LePage discusses parent involvement in public schools, heating costs at Husson University

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Rotary Club of Bangor hosted Gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage Tuesday afternoon.

Throughout the month of August, the Rotary Club will host Gubernatorial and congressional candidates during their meetings at Husson University.

LePage kicked off the series discussing many issues, including his stances on heating oil, inflation, and parents involvement in public schools.

If elected, LePage says he wants to remove what he says is ‘pornography’ from schools and protect parents rights to have a say in what they want their child to learn in the classroom.

“I’ve heard it. I’ve seen one here in Hampden and one down south in Bonny Eagle, where people were threatened to be arrested, thrown out of meetings. That is inappropriate. So, the governor’s office’s role is to pass legislation that allows school boards to hear from the parents, and the parents and the school board should determine what goes into the libraries,” said LePage.

LePage says the high cost of heating oil in the state is a big concern, especially in the senior community.

He says he would have used some of the hundreds of millions of dollars in relief funds sent to Maine taxpayers to help with heating oil costs.

“Instead of sending out the $850 to everybody to try to buy the election, which is what she’s done, I would have taken a portion of that money and I put it into an account. And I’d have gone to all oil dealers and gas dealers and say charge what you charged last year and send the balance and the payment. The state will pick up the balance of that payment, because I am deathly afraid of our elderly freezing this winter. And I think if there was money leftover, I would’ve used it to lower the income tax rather than just give everybody a check,” said LePage.

Gov. Janet Mills announced this week she has asked the federal government for additional funding and to expand eligibility for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Mills will appear before the group on Tuesday, Aug. 23.

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