Updated June 30
Gov. Mills vetoes bill to provide gaming rights to Maine tribes
Leaders of the 4 tribes reacted harshly to the veto, which was issued just hours before the measure would have become law without the governor's signature.
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AUGUSTA — Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have allowed Native American tribes in Maine to open casinos or other gambling businesses on their tribal lands.
The bill, approved by the Legislature in June, would have ended years of state government opposition to allowing tribes in Maine to open casinos as a means of economic development.
In a lengthy, four-page veto message, Mills detailed her efforts to repair the state’s frayed relationship with the Wabanaki, whose tribes include the Maliseet, the Micmac, the Passamaquoddy and the Penobscot.