Tribe will start petition to force vote on racino

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Supporters of a harness racetrack with slot machines in Washington County have taken another step toward bringing their proposal to voters.

The Passamaquoddy Tribe's representative to the Maine Legislature submitted an application Monday for a citizen initiative. After review by state election officials, the tribe could begin collecting signatures within a few weeks.

The tribe would need 50,519 certified signatures by Jan. 30 to earn a spot on the November 2006 ballot. Voters would be asked if they want a racino to be built and run in Washington County by the Passamaquoddy Tribe.

"It's the next step in a process which the tribe is committed to," said Frederick Moore, the legislative representative. "It has, unfortunately, become necessary for the tribe to appeal directly to the voters."

The Passamaquoddy Tribe, with the support of other tribes in Maine and across the country, has pushed for several years to expand gambling in the state. The latest effort is the racino in Washington County, combining harness racing, off-track betting and as many as 1,500 slot machines.

State legislators voted last month to put the issue to voters this fall, but Gov. John Baldacci said he will veto the bill. That forced the tribe into a signature drive, pushing back the timetable another year.

Casinos No! - the group that helped to defeat a proposed $650 million casino in York County in 2003 - is committed to defeating the idea.

The group's spokeswoman, Valerie Landry, said she had hoped that Baldacci's veto would end the debate.

"I think it is time for this to be over," she said on June 23, after the governor's announcement.

But Moore said supporters were always committed to the long haul, despite setbacks.

The issue of a tribal commercial track has been voted on at least a dozen times in the Legislature, he said, with growing margins of support. He said the governor's veto goes against the majority of Maine lawmakers and the public.

The Washington County Tribal Track Coalition, a political action committee, has been raising money and political support for the racino, and aired its first television ad last month. The group's initial financial report is due to state officials by the end of this week.

Passamaquoddy leaders met in late June with almost two dozen other American Indian tribes at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Moore said the other tribes have an interest in the racino proposal.

"The basis of that interest is to assist our tribe in creating an economic opportunity, which they feel is only fair and the right thing to do," Moore said. "We have received a tremendous commitment to support this effort both politically and financially."

Julie Flynn, Maine's deputy secretary of state for elections, said her office will draft the ballot question for the petition forms. The tribe then will have until Jan. 30 to submit the signatures of registered voters. If that deadline is missed, petition organizers could shoot for the 2007 ballot.

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