Post by Logan on Jan 21, 2016 20:35:47 GMT -6
Bill to revive Land for Maine’s Future bonds heads to LePage’s desk
AUGUSTA — The Legislature unanimously approved a bill Thursday that revives $6.5 million in bonds for the Land for Maine’s Future program and sent the measure to Gov. Paul LePage’s desk.
The Senate voted 34-0 to approve reauthorizing the bonds for five years, two days after the House voted 145-0 for final passage of the bill. The unanimous votes, as well as the effort by legislative leaders of both parties to revive the expired bonds, suggest lawmakers would have little problem overriding a veto from LePage.
The LePage administration had sought a six-month reauthorization of the bonds rather than the five years allowed under the Maine Constitution. A frequent critic of the land conservation program whose political maneuvering led to the bonds’ expiration, LePage acknowledged Thursday that he lacked the votes to sustain a veto but indicated he would allow the bill to become law without his signature.
“I’m not going to sign it, absolutely not,” LePage said on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s “Maine Calling” program. “It will go into law without signature.”
Continued at www.pressherald.com/2016/01/21/bill-to-revive-lmf-bonds-headed-to-lepages-desk/ .
AUGUSTA — The Legislature unanimously approved a bill Thursday that revives $6.5 million in bonds for the Land for Maine’s Future program and sent the measure to Gov. Paul LePage’s desk.
The Senate voted 34-0 to approve reauthorizing the bonds for five years, two days after the House voted 145-0 for final passage of the bill. The unanimous votes, as well as the effort by legislative leaders of both parties to revive the expired bonds, suggest lawmakers would have little problem overriding a veto from LePage.
The LePage administration had sought a six-month reauthorization of the bonds rather than the five years allowed under the Maine Constitution. A frequent critic of the land conservation program whose political maneuvering led to the bonds’ expiration, LePage acknowledged Thursday that he lacked the votes to sustain a veto but indicated he would allow the bill to become law without his signature.
“I’m not going to sign it, absolutely not,” LePage said on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s “Maine Calling” program. “It will go into law without signature.”
Continued at www.pressherald.com/2016/01/21/bill-to-revive-lmf-bonds-headed-to-lepages-desk/ .