Governor LePage Proposes That The Legal Age To Vote Should Be 21

We've been down this road once or twice before, right? According to the Portland Press Herald, Maine's embattled Governor Paul LePage held no punches back after the state legislature used an override to his veto allowing the state to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. A ticked off LePage had a response....let's not stop there.

LePage suggested that Maine should also become the first state to raise the legal voting age to 21. And why stop there? Maine residents shouldn't be allowed to join the military until they're 21 either. Naturally, the United States Constitution bars any real laws of this nature being passed, but an irked LePage insisted that it's along the same lines as tobacco.

“This law subverts the United States Constitution and attempts to ‘social engineer’ legal behavior by adults who want to use a legal product that you don’t like. If you don’t believe 18-year-olds are adults who can make their own decisions, then I hope you will support legislation that increases the voting age to 21 and prevents military service until a person turns 21.”

 

-Paul LePage to the Portland Press Herald

So is LePage just posturing then? Apparently not. He plans to actually propose two new bills during the state's legislative session that would increase the age to vote or join the military to 21. Both proposals had federal level protections that would ban them from becoming law, but LePage is adamant that he's still going to bring them forward.

Proposals on principle? LePage thinks so. Speaking of the state legislature, "they're all hypocrites".