LD 2004 would have amended the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act and the Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act so that the Wabanaki tribes could benefit from most existing and future federal laws that apply to the other 570 federally recognized tribes.
Excluding Maine tribes from the benefits associated with federal laws has had grave economic and societal consequences. While tribes included in federal laws have seen a 61% increase in economic growth over the last four decades, Maine’s subjugation of the tribes’ self-governance has led to much slower growth, just 9%. Suppressing economic growth for Maine tribes limits economic opportunity for our entire state.
Gov. Mills vetoed the bill, and in spite of bipartisan supporters’ and the tribes’ best efforts to create a veto-proof majority, the veto stood.
House Roll Call #348. Senate Roll Call #425, Senate vote to pass the committee report and the House vote to overturn Governor Mills’ veto of the bill.