Re: “Maine tribes backing off push to pass sovereignty restoration” (April 27, Page A1):

I don’t know how Staff Writer Randy Billings got the idea that “leaders of Maine’s federally recognized tribes on late Tuesday night backed off their push to pass sweeping legislation to restore their sovereignty – at least for this session.” The tribes have not backed off – they have merely acknowledged that the governor has stopped the progress that was made by the Legislature and by thousands of supporters, and that there is no way forward at this time for L.D. 1626.

I place that blame squarely on the shoulders of Gov. Mills. With the power of her veto, she has stopped the progress that has been made since 2018, from the bipartisan commission that carefully studied the issues related to the 1980 land claims settlement act, and the consensus proposal that they made in the State House, which has been going through the process for the last two sessions. The fact that there is not a supermajority that is veto-proof does not mean that the majority of the state Legislature was not behind this bill.

Gov. Mills has had four years to weigh in on the issues, but she uses her veto power of one to stop this bill now. I am extremely disappointed that the copy editors’ headline and the reporter’s lead sentence laid this at the feet of the tribal leaders.

Rev. Dr. Myke Johnson
Portland

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