AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage threatened Tuesday to veto two gambling bills working their way through the Legislature if they wind up on his desk, saying voters, not lawmakers, should have the final say on the matter.

Both citizen-initiated bills have received favorable votes so far, setting the stage for possible if not likely legislative approval. A bill to allow racinos in Biddeford and Washington County has won a 94-49 vote of support in the House. The other bill, which would allow a casino with slots in Lewiston, has won a 78-61 endorsement in the House. Both measures awaited further votes in the House and Senate.

Their defeat would automatically send the bills to voters in November. But legislative passage would avoid the statewide referendum and the gambling enterprises could go forward.

LePage said in an interview Tuesday that supporters of the two bills need to do what past gambling promoters have done: Get voters’ approval first.

“If you want a casino in Maine, you’ve got to do what Oxford did, you’ve got to do what the racino did, you go to the people and get permission,” the Republican governor said, referring to Black Bear Entertainment’s successful initiative to build a casino in Oxford and the voter-approved racino proposal that brought about Bangor Slots. Other gambling proposals, notably one in 2003 in Sanford and another in 2008 in Calais, were rejected by voters. Both plans were backed by Maine Indian tribes.

“Maine people voted for one casino and one racino, and that’s what they’re getting,” LePage said. “I think the Legislature, quite frankly, has got a lot more important things to do. Let this go the people.”

He said he has no special stake in the gambling issue, which he observed has been contentious in the past.

“I don’t gamble,” he said. “The only gambling I do is I get up in the morning and go to work and hope I get home safely. That’s my biggest gamble.”

Asked if he wants voters rather than the Legislature to decide on the two pending proposals, he said: “Absolutely … It’s got to go to the people … It’ll be a veto, no question about it.”

In another matter, LePage vetoed a bill barring the Department of Conservation from permitting timber harvesting on land under its jurisdiction by people employed under the federal H2 bonded labor program. The program is used by employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic labor for up to a year.

In his message to the Legislature, LePage said the bill runs afoul of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees due process and equal protection under the law.

“This veto has nothing to do with the policy outlined in the bill,” LePage wrote.

The Democratic sponsor of the bill said he was disappointed with LePage’s action.

“It’s unfortunate that a governor who says he’s all about jobs is actually more interested in giving jobs to Canadians rather than Maine workers,” said Sen. Troy Jackson of Allagash. “The governor’s veto encourages government to use foreign workers to work on our lands and harvest a Maine product. This is not good for jobs. It’s not good for people. And, it’s certainly not good for the Maine economy.”

Copy the Story Link