AUGUSTA -- Supporters of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights who accuse the state's public safety commissioner of abusing her power to defeat the referendum are trying to "take advantage of a slow news cycle in August," the governor's deputy chief of staff said Friday.

David Farmer said Public Safety Commissioner Anne Jordan sent an e-mail in late July to inform members of the governor's staff of potential public policy implications of the citizen initiative.

"It's perfectly appropriate for commissioners to keep people in state government informed of the implications of pending legislation," Farmer said.

A group called TABOR Now accused Jordan of "rampant and unethical abuse of power" when she sent out an e-mail that said the initiative would eliminate a fund that provides money to the families of fallen law enforcement officers.

Chris Cinquemani of TABOR Now said the initiative, which will be on the November ballot, would allow the death benefit to be paid using other state funds.

"She's using her state e-mail account to send information that is designed to defeat TABOR," he said.

But the e-mail, which was provided by TABOR Now and confirmed to be accurate by Farmer, does not specifically state whether Jordan wants other officials in the governor's office to vote for or against the measure.

She describes her interpretation of what would happen to the survivor benefits and ends the e-mail by offering her opinion about the implications of that.

"From a public policy standpoint, I think it is appalling that Maine would deny these very necessary benefits," she wrote. "Our law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMTs put their lives on the line for Maine citizens every day."

Jordan was traveling out of state Friday and could not be reached for comment.

TABOR supporters gathered the signatures necessary to submit a revised version of the bill to lawmakers. A similar measure was defeated in 2006, but has since been rewritten by the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative think tank in Portland.

The new version limits growth in annual expenditures of the General Fund, highway fund, and other special revenue funds to the increases in population and inflation.

It also calls for voters to approve state tax increases and for voters to approve annual gas tax increases.

Because it was not adopted by the Legislature, it will appear on the November ballot.

Cinquemani, who serves as chairman of More Green Now, a group that is working on behalf of a separate citizen initiative to reduce the excise tax, also filed a Freedom of Access Act request with House Speaker Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven and Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro.

Cinquemani wants all e-mails and other communications related to the TABOR and excise tax legislation dating back to January.

Cinquemani questioned whether Pingree and Mitchell should have held a recent meeting with transportation and construction officials that was arranged by a lobbyist whose employer was paid to do work for a group that opposes the excise tax referendum.

Both Mitchell and Pingree characterized the meeting as similar to dozens of other gatherings with interest groups that take place at the State House.

"I think it's appropriate for legislators to engage in discussing the policy implications of citizen initiatives," Pingree said. "This was not a campaign meeting."

Mitchell said she has been open about her opposition to TABOR, but that she is not involved in the anti-TABOR campaign.

"I am a legislator who has an opinion about it," she said. "I am not raising money or spending money."

Susan Cover -- 620-7015

scover@centralmaine.com