AUGUSTA — After pondering whether lawmakers will be able to deal with all of his vetoes in a single day, Gov. Paul LePage said Tuesday he expects them to override at least a couple of them.
He said legislators are likely to overturn his rejections of a ban on using handheld devices while driving and bar the sale of cigarettes to those under the age of 21.
Legislators return to Augusta on Wednesday for “Veto Day,” when they’ll consider whether or not to sustain LePage’s vetoes of a range of bills dealing with issues large and small.
One other veto that legislators are likely to override is a solar power bill that LePage called “poor policy” that initially passed both the House and Senate by wide margins. To override a veto, each house has to back the bill by at least a two-thirds vote.
LePage told the Bangor-based WVOM that the bill to prohibit drivers from using handheld cellular phones and other electronics “is not going to work” but will probably become law anyway.
He also called it “sad” that legislators want to keep those who are 18 to 20 from buying cigarettes in Maine even though they are considered old enough to serve in the military.
LePage bemoaned the large number of bills the Legislature passed during the session — so many, he said, that the only person who actually reads them all is in the governor’s office.
This story will be updated.
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