AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill designed to help veterans access federal facilities that are barring them based on Maine’s non-compliance with federal Real ID rules died Tuesday morning in the House of Representatives.
LD 213 originally passed through the House on a vote of 110-8 but was vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage last week. The House sustained the veto Tuesday morning on a vote of 89-54.
The bill sought to have the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management pay the fee for veterans’ passport cards so they could receive treatment at federal military installations in New Hampshire, where hundreds of Maine veterans go for medical care. The bill had a price tag of $15,000 in the current fiscal year.
LePage vetoed the bill because he disagrees with dealing with Maine’s Real ID problem piecemeal. In his veto letter, LePage urged the Legislature to enact LD 306, a broader bill that would put Maine on the path to Real ID compliance.
Assistant House Majority Leader Jared Golden, D-Lewiston, who sponsored LD 213, cast it as a way for lawmakers to demonstrate bipartisan support for Maine’s veterans Tuesday in debate on the floor but others questioned whether it would solve the problem for Maine veterans.
“This was a win-win bill with a small price tag that would have helped veterans with an ID problem or helped other veterans struggling financially,” said Golden in a written statement. “House Republicans flipped their votes, refusing to override the governor’s veto despite voting for the exact same bill on the floor last week.”
Golden argued that even if the Real ID bill were enacted immediately, it would take at least a year to implement. House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, said Golden’s bill was flawed because veterans would need to undergo background checks in addition to securing a passport card.
“Once LD 306 is passed, Maine has been promised a waiver that will allow Maine licenses to be used to board airplanes, allow veterans to access their health care and all the other roadblocks caused by Maine’s lack of compliance with Real ID,” said Fredette.
LD 306 has been referred to the Legislature’s Transportation Committee which recommended its passage in a 12-1 vote. It next heads to the Senate for floor debate and votes.
