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sion,’ the Republican governor said, referring to Black Bear Entertainment's successful initiative to build a casino in Oxford and the voter-approved racino proposal that brought about Bangor Slots. Other gam bling proposals, notably one in 2003 in Sanford and another in 2008 in Calais, were rejected by voters. Both plans were backed by Maine Indian tribes. “Maine people voted for one casino and one racino, and that’s what they’re get ting,’ LePage said. “I think the Legislature, quite frankly, has got a lot more important things to do. Let this go the people.” He said he has no special stake in the gambling issue, which he observed has been contentious in the past. “I don’t gamble,” he said. “The only gambling I do is I get up in the morning and go to work and hope I get home safe ly. That's my biggest gamble.” Asked if he wants voters rather than the Legislature to decide on the two pending pro posals, he said: “Absolutely It's got to go to the people... It'll be a veto, no question about it” In another matter, LePage vetoed a bill barring the Department of Conservation from permitting timber har vesting on land under its juris diction by people employed under the federal H2 bonded labor program. The program is used by employers who antici pate a shortage of domestic labor for up to a year. In his message to the Legislature, LePage said the bill runs afoul of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees due process and equal protec tion under the law. “This veto has nothing to do with the policy outlined in the bill,” LePage wrote. The Democratic sponsor of the bill said he was disappoint ed with LePage's action. “It’s unfortunate that a gov rnor who says he’s all about jobs is actually more interested in giving jobs to Canadians rather than Maine workers,’ said Sen. Troy Jackson of Allagash. “The governor's veto encourages government to use foreign workers to work on our lands and harvest a Maine product. This is not good for jobs. It’s not good for people. And, it’s certainly not good for the Maine economy.”
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Biddeford Journal Tribune
Biddeford, Maine, US
Wed, Jun 08, 2011
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USA 21 Jul 2026
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