BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 19, 2023
Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill on Wednesday that seeks to ban foreign governments from spending money to influence Maine elections and referendums. The bill comes from a citizen-led effort to place a foreign electioneering ban on the November ballot. The bill came in response to a 2021 referendum that tried to halt Central Maine Power’s controversial transmission corridor through western Maine. The measure will still go to the ballot if lawmakers fail to get the two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override the veto. Mills, a Democrat, said “while I strongly support and share the desire to find ways to prevent foreign influence in our elections, the language of this bill is too broad and would likely result in the unintended consequences of effectively silencing legitimate voices, including Maine-based businesses, in debates that would impact their interests.”