AUGUSTA — Former Gov. Paul LePage and current Gov. Janet Mills couldn’t be more different when it comes to politics. But, according to their state driving records, they share at least one thing: a lead foot.
Mills, who previously served as a lawmaker and the state’s top law enforcement official, has received violations for speeding and operating uninspected or unregistered vehicles since 1975, according to her driving record, which The Associated Press obtained from the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.
Mills’ driving record includes 10 speeding violations since 1975, including four since 2000. Her most recent marks on her driving record include a lane violation in 2011 and speeding at 91 mph in a 65-mph zone in July 2008.
LePage’s driving records shows nine speeding tickets since 1970, including two since 2000. His tickets include violations for driving 83 mph in a 65-mph zone, driving 84 mph in a 65-mph zone and driving 51 mph in a 25-mph zone.
Representatives for LePage, a Republican, declined to comment.
Scott Ogden, a spokesman for Mills, a Democrat, said after the governor’s latest ticket in 2008, she learned how to use cruise control, and “it has served her well ever since.”
“These tickets are the result of a common affliction most usually known as ‘a lead foot,’ which, when combined with the V8 engine in her late husband’s car, led to a few more fines than not,” he wrote in an email.
Under the LePage administration, speed limits were increased on most interstate highways. Maine also lowered the costs of speeding tickets last year following a study by the state’s Judicial Branch.
Drivers pulled over going 1 to 9 mph over the speed limit saw their ticket go from $134 to $114. Those who are pulled over going 15 to 19 mph above the speed limit will see their fines decrease by $30.
The driving records of Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins don’t include any speeding violations. Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King’s last speeding violation was in 1987, while Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree’s record shows a 2012 violation for going 74 mph in a 55-mph zone.
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