Some lawmakers tried to breathe life back into the casino bill, but couldn’t gather enough support
A bill that would have granted the Wabanaki tribes of Maine the exclusive right to online gambling was resurrected in the Senate, only to be killed in the House a few hours later after being defeated twice before.
Last week, the proposition to extend the tribes’ online gambling control from sports betting to all games of chance, including online poker, was voted down in both the House and Senate. However, on Tuesday, Mattie Daughtry, the Assistant Senate Majority Leader from Brunswick, asked that the bill be revisited.
After initially voting against the bill, Daughtry asked for reconsideration and would change her vote, eventually resulting in the bill passing by a 19-13 vote. Lawmakers will often vote with the dominant side despite opposing it so they can bring the bill back later if the vote count shifts.
On Tuesday, Maulian Dana, the Tribal Ambassador for the Penobscot Nation, expressed her joy regarding the Senate’s turnaround. According to Dana, the Wabanaki Alliance, a group that endorses tribal self-determination, hasn’t given much attention to the gambling bill due to its emphasis on sovereignty. However, some lawmakers might wrongly assume that the tribes don’t consider expanding their gambling control important, which isn’t true.
The revived bill faced another setback in the Maine House on Tuesday. It failed to pass by a 75-70 vote, one vote less than the bill received on its first attempt. It remains unclear whether the proponents have any further plans to keep the bill alive before the session concludes.
Representative Laura Supica, whose district includes the Hollywood Casino and Hotel, sponsored the bill. She stated that tax revenue would be allocated specifically to fund 911 systems, emergency housing, and gambling addiction programs.
