Special order on Indian racino measure dies

AUGUSTA – Parliamentary jockeying continues over calls for a tribal racino in eastern Maine.

The Maine House of Representatives and Senate have been at odds over whether a new bill addressing the subject should be developed in committee. On Wednesday, the Senate refused to budge, and as a result, an order seeking a new bill died.

However, the issue itself is far from dead.

Supporters of an Indian racino have submitted petitions to state election officials bearing signatures of voters seeking a referendum on the matter.

A determination of whether the requisite number of signatures is valid is pending.

Senate members made note of the pending determination Wednesday in agreeing to drop the special order to the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee at this time.

“It’s not needed,” Assistant Senate Majority leader Kenneth Gagnon, D-Waterville, said of a new bill. “We’re going to more than likely have the bill that the petitions will bring forward.”

In 2003, Maine voters overwhelmingly rejected an Indian-supported initiative to build a $650 million casino in the southern part of the state. But in the same election, voters authorized slot machines at the state’s harness racing tracks.

No details were specified in the special order that was killed off Wednesday, but some recent discussions have focused on staging a referendum only in Washington County and holding it in June.

The special order was introduced after lawmakers last month sustained Gov. John Baldacci’s veto of a bill calling for a Down East racino measure that included a referendum provision. The governor last spring vetoed a similar measure, which did not call for a public vote.

Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry, told colleagues Wednesday he would not object to a final rejection of the special order because “the situation has evolved.”

At the same time, Raye suggested that lawmakers would be taking another look.

“We look forward to future consideration of this issue in this body,” he said.