PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 19, 2021
The Maine House voted Monday to uphold Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of a bill seeking a forced buyout of the state’s two largest electric utilities, ending legislative debate, but not the political momentum around the issue. Mills raised concerns about the proposed company’s board of directors as well as the costs of protracted litigation and delayed investment in the grid during what she called a “hostile takeover of the state’s utilities.” Lawmakers also sustained Mills’ vetoes of measures dealing with food sovereignty and membership of a forestry advisory board. With Monday’s additional votes, Mills was 21-0 for bills she vetoed during the 2021 legislative session.