AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed a bill to expand Medicaid for a second time.
LePage first vetoed a Medicaid expansion that was tied to repayment of hospital debt. On Monday, he vetoed a standalone Medicaid bill.
In a message to lawmakers, the Republican governor said Maine's welfare system has grown too fast and too large, and that he doesn't trust the federal government's promise to shoulder nearly all of the cost for the next decade.
He also said the state needs to negotiate with Washington and that it needs flexibility to "improve delivery and root out fraud and abuse."