Politics & Government

A bill to allow the Passamaquoddy Tribe to establish a casino in Calais went down to defeat in the Maine Senate on March 27. While the House of Representatives had been supportive, the Senate voted 20 to 15 against the measure.

The odds of state approval for the Passamaquoddy Tribe's proposal for a casino in Calais increased substantially after the Maine House of Representatives voted down a committee's recommendation against the measure and gave its support for the casino.

The tentative agreement that had been reached between the state and the Passamaquoddy Tribe for the upcoming elver fishery fell apart during a work session of the legislature's Marine Resources Committee on February 19.

When industrial-scale projects come to an area they are required to conform to specific zoning regulations. If the company seeks to apply for rezoning, part of the process includes public hearings.

Atlantic Wind LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables, is still considering a wind energy project in the Whiting and Trescott area and has entered into 24 lease and easement agreements with property owners in Trescott, Whiting, Cutler and Jonesboro. The lease agreements were signed in 2012 and 2013

Legislation that would further assert the rights of tribes in Maine, including the right for tribal representatives to vote in the legislature and for the tribes to cooperatively manage the elver fishery with the state, is being proposed by the Passamaquoddy representative.