Governor John Baldacci yesterday vowed to veto any budget passed by the Legislature that includes a tax hike, reiterating the position he took in Wednesday’s State of the State address.
Baldacci said it was “unacceptable” to raise taxes when Mainers already are struggling in a soft economy, according to the Portland Press Herald. Overriding Baldacci’s veto would take a two-thirds majority vote in the Legislature, which lawmakers say is highly unlikely.
Republican House and Senate leaders already have said they will not endorse tax increases, and only a few Democrats would consider proposing it, according to the paper. Advocates of a tax increase, including the Maine Center for Economic Policy, say raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol and soda provides a better alternative to cutting social services funding.
