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STATE OF THE STATE RESPONSE
January 27, 2026
Good evening, I am House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham of Winter Harbor.
It's from the perspective of a husband, father of three, lobsterman, and taxpaying, bill paying Mainer that I deliver tonight's response.
Tonight, the Governor delivered her State of the State address.
But the real state of Maine isn’t found in prepared remarks—it’s felt at the kitchen table, at the gas pump, and when the electric bill arrives.
Maine people are hurting.
We face some of the largest electric cost increases in the nation, some of the highest taxes, and a cost of living that keeps rising while wages fall behind.
People are doing everything right—working hard, playing by the rules—and still falling further behind.
That is not the Maine promise.
Our greatest exports should be lobsters, blueberries, potatoes, and lumber—not our young people.
Yet too many are leaving because they can’t afford to stay, can’t find opportunity, or don’t see a future here.
After eight years of one-party Democratic leadership, the results are clear.
Out-of-state corporations are thriving.
Solar scammers are cashing in.
Meanwhile, Maine’s traditional industries—fishing, forestry, farming, and manufacturing—are struggling to survive.
That’s not progress.
That’s neglect.
Our healthcare system is in crisis, especially in rural Maine.
Hospitals are operating in the red. Services are being cut.
Access to care is shrinking. Families are left wondering where they’ll go in an emergency.
At the same time, we’ve seen widespread welfare fraud and abuse, particularly in the MaineCare system.
Fraudsters have targeted it, and what we know today may only be the beginning.
That’s taxpayer money meant to help vulnerable people—money that comes from families already stretched thin.
This administration has also turned its back on Maine’s girls, telling them they don’t deserve a level playing field in sports or privacy in their own spaces.
We reject that.
Every child deserves fairness.
Every girl deserves opportunity.
Despite soaring energy costs, crushing taxes, and a rising cost of living, Mainers are being told the state still wants more—more taxes, more fees, more regulation.
Businesses hear that message clearly.
And then we ask why they don’t come—or why they leave.
Who can survive high taxes, high energy costs, and endless regulation?
The truth is:
The state of the state is poor—but the people of Maine are strong.
They’ve endured.
They’ve adapted.
They’ve survived.
But it should not be this hard to live, work, or raise a family in the state we love.
Maine is the most beautiful state in the country.
We have abundant natural resources, skilled workers, and proud communities.
Under the right leadership, we can also be one of the most prosperous states in America.
I believe Mainers are ready for a new direction—
One where hard work is rewarded,
Where merit matters,
Where businesses are welcomed, not punished,
And where jobs are created here because companies can afford to stay.
Maine can do better.
Maine must do better.
And together, I believe we will.
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BBF
Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham
is serving his fourth term representing House District 12, which includes the towns of Franklin, Gouldsboro, Hancock, Steuben, Sorrento, Sullivan, and Winter Harbor. Prior to his election as Leader, Rep. Faulkingham served on the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources.
Rep. Faulkingham attended Southern Maine Technical College before serving three years as Lance Corporal Infantry Rifleman in the United States Marine Corps. Since he was a teenager, Billy Bob has been a commercial lobster fisherman in his hometown of Winter Harbor. That has been his occupation since his time in the Marines.
Billy Bob also serves his community as a member of the Winter Harbor Masonic Lodge and the Knights of Pythias Schoodic Lodge. He is very active in the protection of Maine’s heritage lobster fishing industry, and is a member of the Lobster Union Local 207, the Maine Lobsterman’s Association, and Downeast Lobsterman’s Association.
Billy Bob and his wife, Carrie, have three children; Robin, Carter, and Harper. Spending time doing anything with his family is his greatest joy in life.
maximus.
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* 2 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0002*
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