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Senate confirms two reappointments to Maine State Housing Authority amid GOP protest over committee representation
Summary
The Maine Senate confirmed Renee Lewis and Paul Shepherd to the Maine State Housing Authority after roll-call votes; Republican senators said their dissenting votes were a protest about committee membership, not the nominees themselves.
The Maine Senate confirmed two reappointments to the Maine State Housing Authority on a day of procedural debate and public recognitions.
Renee Lewis of Hollis and Paul Shepherd of Belfast were each confirmed after the chamber recorded roll-call votes. The chair announced the results and directed the secretary to inform the House of Representatives of the Senate’s actions. The nominations had been recommended by the Joint Standing Committee on Housing and Economic Development.
Sen. Stewart (Senator Stewart) told the Senate that Republican members would vote as a protest over the current committee structure, saying their votes “are not at all a reflection of the individuals” being reappointed but rather a response to the lack of Republican representation on the committee that considered the nominations. “In fact, I’m sure they’re going to continue to do a great job,” Stewart added of the nominees.
The chair conducted roll-call votes on each nomination. For each reappointment the secretary announced the counts and the chair stated that the committee’s recommendation would be accepted; the record shows the nominations were confirmed and the secretary was directed to inform the Speaker of the House.
The confirmations followed routine committee recommendation procedures and occurred amid broader floor action on bills, committee referrals and ceremonial recognitions. The Senate moved on after the confirmations to address other unfinished business and calendar items.
