Maine Governor Janet Mills has signed LD 585 into law. The new legislation is a threefold act that will revise tax laws regarding the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation. It will also enhance collaboration between the tribes and the state, as well as allow casinos, off-track betting facilities, certain commercial tracks and federally recognized tribes to conduct sports wagering.
This is the latest in a series of laws passed to benefit the Wabanaki Nations. The tribes throughout Maine’s history have been excluded from participating in the state’s gaming industry. This is the first law in more than 40 years to address tribal financial and economic issues that also implements institutional changes regarding relations between the tribes and the state.
Several months of negotiation between the between the Wabanaki Nations and the Mills Administration resulted in state legislature drafting LD 585. Maine is one of a handful of states that has signed a state-tribal collaboration process into law.
Governor Janet Mills said: “This law provides meaningful economic opportunities for the Wabanaki Nations. It incentivizes investment in Tribal communities, and it formalizes a collaboration process on policy that sets the foundation for a stronger relationship in the future.
“I am proud of the work that the Wabanaki Nations and the State put into drafting this legislation, and I am grateful for the honest effort, the extensive research and the hundreds of hours of negotiations and discussions which bore fruit in this bill. We will continue to work closely with the Tribes to make progress for the Wabanaki people.”
