts the government down,” Faulkingham said. “All it does is repeal this particular budget bill that was passed.”

Rep. Gary Drinkwater speaks during a public hearing on two bills about reducing vaccine requirements in Maine schools on Monday. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Drinkwater, however, acknowledged there is a risk of a government shutdown if Democrats do not agree to renegotiate. But he said that risk is worth it.

“It is a big risk, but how much money are we risking to be in the red in this budget?” Drinkwater said. “Hundreds of millions of dollars, right? Also, Billy Bob has always said he has an open-door policy. The Democrats can come sit down and talk any time they want.”

DISAGREEMENT OVER LANGUAGE

Drinkwater also took issue with the official wording of the ballot question released Wednesday by the Maine secretary of state, which reads: “Do you want to stop most state government operations and programs, including new and ongoing state funding for cities, towns, and schools, by rejecting the state’s two-year budget?”

Drinkwater said the language is misleading. and wrongly suggests a government shutdown will absolutely occur.

“People I’m hearing from who are outside the Legislature and who are just ordinary citizens, they’ve said that this is not a neutral question and that it’s a slanted question,” he said. “Who would vote to stop government operations? It’s not a bipartisan question.”

Drinkwater sent Bellows his own proposed language Wednesday: “Shall the 2026-2027 state budget be repealed and replaced with a new budget that prioritizes streamlined spending, eliminates unnecessary expenditures, and focuses on programs and services directly benefiting Maine residents?” 

Bellows’ office said that the secretary of state has sole discretion over the wording and that petitioners are not consulted on the drafting of the language. She also told Drinkwater he could appeal the decision in court.

She explained her wording in a letter to him Tuesday, saying that state law requires ballot questions to be “clear, concise and direct” and that she also wanted to be sure voters were aware of the implications.

Drinkwater said Thursday that supporters of the veto were “talking about our options” with regard to an appeal, which could delay the petition drive when supporters of the referendum already are under pressure to gather signatures quickly. He blamed Bellows for taking too long to finalize the language.

“Perhaps if she had expedited this we would have more time to conclude the (signature-gathering) process,” he said. “If the government shuts down, you can blame her.”

Gathering enough signatures for a people’s veto to overturn a new law is more difficult than other citizen initiatives because of deadlines set out in Maine law.

With other citizen initiatives, petitions can be circulated for 18 months from the date of issuance.

However, the deadline for a people’s veto petition is 90 days after the Legislature adjourns, which happened March 20 this year. Democrats voted to adjourn early to ensure the budget would take effect before July 1, and the Legislature then reconvened in a special session to continue with the rest of its work.