Maine House and Senate Slots Proposal, Governor Baldacci Expected to Block Proposal

On April 11th, 2008, Governor John Baldacci intends to block the bill by the House and Senate giving permission to the Penobscot Nation to offer slot machines at their Indian Island High-Stakes Beano establishment. Governor Baldacci's spokesperson, David Farmer said that they will veto the bill because of principle.

After a successful vote in the house, which ended in 98-34 with twenty-one representatives absent during the session, the Senate also voted 23-12 in support of the proposal. The proposal would give permission to the Penobscot tribe to offer 100 slot machines at its Indian Island high-stakes beano establishment.

An amendment pushed by the Senate would scale down the operation of the slot machines to Indian Island, which was in favor of the tribe. A past amendment by Rep. Dick Blanchard, a Democrat from Old Town, scale down the number of slot machines on Indian Island from four hundred slot machines to one hundred slot machines that would operate only when the Penobscot tribe offer big stakes beano events.

The profits would be utilized amount other ways to backed gaming addiction programs, educational system and Maine Indian tribes not allowed to managed slot machines. Aside from that, the Penobscot aim to utilize some of the profits to help reach the Indian tribe's goal of giving appropriate services to the members of the tribe.

Thursday, 24 April 2008
Marissa Patterson