AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Senate on Tuesday upheld a trio of vetoes from Gov. Paul LePage on bills that initially passed during last year’s legislative session.
The bill sponsors, all Democrats, urged their colleagues to override the vetoes and even got some Republicans to join them on one vote, but none were successful. So far, the Legislature has upheld all 15 of LePage’s vetoes dating to last year.
Sen. Phil Bartlett, D-Gorham, who sponsored LD 1264, An Act To Improve the Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings and Create Jobs, said his bill is good public policy and pointed out that it passed unanimously through the House and Senate last spring.
Bartlett also criticized the governor for his rationale in issuing the veto, which was that it would give more power to Efficiency Maine. The senator said his bill would do no such thing.
“Today was a missed opportunity. The Legislature and the governor had an opportunity to address a major concern of Maine people — energy costs,” Bartlett said in a statement. “By encouraging energy efficiency, we would have been prudent with taxpayer money by saving on energy costs.”
Sen. Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport, voted to uphold the veto and called it the equivalent of an unfunded mandate. He credited the governor for saying so.
The Senate also upheld vetoes of LD 338, sponsored by Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, which sought to create an income tax credit for logging companies that hire Maine residents, and LD 205, a bill that exempted nonprofit performing arts organizations from sales taxes, sponsored by Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick.
In his veto letter, LePage said he supported performing arts organizations, just not tax incentives for them.
“Simply because something is worthwhile and good does not mean it should enjoy tax free status,” the governor wrote. “Exemptions from the sales tax should be saved for the necessities of life — food, shelter, medicine — as well as for important initiatives meant to foster growth and create good paying jobs in Maine industries, increasing our overall tax base.”
Several Republicans voted with Democrats to override LD 205, but not enough to turn the tide. A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is necessary for a veto to be overridden. The GOP holds a 20-14 edge in that body.
“I am disappointed by today’s result,” Gerzofsky said. “Easing the sales tax costs to these local nonprofit businesses would have helped these organizations grow their businesses, provide stable jobs, and support job growth in the tourism and retail sectors.”
Writing about his veto of LD 338, the governor said: “This bill will likely do little to achieve its proposed objective — encouraging timber companies to hire Maine residents … . Quite frankly, there are better ways to give our loggers tax relief and allow them to create jobs in our working forests.”
Before the end of the last session, the governor had vetoed 12 bills, all of which were upheld by the Legislature.
Ok so he veto’s a bill not on its merits, but because it gave an entity some daily rule making power, he vetoed a bill that would put Maine people to work over foreign competition, because he feels that he can give them different tax breaks… sorry Penguin, unless those breaks are dependent on hiring Mainers the companies will take them and still hire cheaper Canadians, and I can see why he would veto the arts bill. After all art is just a depiction of the life and history of the times, so he rationally fears himself being painted in a bad light. These vetoes are water testers to see how much power he has in the Senate. The Emperor wants more power and this is just a way to find out if he will get it.
Excuse me while I go put the surprised look on my face
So, which Republicans voted to override the vetoes?
The ones who did should be reelected. Thise ones who didn’t …
Well we know what Paul thinks about the arts already right? Just something to ignore or hide in a closet. Saving energy cuts into oil/gas profits, we can’t have that can we? Helping Maine loggers “Puts people first” which is a nice campaign slogan, but we can’t really expect someone who lies as often as Paul to stand by what he told us during a campaign can we? Just another day in the life of Paul LePage. With the Republicans in control of the House and Senate we should all brace ourselves for a rough ahead, at least until next November when we can correct all these mistakes by voting every Republican/Tea Party member out. Then on to Paul and his taxpayer paid daughter in 2014!