House passes Penobscot Nation’s slots bill

AUGUSTA – The House passed a bill Tuesday that would allow the Penobscot Indian Nation to operate slot machines at its Indian Island high-stakes beano facility.

The bill, which still has to go before the Senate, was approved by a vote of 101-42, with eight representatives absent.

The Penobscots’ original proposal was to operate 400 slot machines at the facility, but an amendment by Rep. Dick Blanchard, D-Old Town, decreased the number to 100 machines that would operate only when the Penobscots hold high-stakes beano events.

“We knew that was coming,” Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis said Tuesday, referring to Blanchard’s amendment. “It’s obviously a long ways from the bill we presented, but we think it’s another example of the tribe really trying to be reasonable with this given the political climate on gaming.”

Gov. John Baldacci previously threatened to veto the bill if it made it through the Legislature, and his response to Tuesday’s vote was no different.

“I don’t support the expansion of slot machine gambling in Maine,” Baldacci said in a statement. “Any expansion of gaming must go through the same process as Hollywood Slots, the Passamaquoddy and the project in Oxford County. We can’t have a double standard.”

If the governor vetoes a bill, it is returned to the Legislature, where a two-thirds vote of those present and voting in both the Senate and the House is required to override his decision.

“We’re extremely happy with the amount of support the bill’s gotten,” Francis said. “This vote … shows that people are really seeing the merit of the bill and the effect it will have on people.”

The chief said the Penobscots intend to keep moving forward with the bill and will see what the Senate decides. Any revenue that the tribe is able to gain would help in reaching its goal of providing an appropriate level of services for tribal members.

“We could have opposed the amendment and been stubborn and gotten nothing, or moved forward and showed that we can compromise,” Francis said. “The way we feel here is any gaming rights we get back is certainly a step in the right direction.”

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