AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Legislature on Tuesday unanimously voted in both the House and the Senate to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill that will allow the transfer of a moose permit to a hunter’s family member in certain circumstances, according to a press release issued by the Senate Democratic Office.
The Senate voted 34-0 (with one member absent) to override the veto of LD 373, which sought to allow the commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife the ability to transfer a moose permit to family members under exceptional extenuating circumstances. Shortly afterward, the Maine House of Representatives overrode the veto in a 145-0 vote.
“The bill will become law 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die,” according to the release.
Maine’s moose permits are awarded to successful entrants in a state-run lottery. Some prospective hunters have entered the lottery for decades and never had their name drawn.
LePage had vetoed the bill, citing the long list of people who would be considered “family members” of a hunter, and saying he didn’t want to change a system solely to benefit rare exceptions.
“This bill would authorize a person who receives a moose permit to transfer this permit to a family member, with ‘family’ being defined as a ‘spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, grandparent, stepparent, brother, sister, half-sister, half-brother or adopted child,’” LePage wrote in his veto letter, dated May 15. “I often hear complaints that Maine’s hunting and fishing laws are too complicated and this bill simply compounds this problem by adding yet another wrinkle to our hunting laws.”
In addition, LePage said the bill could lead to abuse of the existing system.
“More to the point, I also hear complaints from constituents who are frustrated that after applying for years, they are never drawn in the moose lottery,” he wrote. “This bill, however, opens up a brand new avenue for families to engage in new schemes concerning the moose lottery to try to game this system in new and innovative ways.”
The bill was sponsored by Sen. Dave Miramant of Camden, who filed the bill at the request of a constituent who was trying to help fulfill the dream of a man in his town who was dying of cancer, the news release said.
“I felt the suggestion made common sense and would help Maine hunters finding themselves in an unfortunate situation,” Miramant said in the release. “I was surprised by the governor’s objections, since the committee had worked hard to make sure that only those who fit the narrow circumstances would be allowed this privilege.”
A previous version of this story misstated the Senate vote on LD 373. One member was absent, so the vote was 34-0, not 35-0.
