What do Janet Mills and Angus King have in common? Both are afflicted with “Maine-Governor-itis.”
This malady, which has infected every chief executive of our state since at least 1980, induces Maine governors and ex-governors to want to block most federal benefits that are due to Wabanaki tribal residents in Maine. Those funds, if received, would work to improve economic conditions for non-Natives as well as Natives in some of our state’s poorest counties. HR 6707, a bill sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden, would allow the Wabanaki to receive federal aid enjoyed by every other Indigenous tribe within U.S. boundaries, which has been blocked by the settlement acts of 1980.
The bill is now headed to the Senate, where Sen. King has indicated his opposition to it and Sen. Susan Collins has not yet said where she stands on it. I urge every Maine voter to contact their offices and insist that they support passage of HR 6707.
Wayne Cobb
Portland
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