Maine Gov. Paul LePage accused Democratic lawmakers of playing a dangerous and unwinnable game of "chicken" with him and threatened to shut down the state government on Friday.
LePage told WVOM radio in Bangor that a shutdown may be necessary to stop a two-year spending plan Democrats want passed which he believes would do long-term fiscal harm to the Pine Tree State.
"I believe we're going to shut down Friday night," LePage, a Republican, said Tuesday morning in an interview with George Hale and Ric Tyler on WVOM radio in Bangor.
"They asked me last night, what's the cost of shutting down? The future of Maine. The future of Maine is worth shutting it down."
LePage said Democratic lawmakers are ready to "do damage" to Maine in their two-year state budget proposal to keep a 3 percent surtax on income for those earning more than $200,000 a year.
He also promised to reject 11th-hour bids to increase other taxes.
If LePage makes good on his threat to hold up signing a budget, it could trigger a shutdown.
"I just know what I'm going to do and they're playing chicken with me. I'm the worst guy in the world to play chicken with because I don't veer either way. I go straight ahead. So if there's a collision to be had, it's coming Friday night," he said.
Maine voters approved the 3 percent tax last November.
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