AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine lawmakers are awaiting Republican Gov. Paul LePage's likely veto of the state budget less than two days before the July 1 deadline.
LePage told WGME-TV Monday that he's 99.9 percent sure he will veto the budget by the midnight deadline, and told MPBN New he plans to veto it by 5:00 p.m. Monday.
He already vetoed 64 lines in the two-year spending plan this month, but lawmakers swiftly and overwhelmingly overturned every one.
A budget must be in place by Wednesday to prevent a government shutdown. Lawmakers plan to return Tuesday to consider the budget veto, as well as more than 30 other vetoes LePage has issued since they finished up the bulk of their work last week.
The budget needs two-thirds support in each chamber to survive a veto and legislative leaders say they're confident they have the votes.
Mal Leary contributed to this story.