Tribe to face costly battle on racino issue

The expected veto of the tribal racino bill by Governor John Baldacci, and the sustaining of the veto by the House of Representatives, will result in a long and costly campaign until the referendum vote in November, according to proponents of the Passamaquoddy Tribe's proposal for a commercial harness racing track with up to 1,500 slot machines in Washington County.

"It's going to be a long summer," says Passamaquoddy Rep. Donald Soctomah. "It's another hoop we have to jump through. It seems like it's an endless hoop. Whenever we come up with a gaming proposal they find something else to put in front of us."

Soctomah says the campaign will cost between half a million and a million and a half dollars, with the funding coming from the tribe's business partners and tribal government funds. Passamaquoddy Tribal Chief Rick Doyle of Pleasant Point says the source of the funding will have to be discussed with the joint tribal council.

Doyle comments, "We'll need to go the route we felt we had to go at the start." Last year racino proponents had presented petitions with a sufficient number of valid signatures for a statewide referendum vote on the issue, but first the initiated bill was considered by the legislature, being passed in the House and Senate but not gaining enough votes to override the governor's veto.

A feasibility study, commissioned by the tribal government, should be completed within a week or two and will include estimates on the number of visitors the racino would attract. Along with a commercial harness racing track and slot machines, the racino plans call for a destination resort with a hotel and 18-hole golf course. Soctomah notes that the tribe has already had feasibility studies on its earlier casino and racino proposals in the Calais area, and they indicated that the proposals had "good potential," he says.

Beginning this month the tribal government will be holding informational sessions around the county to answer questions about the racino and present information on the plans and the types of jobs that would be available. The first session will be held in Calais.

Baldacci vetoed the racino bill on April 26, just after the Senate voted for enactment. "My opposition to the expansion of gambling in Maine is well documented and unwavering," the governor said in his veto statement. "As presented, this bill would authorize doubling the total number of slot machines statewide and would bring gaming into a part of the state that currently has none."

"What is most troubling about this bill, however, is that it would expand gambling without the approval of Maine's citizens," Baldacci said. "Major expansions of gaming have justifiably been brought before the people of Maine through the citizen initiative process. Gaming proposals like LD 805, and the one approved by the voters in November 2003, so alter the fabric of the state that all of its citizens, not just the elected members of the legislative and executive branches, deserve an opportunity to be heard."

The veto was sustained by the House of Representatives, with 92 members voting to sustain and 38 voting to override. Soctomah says that some House members told him that they didn't want to go against the governor's veto, since it appeared that the necessary two-thirds vote to override the veto would not be obtained. Soctomah says he replied that the governor had gone against their previous vote to approve the measure.

Although the tribal chiefs and Washington County legislative delegation had requested a meeting with Baldacci before he considered the bill, the governor declined. "He didn't want to meet with anyone concerning it," says Soctomah. "He didn't give us a chance to talk with him." The delegation also sought to meet with him following the veto, and a meeting was held on Tuesday, May 8. Senator Kevin Raye of Perry, Rep. Anne Perry of Calais, Rep. Howard McFadden of Dennysville and Soctomah told the governor about the racino plans, and Baldacci told them he wanted to let the people of Maine make the decision, and he would not take an active role in opposing it before the referendum, according to Soctomah. Concerning the campaign, Soctomah says he hopes Baldacci will "stay out of it and let the people decide. We don't want him involved to use his resources against us. We're going to have enough people to battle."