Maine Democrats Finally Allow State Rep. Laurel Libby to Vote and Speak on Behalf of Constituents

Earlier this year, state Rep. Laurel Libby (R-ME) was censured by Maine Speaker Ryan Fecteau, a Democrat, for daring to stand up for girls having to compete against boys. The state representative sued, facing appeals courts and even the U.S. Supreme Court, which found in her favor over a month ago. The emergency order gave Libby back the right to vote on behalf of her constituents, though she has not been able to speak. On Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled state legislature passed a resolution restoring her ability to vote on behalf of her constituents and her right to speak.

Libby made the announcement over X on Wednesday afternoon. "My constituent's right to representation and my right to free speech should never have been stripped," she pointed out in her post that claimed "Victory!!" She also reminded that she "NEVER apologized and NEVER WILL for speaking up for girls' sports."

🚨 VICTORY!! 🚨 Democrats CAVE and give my Voice AND Vote back.

My constituent's right to representation and my right to free speech should never have been stripped. I have NEVER apologized and NEVER WILL for speaking up for girls' sports.
— Rep. Laurel Libby (@laurel_libby) June 25, 2025

Libby put out a Facebook Live video, also on Wednesday, shared to X in which she spoke about the effort from the empty House chamber in Augusta, Maine after they had adjourned for the last session until January.

In what the state representative referred to as a "surprise twist," Libby and her colleagues noted that she had been mentioned in "a House resolution issue." She had "not been able to speak on the House floor" since February 25.

Libby also addressed how "Democrats have been losing on this issue that Mainers and Americans don't support biological males in girls' sports," and how she was "punished" via "political retaliation" for speaking up on this issue. "Not only have the Democrats been losing in public opinion on the issue of biological males in girls' sports, but also on the issue of this censure and of stripping an entire district of 9,000 people their ability to have full representation," she emphasized.

For the last day the state House was in session, Libby then explained, Maine Democrats "put forward a House resolution to restore my voice and my vote" when the session adjourned. It passed 115-16, with Libby having her "full speaking and voting rights restored" when their House is next in session, which she referred to Democrats as having "caved" and they did so "because they know they are losing... in the court of public opinion... in the literal court, and they have to save face by restoring" her rights "because they are losing."

Although she is "thankful" to have her rights restored, Libby still emphasized "this is not over," reminding how she was censured after she "spoke up on behalf of Maine women and girls who are being discriminated against, by our government, by our leaders who are denying them a safe, level playing field and their rights have not been assured."

Libby further offered that "this is a Democrat maneuver to try to get themselves out of trouble," though she still called them out for being in trouble, losing, and having "not fixed the core issue" of protecting women and girls in sports in such a way, which she wants to "have front and center." Although Democrats may have "saved face somehow, they have not addressed the core issue" when it comes to having "denied recourse for Maine women and girls by killing the bills that would have ensured their rights." Such a fight, Libby stressed, "is not over by a longshot" as she pledged to keep fighting "against the tyrannical majority" on this and other issues in Maine.

LIVE from Augusta… the Democrats CAVED!! pic.twitter.com/qiXLipy37i
— Rep. Laurel Libby (@laurel_libby) June 25, 2025

Litigation still continues, however for Libby at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, as she reminded it is "'pending."

The move to censure Libby came in February, days after Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) and President Donald Trump went at it during a White House event for governors. Trump called Mills out for not following the executive order he had just recently signed that month, which prohibits men and boys from participating in women and girls' sports, also reminding her that "well, we are the federal law," when Mills tried to claim that Maine was "complying with state and federal law."

Trump and Mills pledged to see each other in court, and sure enough, Maine and the Trump administration have also been involved in lawsuits over the matter of sports for women and girls.