Baldacci rejects four bills by pocket veto

Gov. John BaldacciGov. John Baldacci is planning a pocket veto of four bills passed last week, according to a release from his office.

The bills are:

-An act to generate savings by changing public notice requirements

-An act to authorize low-stakes cribbage games by charitable and fraternal organizations

-An act to clarify the laws on licensing for charitable and fraternal organizations and games of chance

-An act to stimulate capital investment for innovative businesses in Maine

The bills will not become law unless the Legislature convenes for three days or more in the off-session, said David Farmer, a spokesman for the governor. Then, Baldacci must deliver a veto message, or else it does become law.

If the Legislature was still in session, the bills would become law after 10 days if Baldacci did not sign them.

The public notice bill would have shortened public notices in newspapers, saving the state money. Baldacci said put transparency of government at risk.

His statement: “I appreciate the need to adopt new technologies. The State is already moving its employment advertising to the Internet.

“But this bill would reduce public access to the workings of government and make it less open. Estimates suggest that between 25 percent and 30 percent of people in Maine do not have access to the Internet, and others are not comfortable using it to access information.

“Further, the bill could change the way local governments communicate with their citizens by allowing public notices to be printed in 3rd Class publications, which are delivered less reliably. The State has an obligation to ensure that its citizens have access to information about what their government is doing.

“The State also has a responsibility to be frugal, and it is my understanding that through negotiations with the Legislature, publishers have agreed to rate reductions that will save more than $1.1 million over five years while maintaining public notices in newspapers.”

He called the bills that allowed charitable organizations to host gambling tournaments “unacceptable expansions of gambling.”

His statement: “LD 2134 (cribbage games) represents a tenfold increase in the size of card tournaments. The bill would make the tournaments difficult to regulate, and it places new demands upon the State Police. The bill is also drafted in a way that makes it unclear whether there could be a single super tournament in Maine each year or if there could be many.

“LD 2236 (licensing bill) essentially deregulates gambling events held by nonprofit organizations. Under the provisions of this bill, the State would rely solely upon groups to self-report the amount of money they earn from gambling and the number of events they host. While groups would be required to register, this bill would eliminate proper scrutiny of gaming activities.”

Finally, the capital investment bill is a liability for the general fund – possibly costing it $18.96 million a year, Baldacci said.

His statement: “I recognize the importance of attracting venture capital and new investments to Maine. This idea deserves more investigation and discussion and holds the potential to be a new economic development tool. However, as it is currently written, the bill carries enormous risk. Given the instability in financial markets and in the national economy, Maine must be very cautious in how it invests the people’s money. This bill would guarantee a rate of return for venture capital investors while Maine would shoulder all the risk. The potential liability for the State is too great for me to sign this bill.”

Baldacci has imposed regular vetoes of five bills during his time in office, according to his staff. This year, he rejected a bill to amend the school funding laws in the consolidation bill passed last year, and also a bill to allow slot machines on Indian Island.

Last year, he rejected a bill that would have allowed a racino in Washington County. Since this was an initiated bill, it went out to voters, who later rejected it. He had vetoed a similar measure in 2005.

In 2003 he vetoed “An act to require use of United States Citizens for work with the Bureau of Parks and Lands” and “An act to restrict fingerprinting of educational personnel to new hires.”