Maine House Speaker Replaces Republicans on Committees Over Mask Rule Violation The speaker of the Maine House of Representatives this week stripped seven conservatives of their committee assignments, replacing them with Democrats. House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, a Democrat, made the move after the group, comprised of six GOP lawmakers and a Libertarian, entered the state Capitol without masks. Video footage posted by one of the legislators, state Rep. Laurel Libby, showed law enforcement stopping the group just inside the entrance. “In order to be in legislative space, your leadership said that you need to wear a mask. So we are asking you to wear a mask beyond this point,” one officer said.