AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Lawmakers are back in Augusta to consider dozens of bills vetoed by Republican Gov. Paul LePage since they wrapped up their work for the session last month.
The Democratic-led Legislature will take up 48 vetoed bills on Thursday.
Bills require two-thirds support of present-and-voting lawmakers to override LePage’s veto.
LePage has vetoed 181 bills since taking office in 2011, more than any other Maine governor in recent history.
SunJournal.com live coverage of the legislative action includes a veto tracking sheet and live social media updates.
Legislature overrides veto of business bond
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine voters will consider a $12 million bond designed to support small businesses this November.
The Democratic-led Senate voted 31-4 in favor of overturning the Republican governor’s rejection of the bill on Thursday. The House voted 118-28, surpassing the two-thirds majority support it needed.
The bond would support loan programs for small and mid-size businesses through the Finance Authority of Maine.
LePage said that the state can serve its small business community better. In his veto letter, he said that he supports providing capital for Maine businesses but believes that “borrowing money on the backs of all Maine taxpayers is not the right way to go.”
Legislature overrides LePage veto of jail bill
AUGUSTA — The Legislature on Thursday overturned Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill to strengthen the state’s jail network, more closely linking Maine’s 15 jails and disbursing about $1.2 million in gap funding.
Without the money, several jails including the Cumberland County Jail warned of layoffs and closures. At the Androscoggin County Jail, leaders expected to run out of money to pay corrections officers by mid-June.
LePage had called the jail restructuring plan “doomed to failure” in his veto message.
— Staff report
Vetoes of 2 Medicaid expansion bills sustained
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine lawmakers have failed again to override Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s vetoes of bills that would expand Medicaid under the federal health care law.
The Senate voted 21-14 in favor of overturning LePage’s rejection of Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson’s Medicaid expansion bill, falling three votes short of the two-thirds majority support it needed to survive.
The House also voted 94-53 to sustain the veto of Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves’ bill. It would have directed Maine to seek permission from the federal government to use the Medicaid funds to provide private health insurance on the federal exchange.
Democrats say the failure to expand will leave thousands without access to affordable coverage. But LePage and GOP lawmakers say the expansion will be too costly.
Bill overhauling gun permit system fails in Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bill that would overhaul the state’s concealed handgun permit system has failed in the Maine House.
The Democratic-led House voted 87-58 in favor of overturning Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of the bill on Thursday. It fell 10 votes shy of the two-thirds support it needed to override the governor’s rejection, killing the bill.
LePage opposed the bill because he said it’s more difficult for law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns.
The bill would limit municipalities’ ability to issue permits to only those with full-time police chiefs. It would also ensure that state police manage all background and mental health checks and create a confidential centralized database of permit holders.
Supporters say the current system is broken and that some mental health and background checks aren’t being done adequately.
House kills bill nixing LePage consultant contract
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine lawmakers have failed to override Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that would have canceled his administration’s contract with a consultant examining the state’s Medicaid program.
The Democratic-led House voted 83-63 in favor of overriding the veto on Thursday, falling several votes short of the two-thirds majority support it needed.
Democrats say the administration’s contract with the Alexander Group is a waste of taxpayer dollars and that hiring the group was politically motivated. The group led by the former welfare chief in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania concluded earlier this year that expanding Medicaid under the federal health care law would cost the state more than $800 million over the next decade.
But LePage said in his veto message that the bill is “nothing more than partisan politics.”
House sustains veto of bill targeting tax havens
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine lawmakers have sustained Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that aims to prevent companies from avoiding paying state taxes by holding their profits overseas in tax havens.
The Democratic-led House voted 88-58 in favor of overriding the bill on Thursday, falling several votes shy of the two-thirds support it needed.
LePage said the bill would kill existing and future jobs. He also said it’s unconstitutional because it conflicts with the foreign commerce clause.
But Democrats said the bill would save the state $10 million and is a matter of fairness. They say large multinational companies shouldn’t be able to hide their profits overseas to avoid paying taxes.
The bill is now dead.
Legislature overturns veto of $32M budget fix
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s Democratic-led Legislature has voted to overturn Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill to fix a $32 million gap in the state’s $6.3 billion budget.
The House voted 134-12 on Thursday in favor of preserving the funding bill for the fiscal year that starts in July. The Senate followed with a 35-0 vote.
The measure would also provide Medicaid services for hundreds of developmentally disabled Mainers who are currently on waitlists.
LePage criticized lawmakers for using “gimmicks” to keep the budget balanced. He opposed a provision that extends the cycle of Medicaid payments to providers, which is expected to save the state $20 million.
The bill is one of dozens of vetoed bills lawmakers are considering Thursday.
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