AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. Paul LePage says two liberal activists should be jailed because of their work pushing a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage.
LePage made the remark during an event hosted by the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and one day after saying he misspoke earlier this week when he said Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump should use authoritarian power if elected.
LePage said the minimum wage increase will hurt the elderly. His remarks were captured on a live video stream from the Sun Journal in Lewiston.
"And frankly, I think those two people should be thrown in jail for what they're doing to the elderly in the state of Maine on this minimum wage," he said.
Ben Chin and Mike Tipping, the two Maine People's Alliance activists, responded on Twitter. Tipping tweeted, "We should all strive to be someone that authoritarians would jail if they could."
“The governor’s comments are both repugnant and wrong,” Tipping said. “One in three seniors would get a raise from Question 4. And these are folks that are struggling right now, who can’t make ends meet or retire.”
Tipping said the statistic is drawn from a study from Economic Policy Institute, which used U.S. Census data.
LePage's comments about Trump made national news earlier this week. Trump, who critics say aspires to rule like a dictator, said Sunday that he would attempt to imprison his political rival Hillary Clinton.
