Governor Mills announces decisions on remaining held bills

On Friday, January 10, Governor Janet Mills announced that she is allowing 24 of the remaining 27 bills she held for further review last session to become law and that she has vetoed three.

Governor Mills vetoed the following bills: LD 553, An Act To Ensure Proper Oversight of Sports Betting in the State; LD 517, An Act To Facilitate Fair Ballot Representation for All Candidates; and LD 268, An Act To Create a Credit under the Commercial Forestry Excise Tax for Landowners Using Businesses Based in the United States.

With respect to LD 553, Governor Mills wrote in her veto message that she respected the many hours of work members of the Legislature put into the bill but continued, “respectfully, I remain unconvinced at this time that the majority of Maine people are ready to legalize, support, endorse and promote betting on competitive athletic event.”
      
“Before Maine joins the frenzy of states hungry to attract this market, I believe we need to examine the issue more clearly; better understand the evolving experiences of other states; and thoughtfully determine the best approach for Maine,” Governor Mills wrote. “That approach needs to balance the desire to suppress gambling activities now being conducted illegally and the need to protect youthful gamblers and those least able to absorb losses under a closely regulated scheme.”
      
Additionally, Governor Mills allowed the following bills to become law without her signature. In doing so, she also sent letters to lawmakers conveying concerns regarding LD 54, LD 793, and LD 1104. They are:
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• LD 54, An Act To Limit the Influence of Lobbyists by Expanding the Prohibition on Accepting Political Contributions;
  
• ŸLD 545, An Act To Ban Child Marriage;
  
• ŸLD 793, An Act To Improve Accountability of Opioid Manufacturers;
  
• ŸLD 833, An Act To Provide the Same Retirement Benefits for State Employees Working in Law Enforcement as Are Provided to Law Enforcement Officers;
  
• ŸLD 866, An Act To Support College Completion by Homeless Youth in Maine;
  
• ŸLD 1036, Resolve, Establishing a Task Force To Study the Creation of a Comprehensive Career and Technical Education System To Support Workforce Development;
  
• ŸLD 1104, An Act To Clarify the State’s Commitments Concerning Certain Public Service Retirement Benefits;
  
• ŸLD 1207, An Act To Expand the 1998 Special Retirement Plan To Include Detectives in the Office of Investigations within the Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles;
  
• ŸLD 1208, An Act To Expand the 1998 Special Retirement Plan To Include Detectives in the Office of the Attorney General;
  
• ŸLD 1249, An Act To Prohibit the Abuse and Isolation of Older and Dependent Adults;
  
• ŸLD 1311, An Act Regarding the Sale of Dogs and Cats at Pet Shops;
  
• ŸLD 1386, An Act Regarding the Determination of the Prevailing Wage Rate for Public Works Projects;
  
• ŸLD 1399, An Act To Improve Oral Health and Access to Dental Care for Maine Children;
  
• ŸLD 1442, An Act To Provide for Court-appointed Advocates for Justice in Animal Cruelty Cases;
  
• ŸLD 1518, An Act To Establish a Fund for Portions of the Operations and Outreach Activities of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Diagnostic and Research Laboratory and To Increase Statewide Enforcement of Pesticide Use;
  
• ŸLD 1550, An Act To Create a Victims’ Compensation Fund for Victims of Property Crimes;
  
• ŸLD 1597, An Act To Provide a Sales Tax Exemption for Purchases Made by Nonprofit Seasonal Camps;
  
• ŸLD 1718, An Act To Exempt Purchases by Pet Food Pantries from Sales Tax;
  
• LD 1808, An Act To Provide a Sales Tax Exemption for Certain Nonprofit Charitable Organizations;
  
• ŸLD 1700, Resolve, To Promote the Inclusion of African-American History and Culture in the Curricular Offerings of School Administrative Units;
  
• ŸLD 1756, An Act To Improve Public Safety through Coordinated Reentry of Prisoners into the Community;
  
• ŸLD 1809, Resolve, To Increase Funding for Evidence-based Therapies for Treating Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children; and,
  
• ŸLD 1838, Resolve, Requiring the Department of Health and Human Services To Examine Options for Upper Payment Limit Adjustments for MaineCare Services.
  

 
Earlier this week, Governor Mills announced that the Legislature recalled 13 bills from her desk for further consideration or drafting clarification. With this announcement, Governor Mills has taken action on all pending legislation on her desk. The Governor had until Saturday, January 11, 2020, which is three days after the opening of session, not including the first day, to either veto or to allow any held bills to become law without her signature.