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March 21, 2013

LePage unveils $100M bond package

Gov. Paul LePage today introduced a $100 million transportation bond package that aims to push legislators to pass a plan to pay $186 million in debt to the state's hospitals.

The Bangor Daily News reported that passage of the transportation bond would trigger about $154 million in additional funds for targeted infrastructure improvements around the state.

In line with LePage's recent pledges to veto every bill that crosses his desk until a plan to pay the state's hospitals is passed, LePage spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett said approval of the $100 million bond will also hinge on hospital repayment.

Unlike other laws approved by the Legislature, which may go into effect without a gubernatorial signature, LePage can hold up issuance of a bond as he has with $105 million in bonds approved by voters in 2010 and 2012. LePage refuses to release those bonds until a hospital payback plan is approved.

The LePage bond package would include:

  • $46 million to build or rehabilitate high-priority state highways
  • $5 million for secondary road improvements
  • $30 million to replace and rehabilitate bridges
  • $19 million for ports, harbors, marine transportation, aviation, freight and passenger railroads and other transit projects.

Democrats have responded by saying LePage should release the $105 million in bonds already approved by voters — including $51.5 million in transportation projects — rather than proposing this new bond package.

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