LePage: Veto ink to run until hospital payment done
Gov. Paul LePage created waves in Augusta after saying he will veto most bills that cross his desk until legislation to repay the state's Medicaid hospital debt is passed.
MPBN reported LePage initially threatened to veto every bill passed by the Legislature during an interview with a Bangor radio station, which sparked criticism from legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle.
WCSH6 reported LePage revised his veto threat late Friday, saying that he would he will not veto bills that have significant bipartisan support or that create jobs.
With his veto promise, LePage alleged that legislators have dragged their feet in repaying nearly $186 million in hospital debt and Republicans have accused Democratic leaders of stalling consideration of a LePage-proposed bill that would repay the hospitals based on proceeds from the state renegotiating its wholesale liquor distribution contract.
Two bills — LePage's and a competing proposal from Sen. Seth Goodall, D-Richmond — are scheduled for a public hearing in the committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs on March 11.
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