AUGUSTA, Maine - In little more than 30 minutes, lawmakers in the Maine House today overrode Gov. Paul LePage's vetoes of eight bills.
Frustrated by majority Democrats' refusal to support a bill allowing Mainers to vote on abolishing the state income tax, LePage retaliated by announcing that he would veto all bills with Democratic sponsors, even if they benefited his administration.
One of those vetoed bills was a business-friendly measure sponsored by Rep. Erin Herbig, of Belfast.
"This bill was aimed to improve the Industry Partnership Assistance Collaborative grant program to encourage more private-sector businesses to participate in the program," Herbig said. "The changes will reduce the costs to private sector businesses. If this bill is vetoed, businesses will have to pay more to participate in this program."
Assistant House Majority Leader Sara Gideon praised Republican members of the House, all of whom joined Democrats to override LePage's vetoes in several votes.