Tribal racino clears hurdle with state's approval of petition

"The racino will be addressed at least this time by more than just the governor," comments Passamaquoddy Chief Rick Doyle of Pleasant Point, following the January 17 announcement by the Secretary of State's office that, by a slim margin, petitions for a tribal racino in Washington County have a sufficient number of valid signatures to have the proposal considered by the legislature and, if turned down, by Maine voters.

Noting that the racino proposal is different from the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot casino plan for Sanford that was turned down 2-1 by Maine voters in a 2003 referendum, Doyle comments, "It's here in Washington County and we're here. It would create jobs here. It goes into an area that wants it. I feel good that they'll approve it."

Two tribal racino bills that were passed by the legislature in 2005 were vetoed by Governor John Baldacci, which has created some hostility toward the governor among tribal members and residents of Washington County. But Doyle says, "I've gotten past the governor's vetoes. I was disappointed, since the legislature passed it and because of his ideology he vetoed it. Some hard feelings still linger on the reservation."

Concerning relations between the tribe and Baldacci's administration, the tribal chief comments, "We hope to repair that bridge and will continue to offer to work in collaboration with the state. We have things to bring to the table for the economy of Washington County and the state. We're still going to try to rebuild that bridge. That bridge can be strong if both sides learn to respect one another."

Although the racino is proposed as a tribally owned commercial harness racing track with slot machines, Doyle says the tribe envisions the project as a destination resort. "We want to provide a high-end hotel, a racetrack and an 18-hole golf course, which would allow other retail opportunities, including shops and artisans, to develop." The tribe would also work with the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge to create more eco-tourism possibilities.

Although the racino would be located in Washington County, no specific site is yet being considered. "Calais, Machias, anywhere could be under consideration," says Doyle.

Lawmakers will now consider "An Act to Authorize a Tribal Commercial Track and Slot Machines in Washington County." If the legislature fails to approve the measure, it will send it out to the voters either in a special election or as a ballot question on the November 6, 2007, general election ballot.

The number of valid signatures required for this action was 50,519, or 10% of the votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial election of 2002. Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap announced that 51,096 signatures have been accepted, while 17,836 were rejected.

"This determination follows a careful review of petitions containing nearly 69,000 signatures," said Dunlap. "The staff in Maine's Elections Division, as well as officials on the local level, deserve much credit for their thoroughness and diligence in their review of the petitions. The verification and certification process is laborious and precise work, with the right of a citizen to legitimately petition their government hanging in the balance." He also thanked the petitioners for working to ensure the integrity of their effort by alerting Elections Division staff to potential problems in submitted petitions.

Among the most common reasons for signatures to have been found to be invalid were because they were not certified by the registrar as belonging to a registered voter; because the circulator's oath could not be relied upon or was not properly completed; because they were duplicates of signatures already counted; or because the voter's signature was withdrawn from the petition.