I was proud that our governor stood her ground when openly challenged by the current president, who was clearly threatening our state’s federal educational funding if his directive on a specific issue wasn’t followed in short order.

His executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” is its own issue — and it deserves its own attention, legally and otherwise.

But being told straight up, out loud in front of the cameras, that you’d “better do it” or Maine’s public schools won’t receive any more federal funding, could not have been met by a better response than her appropriate and succinct “See you in court.” Kudos to Gov. Janet Mills.

This kind of federal coercion, threatening to cut off funding for states if they don’t comply with an executive order, is a test of power, not policy. It leads, ultimately, toward undermining a state’s authority.

Kathleen Richardson, Paris