In a unanimous decision, the Maine Legislative Council on Tuesday voted to approve a pay raise for Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who entered the national spotlight last year for her controversial attempt to disqualify President-Elect Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 Republican primary ballot.
Bellows, a Democrat, served her first two-year term as Secretary of State starting on Jan. 4, 2021, and was reelected last week by the State Legislature at the unicameral meeting of the Senate and House used to confirm Constitutional Officers.
Nearly a year ago, at the end of December 2023, Bellows made the decision to disqualify Trump from the state’s primary ballot, arguing in her decision that the former president engaged in an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and was thereby disqualified from serving as President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment — the so-called “insurrection clause.”
That decision was later withdrawn by Bellows after a Supreme Court ruling that established states do not have the authority to disqualify candidates for federal office under the “insurrection clause.”
At the first organizational meeting of the Legislative Council for the 132nd Legislature on Tuesday, potential salary increases for Constitutional Officers was the second item of new business on the agenda.
The Maine Legislative Council is an administrative body for the Legislative Branch of the State government with a broad range of responsibilities, including legislative research, bill drafting and fiscal note preparation, and screening and approving requests for after deadline bills and bills introduced in the second regular session.
Additionally, the Council is tasked with establishing salary and benefit schedules for all legislative employees, as well as the initial salaries or pay adjustments for newly elected constitutional officers.
The Council is made up of the elected leadership from both parties and each chamber, for a total of 10 members — six Democrats and four Republicans:
- House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford), Chair
- Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland), Vice-Chair
- Sen. Teresa Pierce (D-Cumberland), Senate Majority Leader
- Sen. Jill Duson (D-Cumberland), Senate Assistant Majority Leader
- Sen. Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook), Senate Minority Leader
- Sen. Matt Harrington (R-York), Senate Assistant Minority Leader
- Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland), House Majority Leader
- Rep. Lori Gramlich (D-Old Orchard Beach), House Assistant Majority Leader
- Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), House Minority Leader
- Rep. Katrina Smith (R-Palermo), House Assistant Minority Leader
According to a memo prepared for the Council by Executive Director of the Maine Legislature Suzanne Gresser, following the initial appointment of the Constitutional Officers, the Legislative Council is authorized to adjust the salary of each official by one step for each year of continuous service.
The four Constitutional Officers that were elected last week were for the offices of Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General and State Auditor.
Per Gresser’s memo, Attorney General Aaron Frey has already reached the top step within his salary grade, and was therefore ineligible for a pay raise.
However, both the State Auditor Matt Dunlap and Secretary of State Bellows, being reelected, were both eligible for a one-step salary increase.
During the Tuesday meeting of the Council, Rep. Matt Moonen moved that both Dunlap and Bellows receive their one-step pay increase, as well to set the initial salary of State Treasurer Joe Perry at Step 3 within Salary Grade 88.
For Bellows, this means a pay increase from Step 5 to Step 6 within Salary Grade 88; and for Dunlap an increase from Step 6 to Step 7 within Grade 89.
Rep. Moonen’s motion to give Bellows and Dunlap the pay raise was quickly seconded by Senate President Mattie Daughtry.
Although there was a prompt given for any discussion on the matter prior to voting, no Republican member present at the meeting gave any comment on the motion, even though Bellows attempted to kick the leader of their party, now President-Elect Trump, off of the ballot in Maine.
The pay raise for Bellows and Dunlap passed the Legislative Council with a unanimous vote of those present.
According to the roll that was called at the start of the meeting, Republican Council members Faulkingham, Smith and Harrington were present at the meeting, while Sen. Trey Stewart joined the meeting remotely via Zoom.
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