MPBN: Bills for expanded gaming in Maine headed to debate

Monday, May 9, 2011  

"Citizen-initiated bills generally carry a lot of weight in the Legislature because they have been endorsed with tens of thousands of voter signatures in order to earn the right to be on the ballot. It's the approach that was used to establish a racino in Bangor and a casino in Oxford County, and it's also the source of Maine's two latest gambling enterprises.

Lawmakers have the option of enacting these citizen-initiated bills as written, but have historically chosen instead to send them out to a statewide vote. Republican Rep. Jarrod Crockett of Bethel says it's the voters that should decide the fate of LD 985, which would establish a casino in Lewiston.

"It's more regarding the process than it is the merits of any of the proposal--the people have decided in the past, they should decide in this instance," Crockett said.

Initially, nearly all the members of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee agreed with Crockett. But in a second vote, the decision to send the measure directly to the voters lost some of its supporters. That happened, in part, because tribal Rep. Wayne Mitchell, a supporter, wanted to see it argued on the House floor."

Get the Story:
Maine Casino Bills Likely Headed for Floor Debate (Maine Public Broadcasting Network 5/6)

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Passamaquoddy Tribe testifies for bill to authorize racino (4/26)
Editorial: Establish a consistent gambling policy in Maine (4/25)