Rep. Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, looks up at the electronic voting board during Monday’s special session of the Legislature. (David Leaming/Morning Sentinel)
Lawmakers in the Maine House of Representatives passed the marijuana regulatory bill, and nixed a Republican bid to delay implementation, but fell short of the number of votes needed to override a gubernatorial veto Monday.
The regulatory bill created by a joint select committee now goes to the Senate, but if it passes, Gov. Paul LePage, a longtime marijuana opponent, could still veto the bill. His emergency bill submitted four days ago to extend the moratorium suggests he might.
But those who support the committee bill say LePage had pledged to support the will of cannabis referendum voters during his last reelection campaign, giving them hope that he would not use his veto to kill it and stall market launch. Supporters say the regulatory bill closes loopholes in the voter-approved law and will help raise tax revenues, give Mainers a licensing advantage, and help shut down the black market. Critics say the bill is flawed, and needs more work.
The Maine House voted 85-53 on the bill that allows the sale of recreational marijuana next year. The Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee bill, which had been in the works for nine months, establishes rules around licensing, sales, taxes and other aspects of a legal recreational pot industry.
House members earlier voted to “indefinitely postpone” a bill that would have extended a moratorium on marijuana sales until 2019, effectively killing it. That bill was crafted by LePage and House Republican Leader Ken Fredette and would have maintained the status quo, allowing personal pot consumption and home grows, but pushed back the date of recreational sales of marijuana to Jan. 1, 2019.
Voters last November approved recreational marijuana sales in a referendum question, a measure that was was refined and fleshed out by lawmakers on the Legislature’s implementation committee.
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