Maine Casino bill gets House support, headed to Senate
June 7, 2011,by Bill MacDonald, Meharness.com
Plymouth, ME — The Maine House of Representatives on Monday night (June 6) threw its support behind LD1203 with a 94-49 vote, in favor of the Biddeford Racino and a second tribal racino in Washington County.
The bill now goes forward to the Maine Senate, who will debate and vote on the bill sometime this week, maybe as early as Tuesday.
“It was amazing,” says MHHA Executive Director Wendy Ireland, “and it’s really going to send a strong message to the Senate. Anyone that was wavering in the Senate, I think we can pull them in with this vote tonight.
“It was a huge win for the industry and a collaborative effort on everybody’s part. The horsemen really played a big part (in this victory) by making calls to their legislators, and that was huge.”
- Maine Governor: Let voters decide on gambling (Wednesday, June 08, 2011)
Maine Governor Paul LePage has threatened to veto two gambling bills if they wind up on his desk, saying voters, not lawmakers, should have the final say on the matter.
- Maine Senate approves Biddeford racino (Friday, June 10, 2011)
The Maine Senate approved a bill on Thursday that would allow racinos in Biddeford and Washington County, while narrowly rejecting one that would allow a casino in Lewiston.