It’s not easy to pass a bond in Maine. Both houses of the Legislature have to cast a two-thirds vote for it. Then the voters have a shot at it, and only if they approve will it then go to the governor, who signs it, and the state treasurer, who issues it.
And so it was with the Land for Maine’s Future bonds. They passed both houses of the Legislature with bipartisan support, and voters approved them.
Then – oops – Gov. LePage refused to release the bonds and vetoed L.D. 1378, a measure that would have forced him to do so.
As expected, on a bipartisan vote, the Senate overrode the veto.
Then it went to the House, where, incredibly, six Republicans – including my state representative, Jeffrey Pierce – who had previously supported the bill caved to the governor’s wishes, and voted to uphold the veto of a measure vital to conserving land for all Maine citizens.
How disappointing that when the pressure was on, Mr. Pierce decided that he works for the governor rather than for the voters in his district.
Arthur Davis
Woolwich
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