Sara Gideon Killed an Anti-Child Abuse Bill as Maine House Speaker

Sara Gideon’s tenure as speaker of the Maine House is best remembered for her misguided policy agenda and the litany of scandals that shook Augusta to its core. The two issues intersected in 2018 when Gideon killed an anti-child abuse bill and a Democratic legislator resigned over alleged sexual relationships with underage girls.

WFB: “Gideon, who has served as speaker of the Maine House of Representatives since 2016, mobilized her caucus to vote against legislation that would have attached criminal penalties to those who knowingly fail to report child abuse. “

“Just 10 days before the Aug. 30, 2018, vote, Democratic state legislator Dillon Bates resigned after allegations surfaced that he had sex with multiple high school students that he taught. Former Maine legislator Deborah Sanderson said it was the height of hypocrisy for Gideon to kill child abuse legislation at a time when she also had to contend with an alleged child sex offender in her caucus.”

Due to Gideon’s decision to kill the legislation, Maine is one of the few states in America to lack a mandated reporting law for suspected sexual abuse. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services supported the bill, issuing a statement that it would “increase the safety of children in Maine.”

Questions have also been raised about when Gideon aware of her Democratic colleague’s alleged abuse – and why she didn’t take action sooner.

“Gideon has acknowledged that she heard rumors about Bates prior to his resignation, but claimed she lacked evidence to take action against her colleague. She waited until the Bollard story published before calling for his resignation. Sanderson, the former legislator, said Gideon’s refusal to consider the legislation—and her delayed response to the Bates scandal—calls into question her commitment to protecting children.”