MAINE PUBLIC • April 25, 2022
Gov. Janet Mills is urging lawmakers not to pass a tribal sovereignty bill, saying she wants to avoid a “confrontation” over the issue as her administration continues to work with tribal leaders. It would also avoid Mills, a Democrat, from having to veto a measure that is the top priority of tribal members and that has drawn widespread support, particularly among Democratic and progressive groups and activists. The bill was tabled in the Maine Senate on Monday but could be brought up again later in the day. But after a highly public, months-long campaign to pass LD 1626, negotiations over the measure have largely moved behind closed doors.