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Is the Legislature too big?

Thursday August 26, 2010 | 11:18 AM

Posted by Susan M. Cover scover@mainetoday.com

The Bath gubernatorial forum Wednesday night covered a lot of ground, giving those who crammed into the room a good chance to get to know the four candidates who participated -- independent Kevin Scott, independent Shawn Moody, independent Eliot Cutler and Democrat Libby Mitchell. Republican Paul LePage was not there, citing a previous engagement in Presque Isle.

Toward the end of the two-hour forum, an audience member asked the candidates whether they thought the Legislature had too many members. Several attempts by lawmakers to cut the size of the House and/or Senate in recent years have failed, as did an attempt to combine the two chambers into one. The House has 151 members and the Senate has 35.

Here's what they said:

Moody: "Let's reduce the time they are in session so they'll prioritize solutions." He also said they need to spend more time back home with constituents, particularly considering the fact that voters have rejected three recent bills passed in the Legislature (beverage taxes to support Dirigo, gay marriage and tax reform)

Scott said regardless of the size of the Legislature, Mainers are still going to have problems with jobs and education. He said after he's elected, he'll study the Legislature and "come back to you with a solution."

Cutler said he supports the unicameral idea because the Legislature could then be an "appropriate size."

And Mitchell, who noted she was the only one in the race who has served in the Legislature, said less than 1 percent of the state budget pays for legislative costs. "Let's not get lost in the weeds when we need to create jobs." However, she has voted for bills to reduce the size of the House and Senate. And, she said it's not up to the governor to tell the Legislature -- a separate branch of government -- how many weeks it can meet.

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