AUGUSTA, MAINE — (CNN) Maine Gov. Paul LePage says his state is too easy on drug crimes, suggesting it should bring back the guillotine for serious offenders.
The Republican governor, known for his controversial statements, was speaking on local radio Tuesday about combating the drug epidemic in his state.
“What I think we ought to do is bring the guillotine back,” he told WVOM. “We could have public executions and have, you know, we could even have (guessing) which hole it falls in.”
He said that he was “all in” on fighting drug criminals and said a recent proposal to establish a minimum sentence of four years for drug traffickers was too lenient.
“I think the death penalty should be appropriate for people that kill Mainers,” LePage said.
“We’ve got to go 20 years, we’ve got to keep them here until they die,” he added. “If you want my honest opinion, we should give them an injection of the stuff they sell.”
LePage decried his critics, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, and stood firm.
Even as the hosts of the show tried to wrap the interview, LePage interrupted to show his resolve, suggesting the guillotine be used for public executions, joking that the idea was part of his French ancestry.
“I like French history,” he said.
It’s only the latest controversial comments from LePage. Earlier this month, he made waves talking about drug dealers in his state.
“These are guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty,” he said. “They come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, then they go back home. Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave.”
He later apologized for saying white instead of Maine, which is what he said he meant.
The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. (PHOTO: Gov. Paul LePage’s office)
