AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Senate on Wednesday overrode the Republican governor’s vetoes of bills targeting hands-free driving and allowing tobacco sales to customers 21 or older.
Lawmakers returned for their final day of session to deal with vetoes, bills and bonds. A veto requires two-thirds vote in the House and in the Senate for the bill to become law.
Gov. Paul LePage, who named one of his own dogs Veto, on Tuesday released a list of about two dozen vetoes on bills that he said revealed legislators’ ineptitude and propensity for growing government with unfunded mandates.
As LePage predicted, Senate lawmakers voted to override his vetoes of legislation to ban hand-held devices for drivers and to raise the tobacco-sales age from 18 to 21.
Last month, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, also a Republican, signed legislation that made his state the third — after Hawaii and California — to raise the smoking age to 21.
The Senate also voted Wednesday to support other bills LePage opposed, including legislation to require reporting of a planned act of terrorism by someone with knowledge of the plan.
A bill calling for an overhaul of solar regulations received a 28-6 vote in the Senate.
Many new laws become effective 90 days after the Legislature’s official last day.
Lawmakers may return in the fall to consider a marijuana bill.
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