AUGUSTA — The House this morning sustained Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that seeks to set up a working group to examine the issue of special education due process hearings.

“Despite the best intentions of this resolve’s sponsor, I am concerned that resolves, such as this one, force us to spend limited resources exploring conceptual policy positions that may or may not be acted upon by the Legislature in the future,” he wrote in his veto message. “A flood of resolves will serve to distract the state from the objectives of shrinking government and creating jobs.”

Bill sponsor, Rep. Peter Kent, D-Woolwich, said in a House floor speech this morning that the 14- member group is voluntary and that only one Department of Education employee will serve on the committee. He said there’s no cost to taxpayers to study the issue.

“There is no reasoning or logic to this veto,” he said. “There is no critical thinking. As a body, we must send a clear message that we don’t accept a veto for a veto’s sake. Override this inexplicable veto.”

The House voted 74-63 to override, which is short of the two-thirds needed.

The veto is LePage’s fourth to date, all of which have been sustained. In his veto message, LePage said he doubted a working group would be productive because the issue of whether to allow non-attorney advocates into special education hearings is contentious.

“Passage of this resolve may give the appearance that action is being taken on this issue when that is not actually the case,” he wrote.