Maine Governor rejects bill banning foreign influence in state elections.
OAN’s Roy Francis
7:53 AM – Thursday, July 20, 2023
Democratic Governor Janet Mills vetoed a bill aimed at banning foreign influence in Maine elections.
State law bans foreign nationals and companies from donating to any candidate’s campaign in the state, but it currently does not address referendums. The bill aimed to close this loophole.
It was introduced after a Canadian-based company, Hydro-Quebec, spent millions fighting voters’ decision to prevent a $1 billion transmission line project. The project aimed to bring the company’s hydropower to New England.
On Wednesday, Mills vetoed the bill and justified her decision in her veto letter. She expressed concerns about the constitutionality of the bill and feared that its language was too broad, potentially being used against “legitimate voices.”
The governor also argued that the bill “creates a bureaucratic morass that will entrap and silence otherwise legitimate voices and undermine the fundamental American cornerstones of free speech and free press.”
This is not the first time the governor has vetoed a bill aimed at preventing foreign influence in state campaigns. However, the final decision will ultimately rest with the voters if the lawmakers sustain the veto within the next week.
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