Senate's OK of vote on racino faces veto

AUGUSTA — The Senate gave initial approval Tuesday to a bill that would let voters decide whether Maine's American Indian tribes should open a racino in Washington County, but the margin of victory left the issue in doubt. The vote fell just short of the super-majority needed to override a gubernatorial veto.

The Senate voted 22-13 to allow a statewide vote in November on plans for a Down East racetrack with up to 1,500 slot machines. The House passed the bill Monday with enough votes to overcome a veto.

But the push by the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes to expand slot machine gambling into Washington County will be vetoed by Gov. John Baldacci, said Lee Umphrey, an aide to the governor.

Baldacci vetoed a similar bill last week that would have allowed the racino to open without a statewide vote. Baldacci at the time said he opposes more gambling in Maine, but would not stand in the way of a referendum on the issue as long as both chambers passed the bill by a two-thirds majority.

The House did that, but the Senate fell two votes short. Umphrey said the governor will now carry through with his promise.

Leaders from the tribes and Washington County were not convinced the veto would happen. Passamaquoddy Rep. Fred Moore said he did not want to speak for the governor, but that he is not concerned about the veto threat.

"This is a reflection of the will of the voters of Maine. These are their representatives," Moore said of Tuesday's vote.

The vote shortly before 10 p.m. capped a lengthy day for Moore and other supporters of the Washington County racino.

In both the House and Senate, the bill faced amendments that included asking voters to repeal existing slot machine laws. It also faced some opposition from lawmakers who wanted to change the date of the referendum from November of this year to June 2006.

State Rep. Ben Dudley, D-Portland, who sought the change, said a November vote on the racino could affect a possible vote on that same day on repeal of an anti-discrimination law for gays and lesbians passed earlier this year.

Dudley said a gambling referendum would help bring conservative Christian voters to the polls. Opponents of the gay-rights measure are collecting signatures now to get a statewide vote in November to overturn that law.

But Dudley's argument did not win enough support in the House to slow the bill's passage. The Senate debate touched on the issue, but focused on whether a racino was good economic development for the struggling tribes and Washington County.

It also focused on whether the state should hold a vote on gambling only two years after voters approved slot machines at the state's two existing commercial harness racing tracks, but rejected a plan for a $650 million tribal-run casino in Sanford.

"How many times are we going to have to go through this?" asked state Sen. Ethan Strimling, D-Portland, a racino opponent.

But state Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry, said the people should get to decide on this issue, and if they do, they will back allowing a racino to help the struggling tribes and people of Washington County.

"Today we simply ask you to let the debate move beyond this building," Raye said.

The proposal for a racino referendum now must go to the House and Senate for final passage before ending up on Baldacci's desk.

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