Governorship 1967-1975
Curtis was the 68th Governor of Maine,and the youngest governor in the United States at the time. [6]
In 1968,Curtis merged the University of Maine at Orono with five teachers' colleges throughout the state,creating the University of Maine System. [5] In 1969,Curtis and the Republican legislature enacted Maine's first income tax,which as of 2021 still provides the bulk of the state's revenue. The administration also enacted several notable environmental protection measures,such as the Site Location of Development Act,and created the Department of Environmental Protection. [5]
Curtis chaired the New England Governors’conference from 1969 to 1970 [4] [3] [7] and was Chairman of the Environmental Task Force of the National Governors Association in the early 1970s. [7]
In January 1970,Curtis strongly pledged support for an oil refinery at Machiasport,Maine. Environmentalists,as well as the Maine Times –a recently established newspaper –opposed this proposal.
In his first term Curtis proposed gun control legislation,which would deny ownership to convicted felons,drug addicts,and those in mental institutions. This was quite controversial and irritated gun owners throughout the state of Maine.
In February 1970,Curtis announced his re-election bid, [6] defeating Plato Truman in the Democratic primary and faced Maine Attorney General James Erwin in the general election. Initially the underdog,Curtis managed to gain momentum following a strong debate performance. [8]
The campaign had boiled down basically to an issue of economy in state government,Erwin asserted that a ten percent cut could be made in the state budget without hurting services. Curtis said that any reduction such as that proposed by Erwin would drastically cut the essential services provided by state government. Curtis would end up being narrowly reelected,defeating Erwin by 890 votes. [9]
Curtis was certified as the winner and was sworn in for his second term on January 7,1971.
Curtis was the first Maine governor to serve two four-year terms. (or 8 full years). [5] In November 1971 Curtis made an 11th‐hour appeal urging voters to reject a referendum aimed at repealing the state's two‐year‐old income tax. [10] In 1972,he reorganized the Maine state government to cabinet system,replacing 150 independent agencies with 16 departments. [5] The heads of these departments would be appointed by each currently-serving governor,whereas previously they had remained in their positions after being appointed by former governors. [11]
in June 1973 Curtis signed a bill that eliminated the state's criminal penalties for knowingly being present where marijuana is kept. Conviction under the law is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000,or imprisonment of up to 11 months,or both. [12]
in December 1973 Curtis asked Maine residents in a televised address to voluntarily reduce their consumption of gasoline,heating oil and kerosene.
According to the Maine Historical Society,Curtis was "one of a few sitting governors to climb Mt. Katahdin and canoe the Allagash River." [13] Curtis asked James B. Longley to lead a state government commission called The Maine Management and Cost Survey Commission,which was intended to make government more efficient,and cut costs. After some initial reluctance,Longley accepted the position and pursued the job with vigor.
Longley made several recommendations that were projected to save the state in excess of $24 million. One of his major proposals included restructuring the Maine university system,which he felt was grossly inefficient.
